Poem

When God Becomes Our Guy

Michael Beck

Whose eyes do I live for?
Whose praise would make my day
Whose mouth I hope will open
With compliments to pay

Whose interest in my welfare
Whose knock upon my door
Do I await with longing
And wish would be in store

Oh that someone would know me
And like what they would see
Smitten by a beauty
That I want there to be

It hurts to be so hidden
With so much I could give
But when there are no takers
For who am I to live?

If shops are never open
If wares not on display
How can fine goods be taken?
Who’ll ever look my way?

And so to win their notice
And draw them to my charms
I put my best face forward
To soon be in their arms

But even when I’ve managed
To catch a handsome prize
I somehow still am wanting
There’s emptiness inside

What is this strange sensation?
This itch which can’t be scratched
Why am I ever restless?
What is it that I lack?

It is a God-shaped vacuum
That man can never fill
No matter what he gives me
I end up thirsty still

From day to day it haunts me
And makes its presence known
Until to stop its nagging
I let my good be shown

But then when I am finished
And men have had their say
Not giving that much to me
Or using me for play

I feel quite like a harlot
Who lives to win man’s price
Whose value never matches
The portion that they slice

But as I sit here waiting
For someone who will call
There is a certain Someone
Who’s better than them all

It’s He who I was made for
His praise would make my day
Why do I still look elsewhere?
When He to me would say:

“I love you like none other
You need not win my grace
Already through Another
You have a favored place

Please do not dress up for me
Don’t show me you’ve been good
Accept that I have loved you
When nothing that I would

Call beauty was upon you
Call goodness was your game
Despite how unattractive
I loved you just the same

Turn from those other suitors
I did not make you for
Live only for my pleasure
My knock upon your door

For even as you glory
In such a love as mine
I’ll bring forth such a beauty
That will before men shine

Who see you are so different
Not living for their gaze
Who know that you are taken
And living for My praise.

They cannot disappoint you
They cannot leave you dry
When I’ve become your Portion
When I’ve become your Guy.”

O Lord, You are my Portion
On earth there’s none beside
Who fills my heart with solace
Who like You satisfies

I turn from every other
I once went forth to seek
I know that they will leave me
A cistern prone to leak

Please patch up every opening
My wanton eyes have made
So that from this day forward
I shun to be displayed

Before the eyes of humans
Who flatter and deceive
Who even when well meaning
Cannot my thirst relieve

And when my eye is single
So body fills with light
And praise is surely due me
For beauty is in sight

May I then remember
Who’s made me beautiful
Who loved me without nothing
I did His eyes to pull

And though I glow with glory
That captures angel’s eyes
May I thank Jesus always
For beauty He supplies

The good He has wrought in me
However much sublime
Is not for any other
For God alone I shine.


Michael Beck is a pastor in the Dallas, TX area and the main author on Signpost. Receive a daily devotional he publishes every morning via email.