LEAD ME ONCE AGAIN

God Almighty, Sovereign Lord
Unsearchable Your ways
How awesome in Your holiness
Yet You’re my God of grace
For Christ is my salvation
Redeemed at highest cost
No greater love is this:
Love proven at the cross

If not for You, Jesus; If not the cross
If not Your blood shed for one so lost
How could I stand; Where would I be
But now my sin atoned for all eternity
So lead me once again
To Your holy, righteous mercy seat
Lead me once again
Where love and justice meet
Love so amazing
Soul set free

Man of Sorrows, beaten, shamed
Christ on the cross was torn
For my life stained dark with sin
My death on Him was borne
Chosen in You; Forgiven
Sin’s curse has lost its claim
Made righteous now forever
To praise Your glorious name

‘Though this world will overwhelm
My works fail to impress
My God, You stand unfailing
Your great name I’ll confess
Your cross - my boast, my glory
This life no more my own
I’ll live for You until that day
I bow before Your throne

“Lead Me Once Again” Words and music by Grace Tam. ©2011 Waiting for Home Music. ARR.

STORY TIME

I am currently reading a book. A story. It’s a pretty long story. Taken years to write it. It’s a romance, an epic adventure, a technical how-to text, poetry, even a mystery. It’s part funny, serious, melodramatic, matter-of-fact. I read and find myself embracing all the emotions… happiness, sadness, anger, wonder… at some point or another.

Some chapters in this story move with fast-paced intrigue and suspense. Other parts develop slowly, at times seemingly coming to a standstill, but never really. Parts of the story contain vivid and colourful descriptions. Other parts are quite stark, black and white. Sometimes, the words are eloquent and flowing. Sometimes, they are chopped up, awkward. The main character is both protagonist and antagonist, depending on the chapter.

At times, I read and wish some parts of this book were not written. Still, much as I don’t like, or inspite of those parts, they somehow manage to work together in the whole scheme of things. Other parts of this book don’t really seem to make much sense, that is, until I read on. In fact, I suspect there are even parts that I won’t fully understand until I get to the very end of this book.

The story line is simple, yet intricate. Yes, simply intricate… intricately simple. And so I read on. Chapter by chapter. Season by season.

But it’s not finished yet, this book that I’m reading. The story is still being written, even as I read it. Even as I live it. My story. With God as the author. It is wonderfully and fearfully bound together. Written in red and out of love. And although still in the process of being written, I know this work will be brought to completion… to perfection.

And it’s not just my story. My book is but only a part of a compilation of stories – a cloud of witnesses. Stories written by God, because of God, for God. My story. Your story. What a wonderful read. What a wonderful God.