Have a God New Year

I. In the Valley of Shadows

When sorrow veils the morning light,

And tears like rivers freely flow,

When prayers are groans in deepest night,

And hope lies buried deep below—

Then Christ, the Man of Sorrows, near,

Draws close to catch the falling tear.

He bore our griefs, our pain He knew,

And walks the midnight valley too.

(Psalm 23:4)

II. In the Dance of Joy

When laughter rings and hearts arise,

And blessings bloom like springtime rain,

Let songs ascend to sapphire skies,

For grace has triumphed over pain.

The Lord song, our shield,

Has sown His joy in every field.

Rejoice! For Christ, our risen King,

Has tuned our hearts anew to sing.

(Psalm 30:11)

III. In the Fog of Uncertainty

When paths grow dim and stars are veiled,

And questions crowd the weary mind,

When every plan seems weak or failed,

And faith is all we’ve left to find—

The Spirit whispers, “Peace, be still,”

And bends our will to match His will.

He leads through storms with unseen hand,

And sets our feet on solid land.

(Proverbs 3:5)

V. In God’s Waiting Room

When answers tarry, slow to come,

And time drips down like winter rain,

When prayers return in silence, numb,

And patience wears beneath the strain—

Still wait, O soul, upon the Lord,

His promises are not ignored.

The Comforter is near, not far,

A guiding light, a morning star.

(Psalm 130:5)

V. In the Hope of the Cross

O year anew, with pages white,

We write with ink of faith, not fear.

For Christ has conquered death and night—

His mercy crowns the dawning year.

He is our Saviour, strong and kind,

Our Healer of both heart and mind.

Our Friend who walks each step we take,

Whose love no trial can ever shake.

(Hebrews 13:8)

VI. In The Spirit’s Power – a Benediction

So lift your eyes, O child of grace,

The road ahead is not unknown.

The Spirit walks at mercy’s pace,

And you shall never walk alone.

In joy or grief, in peace or strife,

He breathes in you the breath of life.

So let this year, through every sphere,

Be crowned with God—A God New Year.

(Romans 15:13)

 Mark Humber 1 January 2026

Sonnet to The Light in the Darkness

In shadowed lands where truth is bought and sold,

Where thrones are built on lies and fleeting gain,

The hearts of men grow callous, dark, and cold,

And virtue bleeds beneath ambition’s chain.

The sacred vows are broken without shame,

The streets run red with envy’s bitter cost,

The holy name is mocked, denied, profaned—

A world adrift, unanchored, tempest-tossed.

Yet in the storm, a stillness calls us near:

A thorn-crowned King with mercy in His eyes.

He bore our guilt, our violence, lust, and fear,

And rose with healing light that never dies.

Though kingdoms fall and every idol rusts,

The cross still stands—our refuge and our trust.

So turn, O soul, from ruin and regret;

The Shepherd seeks the lost with wounded hands.

No sin too deep, no heart He won’t reset,

No grave so dark His love can’t light the lands.

Let rebels kneel, let prodigals arise—

For Christ alone makes dead men truly wise.

Mark Humber 30 December 2025

PERHAPS TODAY

Perhaps today the toil ends,

The pain is gone, the sorrow too.
Perhaps today I'll tread no more
This weary land down here with you.

Perhaps today this Time shall cease,
And I will reach Eternity,
Perhaps today the unseen God
Is seen in Jesus' face by me.

Perhaps today all trouble ends,
And every eye who loves Him sees
Their Lord of Hope shine through the clouds,
And hears the trumpet's jubilee.

Perhaps today on eagles' wings
We rise to meet Him in the air.
Perhaps today He wipes each tear,
And we shall meet again up there.

Mark Humber 31/05/2025

Dedicated to the memory of the late Leon Smith and his wife Jean Smith. This image was on the wall of their home, where I lived for some time and we often discussed it. I found it online in low resolution and enhanced it.

This Time

 Maybe I will write this song....

(Chorus) This time, it is bone of my bones. 

This time, it's flesh of my flesh. 

This time, it's one formed in my image, 

This time, I'm truly in love. 

This time, you answered my longings,

Though you so often would stray,

This time you crossed the mortal threshold,

And eternity's moments away.

1. You played, I rejoiced to see your happiness, 

You sang, and the angels could not match your song, 

You danced and the stars danced with you, 

You spoke to me and whispered your love. 

Then I said... (Chorus) 

2. I loved you like so many others before, 

And nurtured you, punished you too.

And  you never knew it was I who was working, 

To make you the child of my heart.

So I said... (Chorus)

3. You see, you called me 'Abba' - I was a Father to you, 

And although I first called you my own, 

You opened your loving heart to my call.

And I found you my child, my own.

(Chorus)

4. And you said to me, "Oh where are you going,"

As your heart broke to think that I'd go, 

But I had to go, had to make ready for you, 

A place where you'd always be with me.

(Chorus)

©Mark Humber 29/06/2024

I began writing this about Amalia but it ended up being about God.

Under the Waters

 Verse 1.      One sign was given to make you believe,

 Just as Jonah went down to the depths of the sea,

 And the waters closed over, the weeds wrapped around,

So the grave took our Saviour and we could go free.

Chorus           Under the waters

    He showed his love.

    Under the waters,

    While we’re above.

    The sting of death broken,

    By incredible love.

Verse 2       Deep called to deep with a waterfall’s roar,

(For creation all knew that our Jesus went low,

To the feet of the mountains, the depths of the sea),

And the word was proclaimed, that a Man dared to go.

Verse 3       Those who would follow and trust in His name,

Want to become baptised in the Christian’s own way.

But all of earth’s watery pits are dried up,

And the water of Jordan is all rolled away.

Mark Humber 25^th June 2003.

On His Knees - Gethsemane

The garden is dark,

The birds sing no more.

The petals have closed,

At the close of the day.

And the Creator of Earth,

The Sustainer of Life,

Sits sobbing.

And weeping,

Tears of blood.

The beauty He made,

The perfection He sought,

The colours first perceived,

As He spoke the first words.

Were hidden in blackness,

Where colour's no more,

And Evil smiles,

And Terror,

Waits to win.

But the most terrible night,

Is only there till the morn.

And the great Prince of Life,

Rises out of the gloom,

And He crushes the fear,

And rides high on the storm,

To be King,

Of all Kings,

And forever.

For He endured that cross,

He despised the shame,

And He sits down again,

On the right hand of God.

But He knew how it feels,

He knew how it hurts,

To be depressed,

To say it out loud,

On His knees.

MJH. 30/04/23

The Train Driver

"It's the last run," he said as they waited,
"The freight cars are loaded and now
The passengers are seated and ready,
And the train, it will leave on the hour."
The driver stood quiet, by the engine,
And drew out his old pocket watch.
As he turned to his dusty old fireman,
He said, "Let's get her ready to cross."

Soon the train rumbled on to the river,
And the whistle screamed its goodbye,
As the ominous clack of the wheels on the track
Sped up as the train moved away.
At each departure, there's someone,
Who knows it's the final farewell
The heart aches, the eyes swell, the tears fall too,
But there's no more words left then to tell.

So the train drew near to the river,
And the verdant green slopes gleamed with dew,
As the train neared the end of its journey,
And the river came plainly in view.
On the other side stood the station,
On a well travelled route, we may know,
And the Master stood on the platform,
As He waited for the train to show.

So the train drew up to the platform,
And the faithful train driver stepped down,
And he said as he drew out the old pocket watch,
"We did it! We're right here on time!"
But the Master, the Lord of the station,
He smiled as the driver walked on,
And He opened His arms and was heard to exclaim,
"Well done, welcome home now, Leon."

Written to celebrate the life of Leon Smith on the occasion of his death 22/2/2022 and read at his funeral by his beloved niece, Judith Barnes.

(Tune : Log Cabin for Sale)