FORGIVEN

 

 

I am a one-word wonder

It is simply FORGIVEN,

A status I do not merit

But suited for this poem.

 

You may say in your mind

That I am a nobody,

No problem I would respond

I most definitely agree.

 

If it were not for Jesus

Where would I be?

I was guilty as charge

But FORGIVEN says I am free.

 

Not perfect but FORGIVEN

Hence, I still slip,

Not perfect but FORGIVEN

Even when I lose my grip.

 

 

FORGIVEN, not on my account

But on the account of Christ

When I accepted his word

And his atoning sacrifice.

 

I was indebted to sin

And growing deeper every day

But I was gripped by his words

When I heard him say…

 

“Father forgive them,”

For that is why he had come

And now that I am FORGIVEN

I am also a son.

 

A nobody but FORGIVEN

I am somebody in Christ,

Nobody may be your opinion

But the latter does suffice.

 

 

I may appear sin-stained

But I am daily being cleansed

In the precious blood of Jesus

My Saviour and friend.

 

You see the outward

And you form a judgment

But you don’t see the moment

When I inwardly repent.

 

God sees my heart

And knows the condition therein

And He says to me

“You are forgiven of your sin.”

 

Heavenly Father, help me I pray

Not to use forgiven as a cloak

Or behave like the unsaved

As though FORGIVEN were a joke.

 

 

Help me, Heavenly Father

To be an example of the believer

While bearing the title FORGIVEN

As a grateful receiver.

 

I am a one-word wonder

Just simply FORGIVEN,

A status I do not merit

But it’s suited for this poem.

 

Stewart Russell © August 2020

 

 

My Christmas Gifts to Jesus

I set out on a journey

I knew not where,

Of one thing I was sure, though,

I would know when I got there.

Among the things I carried

Was one parcel of gold,

“Take it along,” I was prompted

For a king that was foretold.

It was a very long journey

But I remained steadfast,

A star, would you believe it?

Was my day and night focus.

After two years of travel

I closed in on my quest,

For the place of his birth, I believed,

A palace would be best.

With me was another traveller

Whom I met on the way,

He had also started on his journey

Exactly two years to the day.

His parcel was frankincense

But not for a king,

He was taking it for a priest

As he was instructed to bring.

There was a third traveller

That had come from afar,

Like us, he had set on this journey

And was also led by a star.

He too had a story to tell

And we listened intently to him

But what he said to us then

Really threw us in a spin.

 

A king, I understood,

Hence the significance of my gold,

Incense for a priest

On that too I was sold.

  

But when he showed us the myrrh

He was making no sense,

Certainly not in the same light

As our gold and incense.

This child that was born a king

Was also a priest,

But one day, as the myrrh indicated,

He would become deceased.

We had a hard time convincing

The king of our search,

It even became worse

When he consulted his experts.

After we left his palace

I understand he became enraged

And sought to kill all male babies

Younger, or two years of age.

As I listened to that traveller

Who gave the baby Jesus gold,

The reason for the first Christmas

Clearly began to unfold.

Those travellers brought gifts

For God’s gift to the world,

The gift of His only Son

That from the beginning is the Word.

God gave to us Himself:

That is what I have discerned,

Hence, the question on our mind should be

What can I give to Him in return?

I can give him gold

Since he is already the King,

And I have a precedent for it

That is what a wise man did bring.

I can give him frankincense

But he is already the High Priest

And myrrh won’t make any sense

Since he is no longer deceased.

O, I know what I would do

From this Christmas and on

For I am very clear in my mind

Just how I should respond.

I would give him my life

Which for me represents my gold,

And my sincerest devotion

Would be the frankincense I hold.

My myrrh would certainly be

My daily dying to sin,

And all of this I assure you

Would be my Christmas gifts to Him.

Stewart Russell © December 2019

My Song

I have a song I love to sing

It’s way down in my heart,

It’s a song about my Saviour

From whom I will never part.

This song inspires my every step

And gives me courage to go on

And when the daylight fades away

I’m closer to my Saviour drawn.

It’s a song of great redemption

Of salvation full and free,

I sing it through life’s encounters

Thank you Lord for saving me.

It’s on my mind before I sleep

And in my heart when I awake

And in the day it fills my thoughts

It’s all because of Jesus’ sake.

It lifts me when I am feeling down

When the road ahead seems long,

It calms me when my fears arise

And removes the doubting frown.

Whenever I stumble or I fall

And when I sink in deep despair

Jesus whispers that song to me

And assures me that he cares.

It’s a song about relationship

With my Saviour, Jesus Christ,

About the life I share with him

About his promise to suffice.

This song becomes more real

In the midst of all my fancies

And the figment of my imagination

Is swept away by my Saviour’s mercies.

This song is of a Father’s love

Expressed to me through Christ,

In the giving of His precious Son

And his atoning sacrifice.

  

I will sing it amidst life’s troubles,

I will sing it in the here and the now,

I will sing it throughout eternity

While before my Saviour I bow.

He promised never to leave me,

It doesn’t matter what I go through,

My song reminds me of that promise

When confronted by another’s view.

My insurance is his assurance

My premium is paid up, you see

What blessed sweet insurance

Is revealed in that song to me!

In this life I will have tribulation,

My Saviour made that very clear

But the song in my heart will remind me

That his coming is very near.

And so I look for the clouds’ unfolding

When my Saviour appears in the air,

Until death then I shall sing my song

Or until my Saviour in the air appears.

Will you look with me for the Saviour?

Will you sing with me my song?

It is your song too if you know him

Come now and let us sing along!

Stewart Russell © 2016

Choices

Life’s choices, choices, choices

And the many voices, voices, voices;

All of them vying for my attention

To push me in a certain direction.

Like sound waves pounding my ear,

Choose here!  No!  Choose there!

Do this!  Do that!  Change your mind,

Voices bombarding me all the time!

Wrong choice, I hear, Go right back!

You should have done this not that!

Oh, you should have known better

Than to get yourself in this matter.

How intruding, confusing, abusing!

Let me think. Another mood swing,

So much of a clutter and a clatter,

I am mixed up like pancake batter.
 

Unable to make a proper decision,

Hearing messed up no clear vision,

Mind lagging and brain overheating,

Intellect suffering a severe beating.

Too much pressing me at this stage,

Just too much at this tender age,

I would rather be roaming free

Or just sit and lime under a tree.

Are you feeling overwhelmed?

A challenge you just can’t stem?

Is there a solution to your problem?

Can I offer you a suggestion?

Life is many questions and answers,

Some you refer and some you defer,

Was never meant to be handled alone,

You really can’t live it on your own.

Some of life’s questions are minor

While there are those that are major;

Hence the need to prioritise

And the urge to regularise.

Really what is it that I mean?

To which of the two should you lean?

Prioritise is to treat as important,

Regularise is put in one department.

And so we run the risk

If we put them all on the same disk,

Not all of them are urgent,

First deal with those that are important.

Grab the following scenario

I am sure this is one you know;

Which picture should I watch tonight?

A horror or one that is rather light?

Which outfit should I wear today?

The cool one or the one out of the way?

Is Cheffettte within my reach?

Or should I visit KFC on the beach?

Should I play cricket or tennis?

Or shout up a friend I really miss?

Should I have a dog or a cat?

Or just keep some pigeons out in the back?

Should I befriend a certain girl?

Or simply leave her out of my world?

Should I help an unpopular classmate?

Or just leave him to up his fate?

We spend much time on little things

Often not issues from which life springs,

Mostly on the body what we should wear,

On outfits, shoes and brand name gear.

Is any one of these worth your soul?

Can any of them really make you whole?

Yet to these we pay much attention

And deny our soul God’s free salvation.
 

The most important thing you’ll ever choose

Is God’s salvation, just don’t refuse,

All other choices will hang on this,

First make sure you are on heaven’s list.

Be guided by His word each and every time

And all other choices will fall into line,

The big ones, small ones and in between

Once given to him will be clearly seen.

For God created you for His own purpose,

Choose to give your heart to His Son Jesus;

It’ll be the best choice you’ll ever make

If you choose him into your heart to take.

Choose Jesus now; yes choose today,

Invite him into your heart to stay,

Make this choice now; no longer delay,

He’ll guide your choices all along the way.

Having a hard time making a choice?

Just listen now to the Saviour’s voice

As he calls to you from heaven’s throne

“My little one come and make me your own.”

Heavenly Father I now repent of my sin,

All my bad choices forgive and come in;

Fill my heart with your love and your grace

Change my desires, my choices my taste.

Stewart Russell © 2014