I’ve been running up the total,
With each bad decision made,
The debt I’ve built ever since birth,
Is following me to the grave.
The Devil’s face is buried in the ledger,
Keeping track of every charge within
My debt, growing exponentially,
The total swelling with every sin.
He grins and gets his ink-pen out,
The cartridge is filled up with blood,
From all the lost souls he has claimed,
Who gnash and wail in their tear-flood.
The Devil seems quite happy,
More than satisfied I’ve done enough
To warrant my place down in Hell,
Where punishment is dark and tough.
“Oh deary me!” he chuckles,
With a gleeful glint inside his eyes,
“You’ve racked-up a long list of sin…
Please check the invoice I’ve supplied!”
My eyes widen in disbelief,
My worried soul drops to my feet,
Staring at the bill presented me,
I’ve much to pay…such a long receipt.
With desperation to the core,
Quick inhale…I take a breath,
I drop my faith-filled knees to floor,
And lightning-quick clasp hands to chest.
I rest my mind…I close my eyes…
And with all I am I pray to Christ,
For only He can make it right,
And protect my soul from a nasty fright.
I’ve nothing with which to pay my bill –
For no money, diamonds, or gold,
Can match the priceless value
Of someone’s immortal soul.
The Devil smirks quite mockingly,
As sees my desperate state,
He stokes my fire-pit down in Hell,
Convinced of my forsaken fate.
He lifts his pen and licks his lips,
Then moistens the red pointed tip,
Proceeds to mark a guilty tick
By each sin on my judgement list.
But…before The Devil finishes,
Christ Jesus rushes to my aid,
Picks up the reem of charges,
And removes the ticks that Satan made.
An eyebrow raising to The Saviour,
Satan demands the bill needs paid,
But Christ pricked His finger on the thorns,
So His blood washes the sin away.
He then goes down my shameful list
And next to each charge, puts a cross,
Displays for everyone to see,
That HE takes it all and covers the cost.
I can feel my soul lighten,
I can feel my burdens die,
I can feel the shelter of The Shepherd,
I can feel the power of Jesus Christ.
The charges within the ledger
Then quickly start to dissipate,
One by one, becoming paid in full,
As sin by sin, they are erased.
I look to Jesus, trembling,
Thankful for His Holy touch,
Bow my humble head before Him,
And then offer Him my love.
“My child”, He says in compassionate grace,
“I heard your prayers said on your knees,
Accept your declaration of faith,
And believe all your repentant pleas.
Do you accept me in your heart?
Would you like to come and dwell with me?
Just say the word and I shall shepherd
You into my care for eternity.”
I proclaim, “I do, my Lord!
My life’s forever in your keep,
I want to walk the narrow way,
My heart and soul lay at your feet.”
Jesus smiles a beaming smile,
His flowing robes are white as snow,
He whispers in a loving voice,
“Your debt’s now paid, my child. Let’s go.”
