AMAZING GRACE
"Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a
wretch like me."
There have been times in many of our lives when we
have felt unworthy to be in the presence of God or deny and doubt His plan for
our lives because we have been faced with tragedy, disaster, grief, sin, the
overwhelming chaos of personal life and work, life crisis-crossing boundaries,
addictions, injustices, and other negative influences.
The words to the hymn, "Amazing Grace", were
penned by English poet and clergyman, John Newton, in 1779. While working for England in the Atlantic slave trade in 1778, a
violent storm tossed and battered his ship about, off the coast of County
Donegal, Ireland
The first line of this hymn resonates with me every so
often, in many different circumstances:
In times of great joy and bountiful blessings, Lord,
we thank you and praise you for the abundance that you have provided us, and
rejoice that you have found us worthy of your gifts.
In times of contemplation and indecision, Lord, you
have breathed your Holy Spirit into our minds and spirits, and made our path
clear.
In times of distress, grief, conflict, and
tribulation, Lord, you shelter, comfort, and lay your peace upon our hearts and
souls--ever present, ever by our side, a beacon in the storm. You take us by
the hand and lead us out of the darkness into your glorious light.
In times of sin -- in thought, word, or deed -- Lord,
we seek your forgiveness, and you rain down the blood of your only begotten
child, your Son, to wash it all away with your tender mercy.
By the grace of God, we awake each day to a new
beginning. A new dawn to begin a new chapter - - every day.
By the grace of God, we are given peace and comfort in
trying times.
By the grace of God, we are shown His plan for us.
By the grace of God, we fall to our knees in sorrow
and desperation, and cry out His name, and He lowers to listen to us.
By the grace of God, we have been made His children,
and He has given us life and the ability to breath in and partake of all the
glory, magnificence, beauty, and majesty of His creation.
By the grace of God, in every moment of every earthly
day, He has saved a wretch like me.
Heavenly Father,
I thank you,
I praise you,
I worship you,
I adore you
To you, all honor, glory, and
power are yours. I lay myself at the foot of the cross of Jesus, and you sweep
me up into the palm of your hand and whisper your precious grace into my soul.
Amazing grace.........................how sweet the
sound.
Amen
