“How can I embrace the thought of Your grace when I can’t see past the shame of my disgrace?” I walked around with this line in my heart for over a year, and prayed for God to help me turn this into a song. I constantly searched the scriptures hoping that something would pop out and get my attention. Needless to say, that didn’t happen!
The song “Renew Me I Pray” is my cry to Jesus. In one of the darkest times of my life, I was searching for hope in my hopeless situation. I knew God had a plan for my future, but I didn’t know how I was going to make it from one day to the next. My sin had brought me to a low point in life that only Jesus could pull me from. When Jesus did pull me out of the pit, it took me seven long years to agree to make an attempt to truly fully commit to His Will for my life. I spent many of my broken days sitting on a bar stool looking for hope in a bottle. Yet, at the bottom of every bottle was the same thing waiting on me; Nothing!
Unworthy of His mercy, and still somehow, I managed to wake up in my bed every Sunday morning. His grace is amazing! Unfit for forgiveness, many of my sins are probably the ones that Jesus had to take extra lashes to cover. More blood, I’m sure had to be shed to cover my sin debt. In my despair, broken and empty, I fell to my knees in need of a Savior.
By the cross and the grave, Your blood cried my name. While the cross may be an offence to some, it was the bridge I crossed on my way to God. The blood may not appeal to some folks, but without the shed blood of Jesus, there is no remission of sins. Even in my sin, each week in the bars, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper my name. It was then that I’d drink more in hopes of drowning Him out. I knew I was living in sin, and I didn’t need God convicting me of my fun. However, His love continued to chase me, and because the stone rolled away, Jesus wiped my tears away. He covered my sin. The veil can no longer hold Him bound! He met me there one night in the bar, and I knew I had to give up my life of sin.
Everyday I still have to pray, “Lord, help me to rise and believe there’s still hope for me. Though I have sinned, You have erased it. I wanna shine for Your glory, spreading the love of Your story. Refine me, renew me Lord, I pray.”
I made an altar at the bar stool, and Jesus made and alter in my heart!
http://www.NateFortner.com
CLICK HERE -to hear my song "Renew Me I Pray"
Nate Fortner - Christian Country Music
P.O. Box 1513
Boaz, AL. 35957
www.NateFortner.com
CLICK HERE -to hear my song "Renew Me I Pray"
Nate Fortner - Christian Country Music
P.O. Box 1513
Boaz, AL. 35957
www.NateFortner.com
