Quarterly Poems
Repentance - Psalms 51
2 when Nathan the prophet, rebuked him, after committing adultery with Bathsheba and killing her husband, Uriah.
GRACE
by Laura StoryQuarterly Poem April-June 2020
It's good to take courage from the fact that God loves us, in these trying times of the Corona virus, that takes lives and wrecks the lives of those who survive. These things would happen, and they do happen to make us sober minded, that we can pray (Job 6:26 and 1 Peter 4:7). Where do I stand before God? Knowing that NOTHING can separate us from His love for us (Romans 8:34,35).
My heart is so proud. My mind is so unfocused.
I see the things You do through me as great things I have done.
Now You gently break me. Then lovingly You take me.
And hold me as my Father. And mold me as my Maker.
I asked You: “How many times will You pick me up, when I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?”
And You answer: “My child, I love you. And as long as you’re seeking My face.
You’ll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace.”
At times, I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged.
Knowing that someone, somewhere can do a better job.
For, who am I to serve You? I know I don’t deserve You.
And that’s the part that burns in my heart and keeps me hanging on.
I asked You: “How many times will You pick me up, when I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?”
And You answer: “My child, I love you. And as long as you’re seeking My face.
You’ll walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace.”
You are so patient with me, Lord.
As I walk with You, I’m learning what Your grace really means.
The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary.
So, instead of trying to repay You, I’m learning to simply obey You.
By giving up my life to You for all that You’ve given to me.
I asked You: “How many times will You pick me up, when I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory,
How far will forgiveness abound?”
And You answer: “My child, I love you. And as long as you’re seeking My face.
You’ll walk in the power … of My daily sufficient … grace.”
When God is silent
When God is silent, it is not because He has not heard your cry for help,
He wants to teach you to be quiet and let Him fight for you.
When God is silent, it is not because He does not love you,
He wants to teach you to understand that He is standing beside you and has wrapped His arms around you.
When God is silent, it is not that He approves of the calamity that is affecting you,
He allows it because He knows and trusts that you stand strong in Him.
When God is silent, it is not that He is watching Satan destroy your life,
He has set a clear boundary for Satan and He is guarding it closely.
When God is silent, it is not that He does not see your love for Him,
He sees your name engraved in His hands every day - He closes His hand and smiles.
When God is silent, when you ask Him which way you will go,
He wants you to be a truly free person and He trusts you, with all you know about Him, to make the right choices.
When God is silent, when you no longer have contact with a prodigal son or daughter, because they have angrily turn away from you, or are lost, or live in a faraway land,
Then He wants you to understand how much pain He feels when you angrily turn your back on Him.
When God is silent, it is not that He will always be silent.
He will break the silence with a roar one day, when He comes to claim you as His precious, special property.
When God is silent, His silence is out of love and longsuffering.
God's silence is attribute of His unlimited grace.
(IAW, 9-25-2021, edited 9-30)
We'll Get Through This
posted Sept 27, 2019 Lord, our troubles
Are so great,
We don't know what to do;
The price for our
Iniquity
Is finally coming due.
The world is crumbling
All about;
No safe place can be found.
Right is wrong,
Wrong is right;
The change is quite profound.
Lord, we need
Your guiding light
To lead us out of here;
We'll focus on
Your Word, and prayer,
To take away our fear.
Temptations of
This dying world
We'll rule out and let go;
Give our burdens
All to you,
Shed all worldly woe.
That's how we'll
Get through this, Lord,
Fixed on heaven above,
Assured of your
protection, help,
And everlasting love.
By Joanna Fuchs
Our Surety in Heavenly Heights
On heavenly heights an Angel stands,He takes our prayer in heavenly hands.
And with celestial incense rare,
He mingles every heartfelt prayer.
Of those who trust His Precious Blood,
to reconcile their souls to God.
Then from that glorious, heavenly place,
the lightnings, descending of His Grace.
To heal, to strengthen and provide,
for those who trust Him Who died.
“Who died”, I say?-Yea, He Who rose
triumphant, Conqueror of His foes.
Who is this Priestly Angel bright?
Who thus dispels our darkest night?
‘T is He Who sets the captive free,
Jesus Who died on Calvary’s tree.
Who is, Who was, and is to come,
the glory of His Father’s Home.
(Author unknown)
God's Telephone
Always connectedHow Long
My GOD. it is not fretfulnessthat makes me say "how long?"
It is not heaviness of heart
that hinders me in song;
'T is not despair of truth and right,
nor coward dread of wrong.
But how can I, with such a hope
of glory and of home;
With such a joy before my eyes,
not wish the time were come,
Of years the jubilee, of days
the Sabbath and the sum?
These years, what ages they have been!
This life, how long it seems!
And how can I, in evil days,
'Mid unknown hills and streams,
but sigh for those of home and heart,
and visit them in dreams?
Yet peace, my heart, and hush, my tongue;
Be calm my troubled breast;
Each restless hour is hastening to
the everlasting rest:
Thou knowest that the time thy Lord
appoints for thee, is best.
Let faith, not fear nor fretfulness,
awake the cry, "how long”?
Let no faint- heartedness of soul
damp thy aspiring song:
Right comes, truth dawns, the night departs
of error and of wrong.
From: Hymns of Faith and Hope, second series, Horatio Bonar, 1862, www.ForgottenBooks.org.
Time is fulfilled, believe the gospel
Ingrid Wijngaarde2018, 06-16
The oil lamps burned softly in the Upper Room.
Twelve men with depressed hearts were gathered around the Son of Man.