I would like to share two poems this week. The first poem is
a personal reflection on a sermon preached at my church this past Sunday. The
sermon taught of Christ’s suffering as he went to the cross, bearing the
penalty for the sins of his people. It
is good to think of the cross often, not just at Easter. The gospel, the
glorious gospel is what our souls must hear again and again. “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. God is pleased to forgive all those that trust in Christ by grace through faith. The second poem was written for children in particular and
is a reflection on the gift of faith.
You came to earth intending to die
Your days were filled with sorrow-
Tempted by Satan, rejected by men.
You’re blameless, righteous, holy and pure
Joyously you laid down your life that I may live
Smitten for me. Stricken for me. Afflicted for me.
Mocked and scourged. Beaten to a bloody pulp
Naked you hung on the cursed tree
Like a lamb to the slaughter you went
You opened not your mouth nor walked away from the cross
Hell is a place where fire will never cease
Eternal separation from God; his wrath unleashed
A place of weeping and gnashing of teeth
Hell is what my sins deserve. Justification is what you gave
On the cross, the deepest pangs of hell tortured your body
and soul
The power of Satan was broken when you arose
Death where is your sting? O grave where is your victory?
In you I live eternally. From chains of sin, I’ve been set
free
Sometimes I forget the blackness of my sins and see them
grey
The black sky overhead at Calvary echoed the darkness in my
heart
The Savior, the Savior on the cross in agony for me.
My sins grey? What a fallacy! They’re black as black can be.
Father, by grace from the blackness you look away. In Christ
my heart is white,
His precious blood has washed me pure as snow
O’ Holy One, sometimes I forget the depths of your mercy
Sometimes I imagine transient circumstances measure your
love
Your love is immeasurable. Your grace abounds. Your mercy
never ends.
Let not my heart grow cold. Though for a season my heart’s
heavy with manifold trials
May I with joy unspeakable press on towards the goal, my
eyes affixed on the cross
My eyes affixed on you, Beloved, who went to hell for me.
What can separate me from you?
Can height or depth or principalities or powers or anything
else take me from your hand?
Never! In you I’m sealed by the Spirit, adopted by God.The depths
of your love are unsearchable
By nature a creature of wrath, I’m redeemed. I walk in
Christ, in newness of life towards heaven.
May I learn to love you as you love
me. My life laid down, not lost, but gained in you.
This poem is scripturally based.
Some of the scripture references are: Isaiah 53 in the first stanza, 1
Corinthians 15:55 and Matthew 13:42 in the second stanza, Isaiah 1:18
and Mark 15:33 in the third stanza, 1 Peter 1:6-8, Ephesians 2:3, Romans
8:38-39, and Matthew 10:39 in the fourth stanza.
In the last stanza the line: "My eyes affixed on you, Beloved, who went to hell for me," is referring to the suffering Christ endured on the cross, in which all the tortures of hell were unleashed upon him as he paid the penalty for the sins of his people.
In the last stanza the line: "My eyes affixed on you, Beloved, who went to hell for me," is referring to the suffering Christ endured on the cross, in which all the tortures of hell were unleashed upon him as he paid the penalty for the sins of his people.
Faith is a Gift
Jesus died for sinners
He died for you and me
When we trust in him
Our sins are washed away
Faith is a gift from God above
A gift of grace and love
If we ask our Father,
He'll give us faith in Christ
Jesus makes our faith to grow
A little more each day
We should ask our Father
For faith that grows big and strong
Our faith will grow in Jesus
There's nothing we can do
No effort of our own will give
Us faith or make our faith to grow
In Jesus we are made whole
Our sins are washed away
His righteousness is put on us
And in faith we grow
If we trust in Jesus
One day to heaven we'll go
There our faith will become sight
Our eyes will see God's glory
We'll worship him forevermore
