If Only

An Original Work / June 8, 2019

They die so young in wars,

In suicides and overdoses.

The fatalities are many.

So many living without hope:

They drown their pain in drugs,

In alcohol and other addictions.

They play video games hours on end,

And engross their minds with porn.

They are looking for something,

They may not know what,

But something to fill the empty space,

And something their memories to erase.

But, the pain never goes away,

And so they continue to medicate,

Only to bring on even more pain,

And then they medicate again.

But, the emptiness is still there.

And, it stares them in the face.

And, they don’t like what they see.

Then, they see no way out but death.

But, even death will not erase the pain.

Even death will not bring them freedom.

Even death will not satisfy the hunger

To be free from their suffering.

For, they took a wrong turn, and they

traveled the wrong path. And they

Tried to hide, to mask the pain, instead of

finding the only hope of their salvation.

If only… If only they had listened.

If only they had followed the right way.

If only they had trusted Jesus with their lives,

Instead of making their own way in this life.

For, he was there with open arms

Waiting for them to come to him for help,

And to let him heal their broken hearts,

And to deliver them from their prisons.

And, he is there for all who would enter in

And would find hope and healing

For their broken and troubled lives,

Who would trust Him with their destiny.

He is there to deliver all from their sins –

From the control of sin, the flesh, and Satan,

And to give new meaning and purpose

To their broken down lives full of pain.

For Jesus took our sins upon him

When he died for us on that cross one day.

And, he put our sins to death, so that we,

Who believe on him, might walk in freedom.

He paid it all! His grace is sufficient!

No one has to stay trapped in sin.

No one has to feel as though there is no hope

And no way out from their suffering but death.

We just have to give our all to Jesus.

We must yield to him as Lord and Master.

We must leave our old lives of sin behind us

And follow him now wherever he leads us.

And, he promises us hope and freedom.

He promises to never leave or forsake us.

He promises healing for our hurts and joy everlasting.

And, he always does what he says he will do.

But, we have to give him our lives.

We can’t hold back. We have to let go,

And we have to let God take control,

And we have to follow his leading and direction.

Then, he will give us all we need to conquer.

He will supply all we need to overcome.

He will strengthen and help us through every pathway.

If to Jesus, with our lives, we do come.