Praise to God the Father
Alleluia to the Son
Lord of all creation
Man He did become
Savior of the human race
Undoing Satan’s curse
Ne’er again will evil win
Divine victory in force
Alleluia to the Holy One
Yesterday’s prophecy fulfilled
Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week, but since I’m not posting on Sunday’s for Lent I decided to post this today.
I am body
with many parts
head, hands, and beating heart
I am mind
with many thoughts
peace and love I’ve been taught
I am soul
with many feelings
hope, joy, and spiritual healing
Body, mind, and soul
with all three
I am whole
The good work that God has begun
He will ensure is completed
In our heart, in our soul He’s won
The good work that God has begun
We are not yet finished, not done
In Christ we are not defeated
The good work that God has begun
He will ensure is completed
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:3-6 (NIV).
Rejoice in the Lord always
Everlasting joy from His heart
Joy even in the darkest times
Overflowing joy in my heart
In times of want and times of plenty
Carrying me through trials of this life to
Eternal life of rejoicing in the Lord
In this race I run
toward the finish line
I feel quite undone
Though my stride is fine
I fear I won’t win
victory isn’t mine
Weighed down by my sin
moving very slow
faith is running thin
Recall what I know
His victory won
faith starting to grow
The race justly done
all because of grace
my trust in the Son
Jesus believed
I was worth dying for
You were worth dying for
Shouldn’t I believe
He is worth dying for, too?
Shouldn’t you?
In China and Pakistan,
Sudan and Saudi Arabia
His persecuted church risks life and limb
every single time
they speak His beautiful name
His holy name,
the name above all other names
is the only name worth dying for
The Kingdom of God is within
The heart of each child of the King
By faith His reign must begin
The Kingdom of God is within
Through mercy each heart He will win
Like angels our love will take wing
The Kingdom of God is within
The heart of each child of the King
20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21 (NIV).
I’m sharing this today at dVerse Poets Pub for Open Link Night. Head over and check out some of the other great poetry offered there.
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
Lord of all creation
wandered in the wilderness
40 days of hunger and temptation
Eternal life set aside
for just a time so that it might
be ever available to His beloved
Name above all names
sacrificed for you, for me
His very life to set us forever free
Throne of grace
once again His proper place
where justice and mercy reign
With the approach of Lent, I’ve been pondering whether I would give something up this year or add a daily habit as I have done in the past. I thought about blogging every day for Lent, like I did in 2010, but I have a lot going on right now and have been enjoying the freedom of not feeling like I have to post something every day. Then I thought about taking an extended break from blogging, including not checking my blog stats or reading other blogs, so that I would have more time to focus on the new Bible Study Fellowship study I am starting tonight. I was leaning towards the latter option.
Then yesterday in church the sermon was based on Acts 17:16-34 (NIV) about Paul’s missionary efforts in Athens. Verse 17 says “So he [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.” I decided then that I would blog every day instead of giving up blogging for Lent.
But still I was concerned about how I was going to accomplish this. Then last night as I was trying to go to sleep a poem started forming in my mind, keeping me awake. I recently placed a small notebook and pen next to my bed to write down poems or other blog ideas so that they would not get lost like the poem that was the subject of a recent poem of mine titled A Poem Lost. So I flipped on the light, scribbled down the beginning and ending of this poem so that I could finish it later (I will be posting it tomorrow). I turned out the light and as I again tried to sleep it occurred to me that I could write a short poem every day for Lent. It will require the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit to accomplish this task, but with His help I can.
So beginning on Wednesday, which is Ash Wednesday and the first day of Lent, I will be posting 40 new poems, one for each day of Lent (not counting Sundays). As Paul did, I will be sharing God’s love day by day as we approach Holy Week and the blessed death and resurrection of Jesus.
