Thank the Lord with praise

Crookedly-curved lines wrinkle his forehead, pressed against the concrete floor.
He intercedes for the damned, and yet he remains delighted in His Lord.

The ways of the world do not dismay this aged child.
His Father learned him well, and so in suffering his soul still smiles.

The man-child rejoices in amazing grace for which no sound is sweet enough
To demonstrate the love for which He suffered, condescending to be crushed.

Praise the slaughtered Lamb. His Father spilled His blood for us,
That we might repent and believe, and have in Him our righteousness.

For alone, we merit death and have no hope for joy in life,
Except that we be fixed to Him, in-grafted as the Bride of Christ.

But He looked on us with pity because He knew,
That we would have no breath in our lungs were our lives not by His hand each day renewed.

He holds us apart from Hell for a time He alone can tell.
That we live is a testament to His longsuffering love without which near Him we cannot dwell.

But O the grace He presents to us, to save us as a testament to Himself,
Knowing He needs nothing from man, fully satisfied in His own wealth.

And yet, He shows unfathomed love blessing us by making His Son a curse,
O laud the Lord of Glory for supplying the second verse.

For the man's joy ends not there, but there it just begins,
For he knows far better since he's justified, he'll too be raised with Him.

For the joy set before Him, Christ took the bowl and every blow,
Stepping down from His throne on high to walk with men below.

For His suffering, true reward is due, the throne He owned from eternity.
As His love for His Father's glory is true, so with Him the Son is solely worthy,
Having reconciled this man-child's family, satisfying the Father's fury

For the sins against Him He had not worked. He was still spotless, pure.
And so having suffered all, He would ascend back to God with the marks he bore.

Thus men, like this, now face-down, who approach His throne of grace,
Shall not be put to shame, for He's just and Justifier, and rescues men with saving faith.

Such see His glory all around, dead to flesh and alive to only One Shepherd's call,
To God be the Glory! To Him be it all!