By Love

Long ago God in joy once spoke,
The world began and daylight broke.
In splendid work from dust and moil.
We were born from His great toil.
The choice He gave: to love and stay.
Yet sin enticed, we walked away.

His heart now crushed and tears arose,
His Spirit grieved, yet love He chose.
As darkness spread throughout our land
Our lives became like desert sand.
And lost to Him, our death assured.
As Satan, sin and world obscured

The truth of God, His love, His joy -
Our darkened hearts, the world's new toy.
But love is strong and cannot lose
He came to earth, yes, death to choose.
And bought us back from fire and wrath
While showing us a righteous path.

In victory He lived and died
And lives again as we decide.
To choose His death in place of ours
Which breaks the wicked barring powers,
And gives new life that cannot fade
Of diamonds, gold and precious jade.

This King, this God, with love so strong,
He broke through time to right the wrong
And calls us back to Him in love -
This gentle, humble, heavenly dove.
Yet fierce against His enemy,
Crushing death and sin for me,

By scourge of flesh and blood that flowed,
And nail scarred hands that carried the load,
This Lamb of God with righteous blood
That spilled on me and opened the flood
Of truth and joy and life and love
And caused my mind to see above

His radiant, glorious, holiness
And gracious, awesome, gentleness.
He touched my life and brought me home
And sealed my heart to never roam.
Forever now with Him, I am
Yes, Jesus Christ, my great I AM!

The King, the Prince, the Lord who won,
And conquered all; His work now done.
He leaves with me this tale to tell,
Of love so strong it conquered hell,
For me, a worthless lump of clay,
My hope and yours, I bow and pray.

This poem was a finalist in the January 2023 poetry contest