(C) Cheryl Howard 2009

I cannot live without YOU, not even for a day

I stagger lost without YOU, YOU are The Only Way

Without YOUR light I’m blind, groping in the dark

I see a future empty, devoid of life and stark

 

 

 

Without YOU I am shrivelled, a shadow without form

If it wasn’t for YOUR Cross LORD, I’d still be dead, unborn

YOU are my breath of life, YOUR heart it beats in mine

Forever am I grateful that YOU stepped down into time

 

 

 

YOU took my sins upon YOU, YOU covered me with grace

YOU are unchanging Truth, in YOUR Atonement rests my faith

And what unsearchable riches, my LORD are found in YOU

YOUR Blood upon The Cross LORD, did for me what I can’t do

 

 

 

It is YOUR heart that is my treasure, YOUR Face that I seek

YOU Alone delight my soul, I yearn each day to hear YOU speak

For YOU are Life Eternal, Merciful, Righteous, Pure

The more O LORD I know YOU, I long to know YOU more, and more!

 

 

 

 

thought for the journey ….  

 

The miracle of CHRISTmas, the yearly celebration, exists because of ALMIGHTY GOD’s great heart of love towards HIS lost, fallen and rebellious creation. If GOD had not incarnated HIMSELF in Baby JESUS 2000 odd years ago, the world would indeed be a grim and ‘hope’less place. But we have JESUS - IMMANUEL, GOD with us; The Hope of the world ….. what a reason to celebrate, what joy, what wonder, what undeserved grace - what hope!

 

The miracle is that a Holy, Righteous, Just and Perfect GOD loves flawed, selfish, sin stained, self obsessed, failure ridden humanity - and not because we are so ‘lovable’ but because HE has imbued us with great worth and HE IS LOVE!

 

When we see our own ‘ugliness’ and unrighteousness, we are right - for all our ‘righteousness’ is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) - and we must run to our SAVIOR Who fills us with HIS imputed righteousness. We have nothing to redeem ourselves, nothing to commend ourselves - yet HE chose us, loves us, and HE will fill us with HIS love and goodness, for HIS manifest glory - if we yield to HIM, trusting in the work of HIS Cross, the Power of HIS Blood, and receive!

Hold our own lives lightly, secure in the knowledge that YHWH holds them priceless! Oh how imperative it is that we know ‘who we are in CHRIST’ - not that we know “who we are”, but that we know who we are “in CHRIST”

 

The miracle is that not only does our Holy CREATOR love us, but HE yearns for us to be reconciled to HIMSELF - and an even greater miracle is that HE took upon HIMSELF the cost, the task and burden of reconciling us, of washing us clean from the filth of our sin, of redeeming us - of rescuing us through JESUS The CHRIST, SAVIOR of all who would hear HIS voice and heed HIS command to “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17) 

 

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and The LORD has laid on HIM the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6

This is the true message of CHRISTmas - the Gospel of the Grace of GOD!

(C) Cheryl Howard 2008

 

A heart torn with grief you cling to hope,

Arms aching and empty you struggle to cope.

O how did this happen and how could this sorrow be?

Could never imagine how wrenching this loss to see.

 

 

O how brief did you hold your babe in your arms,

Enchanted by him, heart melted by his charms.

In the midst of this darkness, this anguish and pain,

You know your GOD’s good, and HIS love doesn’t change.

 

 

No gain to ask, Why didn’t he live and not die?

Your suffering so deep, find no ease when you cry.

Can only hold on to a SAVIOR who is love,

And choose to still trust this tender GOD from above.

 

 

For reasons unknown HIS wisdom allowed,

This near crushing blow, to HIS beloved avowed!

HIS hands grasp you yet, clasped to HIS breast,

HIS future for you, to give you HIS treasured best!

 

 

HE understands your despair, confusion and grief,

Words of life and of hope to your heart HE would speak.

In the valley of darkness, the shadow of death,

HE who walked there before you holds you when nothing is left.

 

 

HE who holds your sweet babe in HIS loving embrace,

Will treasure him there till you see HIM face to face.

That day will come sooner than you could dare dream,

And together you’ll rejoice, your tears washed in HIS streams.

 

 

 

 

thought for the journey …..

Heartache, suffering and loss.

Live long enough and all of these will touch your life with more than a passing brush. Be it the unfathomable loss of a cherished newborn babe; the sudden, or drawn out loss of a beloved partner, or much loved family member or friend …. unfaithfulness, broken dreams, divorce, financial ruin, desertion, betrayal, unspeakable brutality, callous cruelty, cold indifference ….. the list could fill pages.

 

Yet so often we struggle with the whys - why did this happen? why did this happen to me? why didn’t YOU stop it LORD? why did YOU allow it?

How often we blame our Loving Heavenly FATHER for the consequences of a fallen and broken world, blame HIM for the devastation and death that our sin and rebellion has introduced to a world HE created perfect.

 

Yet GOD endures our unjust and injurious accusations with patience and longsuffering, never giving up on us and continuing to love us faithfully and steadily.

HE could do what so many of us do, when we are reviled, rejected and wounded - withdraw in ’self’ protection and shut down; shutting us out…. Imagine the darkness and grief, the turmoil, selfishness and hatred that would be unleashed and run rampant and unchecked amongst us if HE totally withdrew HIS Presence!  

Job 34:14-15 “If HE should set HIS heart on it, if HE should gather to HIMSELF HIS SPIRIT and HIS breath, all flesh would perish together and man would return to dust.”

 

Oh if only we could have the faith and trust in HIM that HE so deserves - not doubting HIS goodness, HIS character and integrity!

HE has proven, over and over and over again, HIS steadfast love, HIS loving-kindness, HIS daily mercies, HIS unearned grace, HIS faithfulness, power, and HIS SELF sacrifice. Yet still we doubt HIM, attributing to HIM our own faithless and changeable, selfish and truculent natures. How our doubts accuse HIM who is so undeserving of them - and how insiduously they worm their way into our hearts and cut us off from the comfort, grace and strength HE so longs to pour into our aching, suffering hearts. They blind us with their poison so that not only do we lose sight of HIS outstretched hand - but we push it aside as HE reaches out to us.

 

Faith and trust!

That’s what it all comes down to. Do we have faith in CHRIST our SAVIOR who laid down HIS own truly Innocent Life for our sin ravaged, guilt ridden ones? Do we trust HIM to bring life out of our death, hope out of our despair, light out of our darkness, joy out of our grief, love out of our hate and forgiveness out of our bitterness? Do we trust HIM to transform our pain into something of value? We should - for all HE has ever done is prove HIMSELF Faithful, Loving, Able, Good and True.

 

Isaiah 61:1-3 “The SPIRIT of The LORD GOD is upon ME, because The LORD has anointed ME to preach good tidings to the poor, HE has sent ME to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to (those who are) bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of The LORD, and the day of vengeance of our GOD; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of The LORD, that HE may be glorified.” 

 

HE deserves our faith and trust - and as we offer them up to HIM, it is we who will discover the Love, Life, Peace, and even Joy of Mighty GOD invading our suffering and sorrow. It may take time, lots of time; but as we yield it all to the SAVIOR, HE can and will redeem our anguish and pain for HIS glory and our eternal good.

 

Psalm 30:10-12 “Hear O LORD and have mercy on me; LORD be my Helper! YOU have turned for me my mourning into dancing; YOU have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that glory may sing praise to YOU and not be silent. O LORD my GOD I will give thanks to YOU forever.”