Remember the days when your face towards God was turned,
When the words of His grace spoken, in your heart burned.

The songs of Zion you did sing in praise with joy and expectation;
Your intimate hours in His presence was peace and inspiration.

With your face towards your Father’s pure loving heart,
You bowed in obedience and humility that His nature He would impart.

The adversary beheld your devotions, delight and spiritual progress;
Using subtle weavings, hurts and lies he set in motion things to see you digress.

A crisis came with its temptations, wounds and pain, then despair:
You turned inward, and fed on the hurts and lies, asking does God really care?

Now both lies and truth in you are mixed, and with them the seeds of confusion.
In the season of your heaviness, vulnerable you are: beware of delusion.

O Why is your back towards your Father, rather than your face?
Know you not that much unrighteousness, and deeper hurts here take place.

Do not turn from Him for the wounds others on you did inflict,
Nor for the lack you have experienced when your heart in doubt and unbelief was sick.

Why take it out on Him, wounded one? Let go of your bitterness,
Even resentment, O child; He has done you no wrong, so be not comfortless.

Face to face again is what forgiveness and grace will bring.
His love for you never left, but no doubt a lie and hurts did leave their sting.

Love calls for your change of mind. It’s your, Father, child.
He is waiting with a warm embrace; He has been there all the while.

There are others not like you who turned because of a wound;
Deep in their heart they love worldly pleasures, but it will all end soon.

They were disciplined for a while and seem spiritually strong;
In their inner man something is not settled, something is wrong.

The adversary sees this divided heart and the dark things not dealt with there;
The lust of the flesh not mortified, so the way is open to set a snare.

Why is your back to your Father turned in such disgrace?
O Repent, child, and do not these steps retrace.

He grieves over your prodigal demonstration;
If you will turn your face towards Him there is restoration.

O Let me see your face, and know my love;
Forgiveness is there and cleansing from my heavenly dove.

By John. L. Parault

“And they turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.”
Jer. 32:33