I was maybe 23.
A particular date escapes me,
but I do recall the season.
By His Word, The Lord persuaded me, with reason.

And then His Name would be
upon my lips, with a certain reverence, which I had never sensed.
And ever since, I've been again and again and again convinced that "This is it!"

His message of grace & forgiveness came with great significance.
And it's the only adequate answer for this remaining sinfulness,
which today, within me, still exists.
Continual cleansing is what He gives, with repentance & strength.

His love for me, being made clear,
allows me to love and persevere,
throughout these subsequent years.

Now, in Two Thousand Thirteen,
39 is my age, currently.
And what, in eternity, awaits,
I find more so worthy to stake
my sole soul upon,
having experienced God's Word as bond,
meaning that He's shown Himself faithful & true.
In every case, it's been His grace coming through.
He's been a Strong Tower, safe to run into.
Serving Him, I'm truly doing with my one life what I want to do.

It's the best bet & investment
with the highest return,
as far as eternal life is concerned.
So with my limited time, I’d prefer
to live my life as one who abides in His Word.
I've observed the Gospel in action,
to really give fulfillment & satisfaction.
I'm a sinner, to whom, Jesus has shown compassion.
So the only reasonable reaction
is to give unto Him my utmost,
before the time comes when I must give up the ghost.

While I have my being;
while I still can breathe,
let me praise Him in thought and deed,
while my heart beats, and while I yet have a song to sing,
may I give glory to God with my life constantly,
with Christ & His Cross as my theme.

He's eternally worthy of much more than I'll ever be able to give.
Nevertheless, I'll endeavor to thank Him with
whatever I've got, however long on this earth I may live.
To please God is what my #1 aim is.

There's no shame in this.
Conversely, shame on me, if I refrain from this
ambition to stand with Him.

It's the opposite of man's wisdom.
So the world stands in opposition.
But God, in His sovereign position, will give the last sentence.

So who's favor, in judgment, should I wait for, and covet?
Who's will should I pray for, and love it?
Who's word should I obey more, and run with?
Who is my Savior, to be trusted?

I must get
my needs met, by Him, whose decrees have been set in the heavens.

I must be
what The Almighty says for me to be.
Thankfully, my Lord enables me.

And, yes, it's to be expected
that this’ll be tested.
So I pray that He'd sustain me in this quest &
make me take heed to what He's saying to me,
so that I rest in His Word, unto effectiveness.......faithfully.