Poetry Sunday—The Grace in Which I Stand

The Grace in Which I Stand

Do you ever awaken some mornings and suddenly you feel the crushing weight of all your own unworthiness before God?  You look at your own failures and they loom before you, overshadowing and clouding all of who you are.  Those thoughts cause your hope to crash down around you, like thousands of pieces of fine crystal scattered at your feet.  You fear that if you step forward the pieces of glass will cut your bare feet into shreds; yet, you know the truth is God sent His Son to bleed and die to cover all your sins.  God did not leave Him there.  Indeed, Christ rose up from the dead and broke the chains of hell, death, and damnation forever to all who believe in Him.

In 2010, I wrote a book entitled “A Broken and Contrite Heart” that pleads God’s response to His children when they are faced with their own failures and sins.  There is nothing in my life that ever took God by surprise.  When He chose me He knew every time I would fail Him.  Neither does He wish I stay there grappling in the muddy mire.  Instead, He reaches forth His mighty hand to pull me out and as I cry forth, “How can you still love me after all the times I have failed you and this heart which can never fully love you as it should?”  His response, “Sin, child I do not see any sin—(as He looks through the blood of Christ which covers me).  “Come, child there is work to be done”  as He removes the last bit of mud off of my feet.  That is Grace, my dear friends—the same grace that David and Peter so richly proclaimed.  Each chapter of the book-“A Broken and Contrite Heart” ended with a poem-written by me and for me.  Today I needed to return and read what I wrote then as the final poem of the book—a reminder of who I am in Christ.

The Grace in Which I Stand

 

Oh feeble heart, Oh fragile soul

Where is the hope on which you hold

With all the failures of your past

Where is the faith to make you bold

Where is the faith to make you bold

 

There was a King though blameless He

That came to pay my penalty

And in that act He set me free

To follow Him in liberty

To follow Him in liberty

 

It is His love that drew me out

And in His Grace I shall not doubt

That He who started this work in me

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

 

One day the finished work be done

That I might look then like God’s son

Sifted, shined just like pure Gold

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

 

And in this hope my faith conformed

I know my life will be transformed

I stand upon this future grace

So for His work my passion warmed

So for His work my passion warmed

 

So in this faith I firmly stand

That formed in me as God had planned

No force on earth can shake me free

My future held by God’s great hand

My future held by God’s great hand.

[bctt tweet=”Oh feeble heart, Oh fragile soul Where is the hope on which you hold”]

It is in His power and might that I continue to battle against sin and though I may not win every battle, I know the victory is mine–Jesus won the victory.  I may not yet, but one day I will one look like Jesus.  It is that truth that gives me hope once more and causes me to rise up above the ashes of my life to stand boldly filled with hope and His Joy.

 

From my Book, A Broken and Contrite Heart published 2010.

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And if you still don’t understand, please watch this video of the incredible hymn “Upon the Throne of God” with excerpts from the movie about Martin Luther included.

 

© 2014 Effie Darlene Barba

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to any brands, products or services that I have mentioned with the exception of my own book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides regarding the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”