The Prophet

The Prophet
By Mark Spencer

I remember how it started,
When God first spoke to me.
He told me that a prophet's life
Would be my destiny.

I had many expectations,
I'd hoped to change the world.
But disappointment quelled my hopes,
As the future unfurled.

I shared the Lord's redeeming word,
In cities far and near.
And though the message was the truth,
Only a few could hear.

"Believers" that I witnesses to,
Often put up a fuss.
Most said "how dare you just presume
That you could preach to us!"

They felt, because I was a man,
My words were vanity.
If God chose not to speak to them,
Why would He speak to me?

And as time slowly ticked away,
Frustration filled my years.
The gospel which God shared with me
Had fallen on deaf ears.

His message called for penitence,
Yet, few souls ever bowed.
The truth could rarely penetrate
The egos of the proud.

They walked into a house of God,
As they would a Wal-Mart.
Though righteousness was in their mouths,
It rarely filled their hearts.

For when God's judgment laid them bare,
It was received with spite.
One cannot change the path they walk,
When every step seems right.

And so I faced a hostile world,
Reluctant to reflect,
Upon their many masquerades;
The truth had no effect.

In time I slipped into the grave,
And came before the Lord.
I asked Him why His prophesies
Were so often ignored.

Why would so many disregard
The irrefutable?
A prophesy sent by the Lord
Is indisputable.

So tell me how it came to pass,
That I have touched so few,
When the message I delivered
Was prophesied by you.

He said: "The souls this message touched,
Are all my word could reach.
The rest have clung to vain facades,
The truth cannot impeach."

My pride made me believe that I
Could change the world one day.
And it was pride that caused the world
To choose another way.

God showed me that the path I walked,
My life of prophecy,
Had paved the way for other souls
To find their destinies.

He said "You've done all I have asked,
Though you think you have failed.
Your zeal in life made you believe
That virtue should prevail."

"Yet virtue is a costly thing,
Bereft of vain desires.
It calls a soul to greater deeds,
And quells the earthly fires."

"But if a soul covets the world,
It does not know the Lord.
While any truth my word conveys,
Will only be ignored."

And in this final lesson learned,
Came a revelation.
My deeds had only fallen short
Of MY expectations.

So if you choose to serve the Lord
This tale provides a clue.
Do not presume to know the path
That God will set for you.