‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
By Erin Delcarson
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through my mind
Questions were stirring of a spiritual kind.
I prayed and I pondered in pain and despair
In hopes that the Spirit soon would be here.
My Bible was laying aside in my bed
While visions of temptation danced in my head.
And Doubt in its dungeon and Pride on its throne
Were pulling me down to keep me alone.
When out of the darkness a light shone like day
I sprang from my gloom and started to pray.
Away from my sin I flew like a flash,
Tore off the chains and put on the sash.
The Lord shone above as white as the snow
He clothed me in righteousness, a heavenly glow.
When what I confessed, He heard with a smile,
“I forgive you,” He said, “Be at peace my child.”
Tearful I was, and filled up with love
I knew in a moment, it must be the Dove.
More rapid than eagles, the praises they came
And I declared them with boldness, in Jesus’ name.
My Savior! Redeemer! My Lover and Friend!
The Alpha! Omega! Beginning and End!
My sins are all nailed to Calvary’s tree.
They’re washed away! Washed away! I’m finally free!
If a dry heart you have, then let out a cry
He’s calling you by name, just look to the sky!
Confess that you need Him, and humbly too
He’ll open His arms to the bride He pursued.
But to know Christ the Vine, we must realize we’re weeds.
Give Him your questions, your doubts, and your needs.
Then, only then, do our hearts start to say
It’s Jesus I need! There’s no other way!
He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our sin But His purity was not tarnished, He was holy within.
He carried my cross, which I should have born
Sometimes I feel guilty, but He says not to mourn.
His eyes– how they twinkle, His touch like a kiss
His voice is a whisper that I pray I won’t miss!
His commandments are tough: “Take your cross, follow Me.”
But it’s for freedom, Paul says, that Christ set us free.
Ourselves we must see through His holy pure eyes
All the hate and the evil and the black selfish pride.
“I’m a good person” is what I used to say.
But my whitest of whites next to Jesus is gray.
My good works won’t save me, though hard I might try
It’s Satan’s deception–a blindfold! A lie!
This world tries to trick us into thinking we’re fine,
But we’re not promised tomorrow; my life is not mine.
We seek not His Word ’cause we’re busy with work
But on September 11th, things turned with a jerk.
We must seek Salvation with persistence and grace
By taking a step, we’ll finish the race.
His love is amazing; He’s offering it now.
Seek it. You’ll find it. Someway. Somehow.
‘Cause I hear Him exclaim to you in the night,
“I love you my child, with all of my might!”