A Prayer from Hebrews 1

This is another poem being brought forward through my house-cleaning spree.  I finally found a copy of the first little book of poems I put together, long lost.

My first inductive Bible study, one that formally pushed us as a group to dig hard into what we were seeing in the text, was on the book of Hebrews, a book that before I studied it I had considered rather boring.  That study did two things for me.  One was that it awakened in me a longing to do more formal academic study of the Bible, and eventually led me to seminary.  The other was that one assignment suggested that we ask God for a poem or song related to what we were studying.  And that request led to all kinds of things.

This prayer is one of the first that came out of that request.  In case you haven't read Hebrews recently, here is a link to Hebrews 1, from which this poem came.

Father,

You have spoken to us through the prophets

In portions, a bit at a time–

And the word that you spoke overwhelms me,

Your law is so awesome and fine.

You spoke to the people through angels,

Great creatures of wind and of fire.

People shook at the visions in terror,

Such fear did their speaking inspire.

And now you have spoken in Jesus,

Not a shadow, but the brilliance of Your light.

The Word that created the planets

is spoken to us in the night.

The Word that holds all things together,

Came down to destroy all our sins.

When the world is changed like old clothing,

The Word that is Jesus will stand.

A better will never be spoken,

Through Him you have reached out Your hand.

The ears that I hear with are shallow,

The eyes I can see with are dim.

Father, speak Jesus into my being,

'Til my life is completed in Him.

Amen.