Released!

Released!

December 13, 2012

1 How many bitter days have I been languishing in the darkness of my wretched cell?

2 A sliver of moon taunts me from a hole overhead, mocking choices I didn't make well;

3 Rats--I think--stir from one corner to the next stealing a repose of sleep I wish to find.

4 This chill curses my soul each day I am; this abyss drills against pleas of my mind.

5 This floor is rough, hard and cold, the blanketless bed is also coarse, hard, also cold.

6 The bars I see in the shadows are pitted with rust; the walls are creeping with mold. 

 

7 Only the memories of the freshness of life I once knew slay me more than this place

8 Where stubbornly I seized my unrepentance with passionate, intoxicating embrace.

9 My bones rot; they ache from the depths inside to the surface of flesh on the outside

10 Here I wade deep in what seemed as pleasure but has pierced deep, gashing wide.

 

11 Why did I resist my kind mother Wisdom? Why did I molest dear Hope, my friend?

12 Why did I spurn old sage Instruction?  Why did I laugh at teacher Time to this end?

 

13  So now I pray;  I turn and cry out for mercy; I seek out the Lord for his forgiveness.

14 I recount all my choices, and I call them sin, and I refuse to make their weight less.

 15 I intentionally move my heart from loving them to hating them; with purpose I recall

16 Those many prideful ways I cursed my Savior and I turn toward the Lord with my all!

 

17 I pivot on my heel of wedged arrogance from despising him to humbly seek the One

18 I look upon Jesus, him who was pierced through for the trangressions I have done.

 

19 I uproot my dependence upon my vile, foolish ways, and plant my trust in his grace.

20 I avert my eyes from the consuming lust of my flesh to gaze upon his glory, his face.

 21 I abandon my wicked path which I was so intent on descending to my peril, my doom

22 I kneel without delay, without making excuses, I own my sin in this place, this room.

 

23 What amazing grace this is that I, an enemy, an adversary and dead man can repent!

24 What stunning reversal that His righteous anger toward me, on Christ Jesus is spent!

 

25 I look up on the tree where my condemnation is thrust upon Him--a time of release!

26 Undeserving I am, I receive this position before my new Father, a position of peace.

 27 My Maker, My God, the Great Holy One, made flesh, crucified for me; died for me,

28 I have been mightily released from my prison of self destruction; I have been set free!

 29 All my sin forgiven! All in your eyes remembered no more!  All cast from you so far!

30 I am released from the prison of my sin, my choices, my thinking, my evil of heart.

 31 I am freed from the bondage of the weight of guilt; I give thanks to you O Lord!

32 No longer an object of your wrath, but a receiver of your comfort, and your Word.

 33 Blessed am I, I am the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

34 Blessed is this man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, made pure and loved!

 35 You God are my salvation, my strength, my song; I will trust, and will not be afraid;

36 You have become my salvation: I am released, forgiven, my terrible debt of sin is paid!

 

 

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On the occasion of a poetry contest on Allpoetry.com, I took up the challenge to write a piece to carefully consider the nature of repentance and forgiveness. While I won the contest, it is the forgiveness for my sin that the Lord has offered, and given me is the most phenomenal gift of a relationship with him that I wanted to express the point of mind and heart when through repentance of sin, and trusting in His work on the cross, we are truly forgiven.