Poem by Luke Sheldrake

 This is a poem by a friend of mine called Luke Sheldrake:

When eyes of faith are growing dim,
Behold, the tempter enters in
With strokes of darkest black he paints
the God of love and truth and grace.

All filled with hate and craft and smart
He seeks to draw away our hearts
A twisted image he erects
From deep inside his darkened breast.

'A God of love?' o hear him scoff,
'God's left you all alone to rot
A God of grace, this cannot be,
for look He has abandoned thee'.

'Forgive your sins: this cannot be,
Behold your guilty look and see
Yes, hell shall be your home at last 
And all your days of grace are past'.

The Christian's soul in turmoil stands
Until the Lord stretch out his hand:
'These wounds of love I bear for thee
The payment's made to set you free'.

The cross alone's my only plea
The Man who hung upon the tree
He took the nails and bore my guilt
and now my blood will not be spilt.

O vilest serpent full of hate,
Behold the God of truth and grace
My God, my Father and my Friend
has vowed to crush you in the end.

Until that day O Sovereign Lord
Help me to feed upon Your word
It tells me You are coming soon
For my reward and satan's doom.

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