Thursday, February 26, 2009

praise from december

If I had to sing a song for You
One written in my heart
It would be sweet and adoring
To tell how beautiful You are

That You would leave Your throne on High
To mingle with my disdain
So I could wear Your righteousness
Instead of my bitter shame

That You would gladly cover me
As an eagle with its young
And spread Your robe around me
When the redemptive act was done

That You would watch me softly
With Your loving, holy gaze
And caress my cheek with longing
To hold me all my days

That You would waken me each morning
Delighted by each breath I breathe
Drawing splendor from my asking
That You be my everything

That You would meet me on the floor
Where I fall upon my face
To welcome me in Your presence
Where I have found the throne of grace

That You would die to provide a surplus
Of mercies daily new
And raise them with the sun
So I can be with You

For all these and more my gratitude
No language can contain
Nor could all of them combined
Muster the glory due Your Name

So I'll sing with all my passion
And I'll love with all my heart
I'll dance through every day
Until this world I may depart

And it still won't be enough
If I shout until I die
But Your love can't go unnoticed
Like sneezes always close the eye

So here is my small offering
Everything I am and own
Holding nothing back I follow
Where only You have known

warfare

my enemy is quick
he is incredibly sly
before i can tell
he replaces Truth with a lie

but my Savior is strong
and He's already won
so victory is mine
before the battle's begun

Lord, be my Shield,
my Rock, my dwelling place
be my center, be my focus
keep my gaze upon Your face

job 8:21

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Give Him honor, glory, praise!
But the words do not exist
Neither do sufficient days
For His works no man can ponder
And His ways no heart discern
Such goodness cannot be fathomed
And majesty no soul can learn
Glimpses only can we catch
As our eyes and hearts unfold
But the True and Just and Famous One
We are too frail to now behold

Could I but tell You how I feel
But yet my heart is bound to burst
That before my sinful days began
You came to my rescue first
And now You use me in Your plan?!
I could hardly think it true
If not for evidence abounding
That the One at work is You
So please give me better words
Give me something new to say
Until the sight of You perfects vocabulary
Jesus, I so long for that day!

gratitude

thank You for freedom
thank You for grace
thank You for glimpses
of Your glorious face
You made a way
when there was none
Your fullness came down
we beheld Your Son
He followed You true
up to the hill
and His former tomb
is empty still
all my bondage
every regret
the stain of all sin
known and secret
it's all washed away
by the blood that He poured
no spilling took place
intentionality restored
thank You for life
for beauty yet unseen
thank You for snow
though not as white as i am clean
thank You for sky
unparalleled majesty
thank You for hearing
You cannot forget me
thank You for giggles
and for laughing aloud
for strength in weakness
and humbling the proud
Your mercies astound
Your grace is infinite
Your life is my robe
You wrap me up in it
know me, my Lord
and be known by me
nothing more thrilling
You are intimacy
thank You for power
all Your sovereignty
thank You for wanting
but never needing me
thank You for words
though infinitely too few
thank You that eternity
is forever, always, only about You

Sunday, February 22, 2009

be Thou my vision

right after experiencing Dialog in the Dark I sang Be Thou My Vision at a Crusade conference. i think this counts as poetry, but this is what came out of it:

Be Thou my vision
Takes on new meaning
When life is black
When light is painstakingly absent

What I see shapes who I am
My heart is formed by what passes before my eyes

Without light, my identity fades
I am unsure
I am slow
I am lost
I am ineffective
I am intimidated by touch, and yet desperate for it

This is not my inheritance
This is not what Christ died to give me

When You are my vision, my identity gleams
I am confident
I am quick and eager
I am found, strategically positioned
I am salt, yeast, contagious
I anticipate, find joy in personal encounters

Physical light is a necessity
Eyesight is a gift
But neither dissolves the constraint of darkness
Not truly
They allow me, equip me to pretend
But only Your light exposes Truth
You alone bring life and purpose

So give me Light
A heart that sees
Give me something worth looking at
Someone worthy of transforming me
Be Thou my vision