You shone Your light
Into my dark world
Pierced the night of my sorrows
With a ray of hope
The black mist over my eyes
Melted away as Your truth
Lit up the path before me
Like beacons on a runway
You led me back
To the path of Your calling
Led me from my wandering
To the straight path
I cling to Your Word
Like a cast adrift sailor
Grips to a buoy
You keep me from going under
It’s easy in the shallows
Life is so calm, so relaxing
The crystal water is cool to the touch
So refreshing as it trickles over your worn feet
It’s easy in the shallows
The current is weak, non-existent
The pull to the sea is easily ignored
Swatted away like an irritant fly
It’s easy in the shallows
There is no commitment, no permanence
You can enter and leave the water at will
Bail out whenever it gets too much
It’s easy in the shallows
There’s no effort, no struggle
You stay marooned on the dry river bank
And watch life pass you by
I saw no worth in me
Yet You gave up all You had for me
Hurtful words stuck to my forehead like labels
You spun Your loving words into a crown for me
You rebuilt the ruins of my self esteem
Into a castle, secure and steadfast
Though my heart was locked away
Guarded by tangles of barbed wire
You walked in and healed my deep hurts
You told me I was more
Than the mistakes I had made
You told me I was Yours and nothing could change that
The lies that bound me fell away
And I found my worth in You
Why this emptiness in my life?
Why has the light
All of a sudden, gone out?
My voice echoes in the vastness
The ghost of loneliness
Brushing past my skin
Aimless I feel I am wandering
When my path was once so sure
The veil of hopelessness flutters over my eyes
The future obscured
But then I open Your Word
And the sun rises
A shaft of light piercing like a knife
Cutting through the mist
That my feelings threw up
You never promised that I would be pain free
But You said that You would always comfort me
You never promised that I would never feel alone
But You promised that I never would be
You never promised that I would always know the plan
But You promised that Your plan is always good
I reach out in the darkness
And though I still feel
This gaping void around me
I know that You are with me
A candle flickers to life in my heart
A certain knowledge that empowers me
The knowledge that this feeling,
This stage of life
Will end
Lift up your head
Though the battle rages
And an army approaches
Do not let fear darken your heart
See the light piercing through the cloud
Know that I am here
Though you wield sword and shield
It is I who will fight this battle
As the footsteps thud down
Like drums of impending doom
Tune into My song in your heart
Let its peaceful tune echo inside
Let the words of love flow through you
Know that I am committed to you
That even in your darkest moments
I will not leave you
Let that be the sound
That rings in your ears
As you make your advance forward
As you face up to another battle
An empty cry
Rising from an empty heart
The holding place of a yearning
That is threatening to break out
Surging like the sea
Its roar so immersive
Thrashing in frustration
All this in me
And somehow no one must see
But You see
And You understand
For in You was the same passion
And You let it flow out
Rivers of love streaming from the base of the cross
You draw near to me
You gently touch my restless heart
Its ceaseless thudding like a bass drum
Fading softly under Your guidance
You fill the void
The emptiness that caused me to cry out
Now I know where I belong
Your love has made me whole
Lift your voice and praise the Lord.
He is worthy of all honour, glory and power.
Who can match his unmeasurable worth?
If all the earth were to fade away, You would remain.
You rely on nothing to survive; You are self-sustaining, all encompassing.
Draw near to me God.
Though I am stained with sin and marked with iniquity, have mercy on me.
Pour Your love on me and forgive my sins.
Open my eyes to see you more clearly; guide me on the way that honours Your name.
Teach me and I will learn the secrets of Your heart.
I long to know you God; as a father; as a friend
Your righteous, right hand is mighty beyond all compare, with it You crumple the mountains of Hades
And crush the strongholds of the enemy.
And yet it is my comfort and my support.
Comfort me once again God.
A gentle knock on the door
From a long lost friend
Hoping to rekindle the dying embers
Hoping to rebuild what was lost
The door is bolted shut
Darkness lurks in the hallways
The house is littered with paraphernalia
A cold breeze moves through
This is the house of a broken man
On the ground lie broken household items
The evidence of burglaries and abuse
He lies in a corner curled up
His pale frame now swallowed up in his clothes
He trusts no one, he will survive alone in here
He lies in darkness and isolation
Life beyond his pain seems nothing more than a dream
And yet only a few centimetres of wood
Separate him from complete freedom
A gentle knock on the door
From a long lost friend
He has the power to change it all
But He won’t force His way in
Let Him in
Dark days without end
Light is a lost memory
It won’t last always
It looms ominously
A black cloud on the horizon
Silently it sweeps across the sky
Until there is no more light
Just a sheet of darkness and dread
You can’t look beyond it
The insurmountable mountain
The future only brings fear
Stress is a filthy rat
Gnawing at the knot of your heart
Like a stone your stomach drops to the depths
Whatever awaits you
When the sun rises up again
Whatever you fear
Know that you are never alone
“…I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua 1:5 (NIV)
