From Grace Comes Hope – A Quintet of Cinquains

Without
the grace of God
I would be lost, alone
life itself quite impossible
hopeless

Without
the love of God
I would be unloving
my life so self-centered and me
unkind

Without
the light of Christ
I would be in darkness
unable to see my blessings
forlorn

Without
the peace of Christ
I would be most fearful
worrying about little things
timid

With all
God’s grace and love
His incredible light
peace from the heart of a Savior
comes hope

 

I shared this today for Open Link Night at dVerse Poets Pub, where Grace talks about punctuation in poetry.

Amazing Grace – A Cinquain

Great love
Calvary’s tree
blood was shed for you, me
peace, mercy in the midst of pain
Savior

A Triad of Elfje

I really love the elfje short form of poetry that I discovered last week. Today I want to share a triad of elfje based on the Gospel — a reminder that three is a wonderful number.

Disciples

Loyal
eleven disciples
unlike the betrayer
brought me the Gospel.
Peace!

©©©

Conversion

Brilliant
Heaven’s light
blinding apostle Paul
taught me the Gospel.
Grace!

©©©

The King

Purple
royal robes
adorn the King
source of the Gospel.
Love!

My Final Breath – A Triolet

I’ll sing a song of grace and love
I’ll praise You with my final breath
Lift my voice to Heaven above
I’ll sing a song of grace and love

Your majesty I stand in awe of
You saved my soul from certain death
I’ll sing a song of grace and love
I’ll praise You with my final breath

Undeserving – A Sestina

For quite some time I’ve wanted to write a sestina, but I was intimidated by the complex structure of this poetry form. I finally decided to give it a try as part of my 40 poems for Lent. It was a challenge but well worth the effort, I think. I am excited that I was able to finish it in time to post it for today so that I can share it at dVerse Poets Pub Open Link Night later today.

Undeserving

Of Your sweet grace I feel undeserving
Feelings are not the source of Your mercy
I can’t comprehend the depth of Your love
When I allow other things to be lord
Settle for what the world has to offer
I am chasing after earthly things still

I long for my heart and soul to be still
Turmoil hems in thoughts I’m undeserving
Quieting turmoil is Your grand offer
The utmost above all gifts Your mercy
I can’t comprehend why You love me, Lord
But the heart of Your character is love

The chief desire of the human heart love
In a world filled with things we seek it still
We miss that You are the source of all, Lord
When we don’t earn we feel undeserving
Yet freely, as a great gift You offer
Each of us unearned, undeserved mercy

I have nothing of worth I can offer
I cannot fathom the value of love
I cannot grasp the worth of Your mercy
Longing for Your peace to calm my heart still
Still knowing I am so undeserving
Yet knowing in my heart You love me, Lord

Satan still seeks over me to be lord
Claiming he has more than You to offer
Reminding me I am undeserving
Of what I require most—Your grace and love
Faintly I hear Your beautiful voice still
In faith I reach for Your amazing mercy

I praise You, dear Jesus, for Your mercy
For eternity my beloved, my Lord
When I was gone astray You loved me still
I delight in grace You freely offer
I need naught else because I have Your love
You never make me feel undeserving

Lord, I am undeserving
but still You love me
and offer mercy

As My Spirit Grows – A Poem

I’ve been reading Max Lucado’s new book Grace. A passage from Chapter 7, Coming Clean with God, has really stuck with me even though I’ve moved on to Chapter 9. In the back of my mind has been a “found” poem based on this passage. Then today I went to dVerse Poets Pub to see what the poetry prompt was for the day. The challenge was to write about growing up. I decided to connect the two because what better evidence of growing up is there than finally coming clean with God? The italicized portions are direct quotes from Grace, page 85.

As My Spirit Grows

Childhood, young adulthood
A time when wild oats are sown
Rules are broken, trouble is found
Either to get into or be the victim of

Guilt lies hidden beneath the surface,
festering, irritating.
Sometimes so deeply embedded
you don’t know the cause.

You become moody, cranky.
You’re prone to overreact.
You’re angry, irritable.
You can be touchy, you know.

Understandable, since you have a shank
of shame lodged in your soul
For all those wild oats that have sprouted
Even where the sun does not shine

There comes a time to come clean
To grow up and leave wild oats behind
Seek the Healer of the soul
Who forgives and removes shame

Don’t make this inward journey
without God. There is no inner peace unless you
Let Him apply grace to the wounds
To the irritability and anger of your soul

Before the Throne – A Poem

This morning as I was listening to music on my iPod the song Trust in Jesus came on and I started to think about standing before God’s judgment throne. Paul confirmed what is written all throughout the Old Testament, that everyone, even Christians, will face God’s judgment.

For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.’”

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Romans 14:11-12 (NIV).

It occurred to me that as much as I appreciate what Jesus has done for me now, it will only be as I face the judgment throne of God that I will be able to fully appreciate the magnitude of His grace. Just as Solomon did, “I thought in my heart, ‘God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed.’” Ecclesiastes 3:17 (NIV). Perhaps it is to fulfill His promise to bring us great joy and blessing that God will reveal, at the end of our days, how much He truly loves us. Only by revealing our great need for His redemption can He make us understand.

Before the Throne

I stand before the throne of God
He opens His book to my list of sins
His messenger begins to read
my transgressions, one by one

In my mind I begin to prepare
my defense, my justification for each sin
I think I am ready to answer
to show that I deserve mercy

The list goes on and on and on
Will it ever end?
My justifications begin to fade
My heart grows weak with shame

How can I stand before His throne
the judgment throne of the Almighty
I tremble in fear of His wrath, His righteous judgment
I know it will destroy me, I cannot stand

I fall to my knees before His throne

I bow my head knowing His judgment is true
Realizing I have no defense
I have broken every commandment, every law
without a single justification

Suddenly before the throne
between me and God’s final judgment
Stands the One who came to save me
His mercy and grace pour over me

I remember with great joy
that while I was yet a sinner
He loved me, He redeemed my soul
I trusted in Him and He is faithful to forgive

Before the throne of judgment and grace
I lift my voice in praise and adoration
Finally understanding completely
What His great love has accomplished

1/8/13: Shared this for Open Link Night at dVerse Poets Pub today.

It Is Finished Even as It Begins

A new year begins today. It’s another year to live and work and play, and to make resolutions to be better than last year. It’s another year in which many will again strive to earn God’s grace and their own salvation by singing in the choir, volunteering for the altar guild, giving to the poor, attending church or mass each week, or any number of other good deeds.

But why do we work so hard to add to what Jesus has already done? Why do we try to earn what has been given as a gift from God? On Calvary Hill Jesus said, “It is finished.” John 19:30. Paul wrote that Jesus said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you.” 2 Corinthians 12:9. There is nothing more that we can or need to do for our salvation.

Even the act of believing in Jesus, the ability to have faith in His saving grace, is a gift from God: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV).

So as you begin 2013, rest in the grace of Jesus assured of His mercy and your salvation.

Go forth and sing in the choir out of gratitude for what He has done, but do not fret if you miss a practice or are unable to sing for a Sunday service.

Help out with the altar guild to share the blessing of God’s grace with others, but do not allow yourself to grow weary with the work.

Give to the poor out of thankfulness for the bounty God has bestowed on you, but do not give out of mere obligation and with resentment.

Attend church or mass because you desire to fellowship with God and other believers, and to worship the Lord in community, but not because you think you will lose points with God if you do not.

Perform good deeds as the Spirit leads, in the power of Jesus, so that God might be glorified, but don’t be deceived into thinking such deeds are necessary for your salvation.

For centuries Satan has tried to strip the children of God of the peace of knowing His love and grace. The Accuser engenders fear and doubt in the minds of believers, trying to deceive us into believing that God hates us and requires us to pay for our own sins and earn our own salvation.

But God’s Word is clear on this point: It is finished. The atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God’s love and mercy; His grace is sufficient to cover every sin and grant us eternal life with Him. Nothing Satan says or does can change this truth.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8.

Reformation Sunday Hymn

Today is Reformation Sunday, and so of course we sang Martin Luther’s famous hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. I found this great video of it on YouTube and so decided I would share.

Martin Luther was passionate about God’s people trusting in faith alone in the grace of God alone as revealed by His Word alone. I am thankful for his service.

A Psalm of Lament and Thanksgiving

I love the Psalms because they are both prayers and songs. As I’ve been reading one each morning during my prayer time, I find that a Psalm of my own – a Psalm of both lamentation and praise – is forming in my mind. So I thought I’d write it down and post it here for Thankful Thursday.

A Psalm of Lament and Thanksgiving

Oh Lord, my God, how long
will You stand by as cancer
strikes those I love,
as pain and sadness
are all around me

How long must we endure
this broken world
sometimes wondering
where You are,
where is Your promised refuge

Tears fall upon my pillow
as I long for salvation,
for healing and no pain
in the lives of my loved ones
my friends, my family
Your children

Still I praise You, Oh Lord
I trust in Your promises
clinging to faith and hope
found only in You
I lift to Your throne
Your children in need

Your faithfulness endures
beyond what I can see
with eyes blinded by pain
Still I know, I believe
Your grace and mercy
are more than this world needs

May Your name be exalted
Your grace be embraced
Your love be never-ending
Your peace from me radiate
So that those in need
will know You and praise You
forever and ever