Poem: What Hope Is Left?

What Hope Is Left?

by Russell Kelfer

Use the “Play” ► button above to listen to the poem:

“What hope is left?” in pain they cried,
“For lo our King’s been crucified.
What hope is left? How can this be?
The Son of God hangs on a tree.”

How could a God of love and power,
Who tasted death within that hour;
Ever now fulfill His plan,
And thus redeem His fallen man?

Had not the plan of ages failed?
Were not the victors, those who railed,
Beneath that rugged Roman tree,
And thus proclaimed God’s death decree?

No, that cross was God-designed,
Though earth’s weak vision cannot find
Any blessing in a cross,
We cry, “What good could come to us?”

But look, the message comes instead,
The Son has risen from the dead.
Could this hour of triumph be,
Had not He climbed that Roman tree?

Could Satan’s plans, bent to destroy,
Bring to us our greatest joy?
Yea, from the death blow of his spear,
God dispelled our every fear.

Now, in triumph, from that tomb,
Life springs forth from God’s own womb.
He took Satan’s mad design;
Turned it into grace sublime.

So it was with Joseph, too,
Brothers evil sought to do.
Satan gave it all he could;
God still turned it into good.

So it is within your life;
All the sadness, all the strife;
All the failures yet untold;
In those ashes, God finds gold.

Then, those ashes, cleansed above,
God transforms to vials of love.
He pours them on life’s soil and then,
Uses it to transform men.

Satan’s evil, cunning plan
Is turned around by God’s own hand,
And all the blackness of that hour,
Now reveals God’s greatest power.

So, there is cause to pause today
And praise our God that, in His way,
All the things we so despise
He turns to good before our eyes.

“What hope is left?” in pain they cried,
“For lo, our King’s been crucified.”
All hope, all power, all victory, too,
And He will do the same for you.

DTM Discipleship Tape Ministries
POB 782256, San Antonio, TX 78278
1-800-375-7778 or 210-226-0000
www.dtm.org • dtm@dtm.org • © Russell Kelfer