Walking through a tired world, I find

A mess of people, a world of sorrows entangled by

Strings of sorrow and of grief

Tying them to days past, and binding them

 

To future bathed in torment

 

For these sorrows and griefs, once masqueraded themselves as

Forest of joys, world of happiness and freedom

Yet now lay wrapped around them as chains, and shackles that

Cannot be broken by powers of men

 

By they who sought them so

 

But I see, too

Amidst this sea of brokenness and pain

A glimmer, a hope

A faint Light drawing closer to, those bound in chains and strings

 

Drawing closer to me

 

I twitch at coming light, as blinding as the sun, as it

Walks nearer me, bound in chains

And sorrows of a life lived out

And of rebellion to the Lord and God

 

In rebellion to my Maker

 

But yet, as I try to peer into Light

Drawing closer to my broken frame, I see

That He I denied, stands now before me

The God I rejected comes to me know

 

Bathed in robes of glory and of light

 

I close my eyes as Light draws nearer, for

Fear of growing blind

As glory and holiness ebbs closer, I feel

Heat radiating from that Light piercing through
Even the darkest of my sins and

Illuminating the cords and strings bound about me

 

What can I do?

Where can I go?

Chains have me bound so tightly, and yet

This Savior still draws closer

 

I wish to run, to escape

Away from such Beauty for

Beside Its Light, I see how broken and

How far I have truly fallen

 

Now bound in cords and strings

Held by chains to my sins

 

Suddenly, I feel a touch

A simple hand on my shoulder as

Heat rushes down into my body and

I writhe beneath the heavy weight, as it burns in my soul and

 

Melts my spirit with Its Light

 

Process is painful as

This hand touches me

As all within me is laid bare and

I am left as I truly am, without façade

 

Broken, broken and

Bound by heavy chains

 

Not strings, of simple cord but

Heavy iron shackles, around my wrists and ankles

Laid around my neck and heart

Binding me, to my transgressions

 

I see it all next to this Light, as it rages deep within me

From holy hand upon my shoulder

 

Amidst the pain and incessant burning, I hear

Simple whisper, marked with love and mercy speak

Words of comfort to my soul

As it asks, with quiet passion
Do you wish to be free?

 

I remain a moment, stunned by question

Still burning by this Light

Yet nod, with all strength I can spare

Wearied by reality of my state, so broken and

 

Bound by heavy chains

 

I feel hand, move beneath my chin and

Lift my head to meet Its gaze

I dare not open eyes, yet something pushes me

To do so, as I see

 

Beauty, Beauty, as I

Have never known before

Such beauty, such holiness

Stands before me know

 

Burning, and bathing me with

Holy, holy Light

 

Suddenly, I feel a tug as

Chains are ripped from arms and neck and

Fall from my ankles and

Rush towards Him, that Light before me

 

As if chains were called by name and

Respond to some Lord, not their own but

Powerful, and Mightier than

Any one on earth and

 

Greater than their own master who

Gave these chains to me, in exchange for

Moment of happiness and

False joy drenched in lustful rebellion

 

These shackles stop, before Him and

Almost stoop, as if to bow

Before this Lord of Heaven and

Bid Him homage, as if shrinking beneath
Weight of His holiness and glory

 

I watch, suddenly as

Light becomes, as form of man

Still all God, yet all man, as He

Stands before me, masqueraded in

 

Human flesh, with glory and holiness

Not tainted by mortal body

 

In an instant, chains leap back

Unsure of what this means

Yet, I see in His eyes

That Light that stands before me in human flesh

 

A desire, a passion for

Some cause, greater than Himself

Given by , His Father and

Willed by Heaven’s King

 

With deliberate action, He

Lifts His arms out from His sides and

Looks too chains, and bids them come

And lay on Him instead

 

Chains look at each other in

Curious, wicked glee and

Quickly, yet hesitantly rush towards Him

As if with haste, and worry of some trick

 

And bind Him where He stands

 

I look now, to this Savior, to this God of Heaven and

See Him, in human form, now willfully bond

By my own transgressions and

Can’t help but weep, as I stand free

 

The one deserving of this fate, before

He who deserved it, least of all

Him who reigns over galaxies and

Governs stars above

 

Now bound, in my chains

A priceless, reckless gift of love

For me, for me

For me who deserved it all

 

I am undone.

 

But story does not end there, no

Justice was paid in full

For death, was warranted and

Deserved by me who bore those chains

 

And now fell upon, this Holy God

Who now stood before me, bound willingly

As tears ran from His face

Of love, and mercy and

 

Perhaps even for me

 

They led Him off, those chains of mine

And dragged Him off to hill, where men

With chains of own, beat Him and

Hung Him on a tree

 

I could no longer, bear the sight

I fell to knees, and wept most bitterly

For He, now bore weight of my rebellion and

Now hung in my place

 

Cut off, even

From His Father, in Heaven as

He became, literal sacrifice

Pure and spotless Lamb who took the weight and

 

Punishment of my sin

And took it all, every sin

And bore penalty of death, for every sinner

Even those who crucified Him

 

And He did it all, so willingly

For He was stonger, mightier, holier

The very God of Heaven, and yet

Allowed Himself to become sin and

 

Be killed for my transgressions

 

A mystery, a mystery

I will never understand

 

Then, all of a sudden as

I had head laid on ground, in the dust

My tears turning earth to mud

Ground shook, most violently and

 

Darkness fell on land

 

All the world grew silent as

If in hush, as if in stunned silence as

Holy One, of Heaven breathed

His last upon the earth

 

As the very Son of God, was dead

Killed by iniquity not His own

 

I rose, in stunned silence as

The deed was at last done

My price, was fully paid

My burdens, fully bore

 

By He who did not deserve them, by Him, the Holy One

Of Heaven who was now deceased, and hung limp on tree

On tree meant for me

Meant for every soul of earth, now spared by

 

This Man’s own Holy blood

 

What mercy, what love was shown

That day on Calvary

When Messiah, when pure Lamb came down

And died for you and me?
A question, I

Have spent lifetime trying to answer, and yet

Have never found end too, this bottomless question

Of the reality, of the true worth of Him, who died for me

 

Of Him who took my shame, and chains and

Carried them to cross

And did not hesitate to die, nor suffer in my stead

Yet paid it all, to make me free and

 

Do His Father’s will

 

A mystery, a God

A Savior, far too wonderful for me

Yet I will, forever praise Him

For story did not end there

 

He rose again, when three days past and

Defeated hell and grave

He broke the power, of all my chains and

Of every sin and evil of the earth

 

That those who, believe in Him and

Trust His Holy Name

And accept, His Holy Gift

He, that pure Sacrifice

May be saved, may be redeemed and

Delivered by His blood

Made pure, made holy by

His own holy blood and name

 

Made His own, made children of God

By this Savior of the world!

 

So I will spend, all my days

Every hour, every moment praising

Him, this God, this Holy One

Who died and rose again, who saved me from

 

All my iniquities!

 

Who gave me His Son, to die in my stead

To make me free, no strings nor chains

Made perfect by His blood

Made His, made His

 

Purchased by this Savior of the world!

 

For it is not me, nor is it anything

I did or could ever do to deserve

Such a holy, holy gift, only goodness of He

Of HE who died for me

 

The Mystery, I will never fully understand

Yet I will praise, for all eternity

In life eternal given by

This Holy One of Heaven for

 

He is so worthy, He has no equal

There is none like Him on the earth, nor in

All creation under Heaven

Nor in all Heaven itself

 

For He, this God

This Godhead three in One is,

Matchless, holy and
Passionate, and jealous for all days

 

With no equal on the earth!

 

And He has saved me, yes, He has made a way

For all men, to come to Him

No matter how broken or forgotten

That they may be, cleansed and healed by His blood

 

And made His, belonging to

This Savior of the world, this God in Heaven that

Is so good, and forever worthy

He who has no equal!

 

So praise Him, praise Him this holy God who

Took all our shame and

All our iniquities

And bore them, Himself

 

Placed on His Holy Son

 

He who made us free, He who has redeemed us

Let us praise Him, forever more

This God who is so worthy and

Made a way, to make us free

 

Who broke off, every chain and

Power of hell below

Who made possible, for broken men to be’

Restored by His blood
And made His, and made His

Belonging to the only Living God

The Spotless One of Heaven

He who is forever worthy, so deserving

 

Let us praise Him forevermore!