https://allpoetry.com/poem/16098120-You-Had-No-Hope-by-Seah-Ray
‘You Had No Hope’
“You had no hope
and were without God in the world.”
But:
“I have let myself be searched
for by those who did not ask for me;
I have let myself be found
by those who did not look for me.
I said,
‘Here I am, here I am!’
to a nation that was not calling on my name.”
“Search for Jehovah while he may be found.
Call to him while he is near.
Let the wicked man leave his way
And the evil man his thoughts;
Let him return to Jehovah,
who will have mercy on him,
To our God,
for he will forgive in a large way.”
(Or
“will freely forgive.”)
“I, I am the One
who is blotting out your transgressions
for my own sake,
And I will not remember your sins.”
***
“‘Jehovah,
slow to anger and abundant in loyal love,
pardoning error and transgression,
but he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished”.
Yet:
“As far off as the sunrise is from the sunset,
So far off from us he has put our transgressions.
As a father shows mercy to his sons,
Jehovah has shown mercy
to those who fear him.“
Yes…
“Jehovah is near to all those calling on him,
To all who call on him
in truth.“
“Draw close to God,
and he will draw close to you.
Cleanse your hands,
you sinners,
and purify your hearts,
you indecisive ones.”
Eph. 2:12; Isa. 65:1; Isa. 55:6, 7; Isa. 43:25; Num. 14:18; Ps. 103:12, 13; Ps. 145:18; James 4:8.
Based upon: You had no hope.—Eph. 2:12.
Every Christian minister is involved in helping to find honesthearted ones. We could liken this work to finding a lost child. In what way? Consider the real-life example of a three-year-old boy who wandered away from home. About 500 people were involved in searching for him. Finally, some 20 hours after the child went missing, a volunteer discovered the little boy in a cornfield. That volunteer refused to take credit for locating the boy. He said: “It took hundreds of people to find him.” Many people are like that child. They feel lost. They have no hope, but they want help. Over eight million of us are involved in trying to find these deserving ones. You may not personally find someone who will study the Bible with you. However, other publishers working the same territory may find someone who wants to learn the truth found in God’s Word. When a brother or sister meets someone who becomes a disciple of Christ, everyone who shared in the search has good reason to rejoice. w19.07 16-17 ¶9-10 © 8 minutes ago, Lucretia McCloud sad • society • teen • hope • love • christian
ITH & SB 