(C) Cheryl Howard 2008

Thank YOU dearest Lord, that to me YOU do draw near

Thank YOU that YOU hold me in YOUR love and in YOUR care

I lay all at YOUR feet, my FATHER and my KING

My anguish and my sorrow, my pain and suffering

 

 

There is naught that I can do to make it all set right

So I yield to YOU my brokenness, knowing YOU keep me in YOUR sight

For YOU are my Hope when I am hopeless, my Peace when in despair

Though at times I feel alone, I know that YOU are there

 

 

When life it disappoints, and things they turn out wrong

And I’m crushed by a sense of failure; into my heart YOU put YOUR song

I hear YOUR voice, it whispers, “Your heart MY child I see,

And to ME you are most treasured, cherished will you always be!”

 

 

Thank YOU for such grace, for undeserved goodness

Thank YOU for YOUR mercy, YOUR faithful loving-kindness

Thank YOU JESUS for The Cross, the victory it shouts

How on it YOU crushed sin and gave us redemption to sing about!

 

 

Only YOU can take a life, from sin disfigured, maimed and marred

And set it free to live in YOU, by YOUR Body that yet bears scars

YOU do not need our righteousness; for this LORD is YOUR own

Instead YOU seek our humbleness; tis these YOU make YOUR own!

 

 

So though my life may look miserable, a failed, desperate mess

It is YOU I choose to see and YOUR constant goodness I confess

For I am not held ransom by the choices of another

And none can they imprison me, for in YOUR freedom I am covered.

 

 

 

 

thought for the journey ….

 

How often do we find ourselves in messes of our own making - or if not ours, then of those nearest and dearest to us? And we find ourselves overwhelmed, dismayed, depressed, confused, wondering how on earth we got here!

 

So often our Loving Heavenly FATHER sets before us a choice - two paths; HE says, “We can do this the ‘easy’ way (HIS way) or the ‘hard’ way (our way)”, and we, in our ‘wisdom’ choose the harder path thinking it the easier and best for us.

We so desperately need a revelation of how truly Wise, Good, Powerful and Loving our LORD is - we need to trust in GOD, in HIS will and purpose for us, in HIS goodness towards us and in HIS power and ability to perform HIS word.

HE knows what HE is doing, HE knows what is best for us - in the long view! HE knows our beginning from our end - HE knows ‘the‘ beginning from ‘the‘ end! As GOD challenged the Israelites, so HE challenges us this day - Deuteronomy 30:19-20a “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love The LORD your GOD, that you may obey HIS voice, and that you may cling to HIM, for HE is your life and the length of your days;”

Hear HIS heart - ‘choose life!’

 

If you find yourself on that ‘easy’  (hard) path of your own will and way and you recognise it by the bondage with which it is enslaving you, by the pain and sorrow it is delivering, the dissatisfaction, the hunger, want and lack - then hear HIS voice calling out to you ‘choose life that you may live - I AM your life - love ME, obey ME, cling to ME’

Get back on that ‘hard‘ path - that in truth is the easier; for it is the path of freedom and liberty, of blessing, protection, provision, the path of the promises of GOD in CHRIST JESUS; it is the path that does us great eternal good. Yes it is the path of laying down of self, of dying to self - but that is the path of newness of Life, of resurrection Life, of true, eternal Life! Of life that is only found in CHRIST and HIS Cross - HE Who is The Way, The Truth and The LIFE!

 

Matthew 16:24-27 “Then JESUS said to HIS disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after ME, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow ME. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for MY sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For The SON of Man will come in the Glory of HIS FATHER with HIS angels, and then HE will reward each one according to his works.”

The paradox of the Kingdom of GOD - it is in living we die and in dying we live! As we lay down our will and embrace HIS Perfect will, that is where we find true life.

 

‘Choose life that you may live!’