Nov 13.98: Light For The Day - "Forgiven"

"In Him we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the
riches of God's grace."
-- Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)

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"Forgiven"

I can still feel the chains that shackled my wrists 
As I gaze from a distance, finally free. 
Only my memories still hold me captive: 
From these, I can never flee. 

Demons, they claw at my heart and my mind, 
Reminding me of deeds in my past. 
Each lie, each theft, each life that I took: 
These shackles, they last and they last. 

I think of the man who now takes my place: 
Jesus, the carpenter's son. 
How could his deeds, whatever they were 
Outweigh everything I had done? 

I look at my wrists, so beautifully whole, 
And a memory sharply remains. 
They pounded the nails through the bones in his wrists 
Bursting arteries, vessels and veins. 

Unconsciously, my fingers explore my brow, 
As I recall the blood that flowed 
From the thorns on his head and into his eyes, 
Down his form to the ground below. 

Cautiously, I approach his crucified form 
And shame fills my heart with despair. 
As I look on the soldiers who crucified him, 
I almost miss his prayer: 

"Father, forgive them," he whispers through tears. 
"They do not know what they do." 
This one who claimed to be God's only son; 
Could his claims have really been true? 

And as if he felt my pondering gaze, 
He painfully turned his head, 
To look in the eyes of a condemned murderer, 
Whom he would die for instead. 

But where I expected wrath, there was love 
And I thought I heard him say, 
"Barabbus, my son, I forgive you. 
You're free; go on your way." 

Shortly thereafter, he hung his head 
And suddenly the sky turned black. 
The earth shook as never before 
And the temple's curtain cracked. 

I scarcely noticed the chaos about me, 
My own miracle stole my mind. 
Though all of my life had been wasted in sin, 
Forgiveness was what I did find. 

-- Candice Brown (4/96)

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"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just,
and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from
all unrighteousness."
-- 1John 1:9 (RSV)

"forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint
against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord
has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
-- Colossians 3:13 (RSV)