"Skittish"

If you’re penning skittish cattle,

On a horse that likes to buck,

You might just reconsider,

‘Fore you run out of luck.

‘Cause I’ve really seen some wreckage,

With cattle wild and thin,

And if they don’t outrun you,

They’ll fight and do you in.

With a thing like some old gather,

It’s really no big deal,

You finally do the best you can,

Least that’s the way I feel.

But when it comes to heaven,

And learning what it takes,

Don’t be skittish ‘bout the Bible,

And the difference that it makes.

If you think there’s an answer,

That will bring the peace you need,

Somehow apart from Jesus,

I beg you to take heed.

‘Cause every bet you’re hedging,

And all the odds you take,

Are far too high a gamble,

And for all that’s hopeful sake,

Life is quickly over,

And eternity too long,

To take such foolish chances,

Dancing to the devil’s song.

And whether academics,

Or philosophies or fun,

Or some misplaced affection,

When all is said and done,

When you’re lost in darkness,

Any lie will do,

To keep you long in bondage,

Away from what is true.

And no, not every issue,

Will finally go away,

Or answer every question,

Solve the problems all okay.

But come because you choose to,

And bring the baggage, too,

He’s bigger than the questions,

Our doubts are nothing new.

His grace is like a blanket,

That wraps around the whole,

Warms us when we’re freezing,

And saves us from the cold.

It’s something big that covers,

The hurts and sins we bear,

His peace is like the river,

That floods away our cares.

And the peace is so much bigger,

Than all that we can think,

And that peace is like a lifeline,

For every way we sink.

So rein in skepticism,

And come and simply pray,

Give Him every question,

And get it done today.

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us…” (Romans 5:1, NLT)

Jesus has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. His death paid the ultimate penalty for our sins, and opened the way to full access to our Creator and Heavenly Father. He was raised to offer to us full assurance that we are forgiven and can have peace with God. This is God’s way of salvation, and Jesus is that way. Jesus Himself made the claim of being the way, the truth and the life, and added that no one could come to the Father apart from Him. Rather than seeing this as somehow narrow and judgmental, perhaps God was committed to keeping salvation a simple proposition. One way, not many. One solution, not multiple choice. Jesus is God’s way, but there are many ways to Jesus. What matters is that we find Him, and the peace He died and was raised to give us. It pays not to let anything deceive, distract, delay or otherwise prevent us from finding Him.

Lord, give us the peace that comes only from being made right with You, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tyler Crow, tylercrow.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Tyler, and God bless you.