Make me new...

Lord, on the outside I may appear righteous,
but that is only because people can neither see my heart 
or know my thoughts.

Make me new, make my heart new.

I say what people want to hear, because it's easy.
But without a foundation of truth there will be no trust.
If I cannot trust, I will struggle to love.

Make me new, make my words true.

How often I forget of your faithful provision,
how easy is it to forget of your unfailing love.

Make me new, restore to me steadfast love and faithfulness.

I say in words, "I forgive you."
But my heart is a fortress of bitter resentment
leaving no room for your radical grace.

Make me new, restore to me your likeness that I may forgive
and respond in love.

Too often I know what is best for me, as well as for others,
yet my knowledge keeps me from giving life-breathing encouragement
and keeps my ears from listening to life-saving perspective.

Make me new, break down my stubborn pride.

You have created me in your image to reflect your likeness.
Yet too often I bear the image of another,
and resemble the likeness of hatred, pride, and a self-centered, conditional love 
of a finite human trying to be God.

Make me new, Lord, created in your perfect image and likeness to do good works
and to reflect your love, joy, peace, and justice among the nations.

Lord, you make all things new.

Make me new, again.


And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new."  
Revelation 21:5 ESV 

Your grace consumes me....

Who am I, Lord,
so imperfectly human yet created
in your perfect image and likeness?

Who am I, Father,
so impatient for your promises
and still your faithfulness remains eternal?

Abba, who am I
that you would love me with an everlasting love,
building me up time and time again?

Oh Lord, how great is your love for me,
how faithful are you to the unfaithful, 
how just are you to the unjust.  
You, Father, are gracious beyond comprehension,
and thus it is your grace that consumes me.

Messengers of your love...

What an honor it is, O God, to be your vessels of peace,
that you have granted us wisdom to overcome conflict.

What privileged do we have, to be your hands and feet of compassion,
that you have created us in your image that we may be sensitive to
the needs of those around us.

Lord I stand humbled, that you have created us for good works,
that we have been granted your courage to be a voice of justice to
the oppressed and the needy.

Your grace and your love are for all ages and have been extended to all people.
What an honor it is to be messengers of this great and amazing truth. 

Everlasting Love

What love is this, that in my imperfections I am not only desired, but pursued in order that I may be restored and made perfect?  What charge does this leave me?  What more could I want than to share what God has made known to me? 

It is funny how perspective may change daily, or ten times in a minute.  But my God has always been, and will forever remain constant... forever building me up, with his faithful and everlasting love for me.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love; 

therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
Again I will build you, and you shall be built."

Jeremiah 31:3b-4a