The Rebel's Song

Well, today is my birthday so I've written a poem about God's merciful gift to me.


The Rebel’s Song

By Your boundless wisdom You fashioned everything;
You sustain and rule over all as our good and gracious King.
To proclaim Your matchless glory, You ordained the skies above,
then You fashioned finite man to rejoice in Your boundless love.

Yet my wretched heart rebelled against Your good and holy reign.
My blinded heart only sought my glory and my gain;
For my flesh—only pleasure; for You—only disdain.

Pretending to be king, I sat upon my throne;
Everyday stealing glory that is Yours and Yours alone.
My heart hardened more, my thoughts became dull;
Nothing could overthrow this foolish rebel.

Why didn’t You judge me? Why not increase my pain?
Why not dash the throne that I so blindly feigned?
Why didn’t You pour out Your just wrath like rain?

Then You opened my eyes, to the glorious thought
that it was Your Son who had died and my redemption He bought.
He knew no sin, never once broke Your law;
perfect in Your commandments, obedient to them all.

Then He bore my griefs; enduring all my pain.
He was laughed at by men; knowing our disdain.
He became sin for me; the one rejecting Your reign.

Father, You crushed Your Son; He died in my stead,
Now you’ve awakened my heart, giving life to the dead.
The cross is not unreasonable, merely beyond our feeble reason;
The death of your only Son atoning for godless treason.

My sin was His pain.
His death was my gain.
Praise be to God for this glorious exchange.

Though You once were my enemy, now You are my King.
I once was a rebel, now Your praises I sing.
Neither the earth nor the sea, not even the angels above,
Can sing the rebel’s song of Your merciful love.