On a ship bound for Tarshish
running from the call
I woke up in a belly
& thought I’d lost it all
My running hindered others
and brought storms upon their life
God threw me clean…overboard
into waters filled with strife
And there as I drowned
and the sea billows roared
He brought to mind the word He’d said…
“If you run ~ I’ll break you more”
Oh, the breaking of the Lord
how deep and how complete
I know He’ll take the pieces
and somehow make them meet
While in the belly of despair
I thought upon these things
I asked for His forgiveness
but didn’t hear a thing
3 years – 3months – 3 days, went by
and then I heard him say
“My will?…is that your will be broken
now will you obey?”
I looked up in the darkness
of the whale in which I dwelt
the tears began to run as rivers
and how my heart did melt
Oh God ~ I knew You loved me
and had given me a choice
I ran from this for all these years
when I had heard Thy voice
But no more Lord ~ I’m sorry
To Nineveh now I go
I’ll tell them all the words You said
just let Your Spirit flow
Coughed up on a sandy shore
of that cold and briny sea
I looked up to the heavens
as He was watching me
I said, oh God, I’m grateful
that I didn’t die out there
Your grace has even reached me here
and mercy more to spare
I thought I was a castaway
I thought my time was through
but then I heard Him whisper
“I’ve got plenty more for you”
But then I said, remember Paul?
He’s the one who penned that verse
He said, “My Spirit was the ink
what I have blessed, don’t curse”
I said, oh God, are You now saying
I’m still part of Your plan?
I thought my life was a closed book
just tossed up on Your stand
“My son, your life is not a book
but a book–end it shall be
My falling books and leaning ones
uphold them unto Me”
“To the vineyard & the field
I’ve called you with an oath
to the one a trumpet
yet a herald to them both”
“The fruit, the grain, I’m waiting now
the sheaves are almost in
quickly now ~ the day is spent
and many souls to win”
“Fear not their faces, nor their words
I’ve set your face like flint
for you shall say unto them all
it’s high time to repent”
Oh Lord, just how can I go up
unless You go with me?
to this valley of decision
where the multitudes I see
“I told you ~ just obey Me
I’ll go up just before
My Spirit now is sweeping
at My threshing–floor”
“Believe Me son, I’m in your words
just open and I’ll fill
the words will come like fire
and to your spirit spill”
“My heart – your hand – are in the vine
behold, I’ll show you how
your life – My mind – are intertwined
our hearts are fixed to plow”
“The fields are ripe forever
I need you son…I do”
I see it God ~ and now I’ll go
I’ll reap them all for you
“Sound a trumpet throughout Zion
yet for this…they will not hear
their ears they’ve stopped ~ their hearts they’ve closed
My word they will not bear”
“Lift up your voice and cry aloud
and many will believe
and to the nations you must go
your words will be received”
“Be not dismayed at what they say
they said it to us all
they’ll pull & twist & push your words
and yet…they will not fall”
“I’ll come unto My own first
but many will not come
please labor with Me in your prayers
as I have for you son”
“I’ll roll it up ~ I’ll fold it up
and time will be no more
behold I’m coming quickly
please tell them what’s in store”
“Like Samuel I have called 4 times
your name My heart has said
gird up your loins ~ take up your staff
go speak unto the dead”
“My heart is now within you
My hand your heart I’ll sweep
I need these souls…believe Me
unto Myself to keep”
“Please go and I’ll go with you
believe Me and you”ll see
the vineyard and the field are one
a husbandman you’ll be”
I know now I’ll obey You
no matter what the cost
point me now to Nineveh
I’ll go and tell the lost