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This post was originally written on July 1st, 2017
Then…
My last post from two years ago brought you on a journey with me through the swamp and the poem I wrote about it before it ever happened. The post ended with:
“I can finish the poem now. I know I am forgiven and my burden is gone. Now I am free to carry my cross and follow, in the grace of God.”
The Backstory…
Fast forward an entire year. Through that time I had thought about finishing the poem, but had no inspiration, no well of completion of God’s work in my heart to draw from.
I found myself mired in another swamp. This one much darker, more deceptive, more awful. I was so caught so far down in that swamp before I knew what had happened, that I didn’t try to get out of that one. God had to get me out.
The Inspiration…
Months later, nearly a year to the day that I had written part one, I reached a point in my journey where a light came on and I knew, accepted, understood, and experienced the power of God’s great mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. I believe that this was an act of God’s grace. At that time in my life I hadn’t even begun to work through the horrors of the second swamp, and God knew that I would need something to remind me of the unfailing truth of the all-encompassing finality of Jesus’ redemption.
Now…
Since then, on this journey of healing from the wounds of sin and the darkness of that miry clay, I have discovered with much dismay that I am still re-learning this lesson of believing that I am actually forgiven by the King of the Universe, the Creator of the ends of the earth, Himself. That somehow, even though my sin seems to crush me with its seething blackness, and leave me feeling so unworthy of even coming to God for forgiveness, my Savior is still there, waiting for me to come, so He can forgive me, cleanse me and cause the memory of my sin to be no more. What a great and marvelous and wondrous God we have!
On that note, here is part two of “The Swamp”.
THE SWAMP (PART TWO)
My shame silences me, I dare not look
While my self-condemnation throws the book
How could God forgive me for all of this?
The snake stares at me with a wicked hiss.
I fall on my face in complete despair,
As satan stands and accuses me there.
He makes my sin seem far blacker than hell,
As sin’s burden crushes me where I fell.
Ah! But then Someone else enters the room.
I lift my face as He dispels my gloom.
he lifts His hands where the nails were driven,
And says, “That’s My child; she is forgiven.”
Satan flees from Jesus in utter fear,
As the Lord takes my hand and we draw near.
Then the Father speaks from His great, white throne.
“Even when you sinned, you were not alone.
My Holy Spirit did not forsake you.
He was there in the swamp, helping you through.
Now you are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.”
My robe was washed white by the Great I Am.
With a cry, I fell to my knees again,
For God’s grace flooded my heart just then.
I wept at His faithfulness to forgive,
And His grace for every moment I live.
It is too great a wonder to explain
How a heart feels when it’s cleansed from its stain.
How pure and clean! How forgiven and free!
Guilt and shame are gone and I clearly see.
Highest thanks and praise I want to bestow,
To the God who saved me from depths below.
Though I am unworthy, He took my place;
And through the High Priest, I find endless grace.
To know I was deserving of wrath,
But the Lord leads me on the righteous path
Because, from sin, I was bought with a price;
And my name redeemed by the blood of Christ.
The Shepherd leads me to pastures of rest,
Where He restores my soul, and I am blest.
His Spirit reminds me to watch and pray,
And keep surrendered to His will and way.
I know this is not the end of the fight.
I will be battling sin day and night.
And though I’ll have many failures and falls,
My faith is anchored in the One Who calls.
–Amber Mason
Conclusion…
While writing this post, I was reminded of a verse in Psalms that perfectly encapsulates what God has done for me in the past 2 years:
“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”
Psalm 40:1, 2 KJV
The beauty and wonder of this passage is that it doesn’t stop there. Or shall I say, God doesn’t stop there. For what He did for David, so has my Lord for me too. More than just rescue me, this is what He has also done:
“And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”
Psalm 40:3 KJV
And my heart sings,
“The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.”
Psalm 126:3 KJV
To read Part One of “The Swamp, click here.
For more articles on the topic of faith, go to my page at https://www.thoughtspirations.com/faith/ .
If you wanted to read more inspiring content about God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness, visit https://www.livingwaters.com/read/ .
[…] To read read part two of “The Swamp”, click here. […]