Even Though – A Poem

Even though I’ve betrayed You
walked away towards sin
You are ever faithful
when I return You take me in

Even though I’ve been prideful
walking my own way
You are ever humble
gave all for me that day

Even though I doubt sometimes
and find it hard to trust
You know what’s deep in my heart
You are always merciful and just

The Race – A Poem

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

Free – A Poem

Sin once held me in darkness
separated from Your glory
unaware of Your mercy
But from sin I now am free
You set me free

Sin once made me a failure
alienated from Your story
ignorant of Your grace
But over sin I now have victory
You gave me victory

Which Thief? – A Poem

Two thieves were crucified
beside Jesus one dark day
One thief mocked
One thief believed

Which one would I be?

If I was crucified
right by His side
would I mock and jeer?

Which thief would I be?

If my fate was tied
to His upon a cross
would I trust and believe?

Which thief would I be?

Which thief would you be?
Where would you spend eternity?

Upon the Cross – A Ghazal in Two Versions

Last Thursday at dVerse Poets Pub‘s Form For All Samuel Peralta taught us about the ghazal form of poetry. I wrote one for linking up there on Thursday and I liked the form so much I decided to write another. This one has 6 couplets, so it’s still not the ghazal sonnet that Samuel wrote about and gave an example of. My first version also has no set meter, but I decided to do a second version cutting it to have 8 syllables per line, trying for some semblance of meter. I suspect my meter still isn’t perfect, though, as I have a hard time with this concept. I can count syllables, but I know there is more to meter than that. The idea of stressed and non-stressed syllables simply escapes me.

I also didn’t end these with my name in the last line. Anyway, I would be interested to know which version readers think works better and why.

Upon the Cross – Version 1

Bloody and bruised, ringed by thorns
I gaze up to Your lovely face upon the cross

Forgiveness for mockers and spear wielder
to all the same Your grace upon the cross

There I should be, my punishment
Your mercy took my place upon the cross

Running, running fast to the finish line
but You already won the race upon the cross

I’m always two strides behind the lead
but You, for me, kept the pace upon the cross

My guilt and shame by love replaced
so that now there is no trace upon the cross

 

Upon the Cross – Version 2

Bloody and bruised, brow ringed by thorns
Your lovely face upon the cross

Forgiveness for the mockers
to all Your grace upon the cross

There I should be, my punishment
You took my place upon the cross

Running fast to the finish line
You won the race upon the cross

Always two strides behind the lead
but You keep pace upon the cross

My guilt and shame by love replaced
there is no trace upon the cross

 

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

Escape from the Fowler’s Snare

The other day I was reading Psalm 124 during my morning prayer time. As often happens when I’m reading Psalms or other Old Testament books, I saw Jesus in this short Psalm, specifically in the last two verses:

⁷Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
⁸Our help is in the name of the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124:7-8 (NKJV).

Each of us is ensnared by our sinful nature just as a bird becomes trapped in the fowler’s snare. We cannot free ourselves from this snare no matter how hard we try. To struggle alone attempting to free ourselves only causes damage. Our situation is hopeless.

But in verse 7 we find hope. This verse says, “The snare is broken.” This sentence is written in classic passive voice where there actor of the sentence is not named. But verse 8 tells us who the actor is. It is the Lord who is our help.

The snare of our soul is broken by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, and by His blood “we have escaped.”

The Heart of Mankind

I read this quote by Nelson Mandela posted on Facebook the other day:

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

At first glance this quote seems right and a wonderful sentiment. And it is partly true — people can be taught to love and the objects of hatred are often taught. But I’m not sure I agree with the idea that no one is born hating. If no human being was ever born hating then who taught mankind to hate? It had to start somewhere.

In Genesis we see Cain expressing hatred for his brother Abel — hatred so strong it led him to commit the first murder. If Cain was not born with that propensity to hate, then who taught him to hate his brother? Surely it wasn’t his parents, Adam and Eve. What did they know of hatred? Only what they had learned from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but I doubt they would have taught that knowledge to Cain and suggest that it was the better course.

After several generations had passed after that first act of hatred by Cain, the Bible tells us, “The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.” Genesis 6:5 (NIV). Nothing has changed since that time.

I believe that envy, jealousy, selfishness, and pride, which lead to hatred, are all more natural to the human heart than love. I know that when I once looked into my own heart, this is what I saw. Even now there are times when those feelings can so easily rear their ugly head. I doubt that I am so different from other people in this regard, and yet so many fail to see the defects in their own hearts but want to believe that love comes more naturally to them.

Not only can we be taught to love, we must be taught to love. “We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19 (NIV). Apart from God, and the knowledge of His great love and mercy, the inclinations of the human heart continue to be towards evil. Love flourishes in the human heart and overcomes hatred and selfishness only where love is taught.

Thankfully, “God is love,” 1 John 4:8 (NIV), and He is willing to change the human heart that trusts in Him.

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.

Knowing God’s Love

I have this great daily devotional called Walking with God Day by Day by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. The devotion for each day is excerpted from one of his many books. I’ve never been very good at reading it every day, but whenever I do pick it up God never fails to reveal to me something of His great love and mercy.

I tend to read several devotions in a row right before bed. On one such occasion several weeks ago I read three devotions that covered what Lloyd-Jones called ”ten tests that you can apply to yourself to know for certain that you know the love of God to you.” Walking with God, Nov. 28.

I found great comfort in these ten tests, though even before I read them I knew that God loves me, just as He loves you and all mankind. I decided I wanted to share these ten tests, but with the added thought that even if you find you do not “pass” one or more of the tests, you can still rest assured that God loves you. I believe that coming to the point of being able to pass each of these tests is a process every believer must go through. It is by the sanctification of the indwelling Holy Spirit that we learn what we must to reach the goal of full assurance of God’s love.

The moment we believe in the Lord Jesus as our Savior, we are saved. But God loved us even before that; even before the foundation of the world He loved us. His love never changes; it is only our recognition and understanding of that love that changes over time as He draws us closer to Him.

So here are the ten tests (all from Walking with God, Nov. 28, 29, & 30):

1. “a loss and absence of the sense that God is against us.”
2. “a loss of the fear of God, while a sense of awe remains.”
3. “a feeling and a sense that God is for us and that God loves us.”
4. “a sense of sins forgiven.”
5. “a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving to God.”
6. “an increasing hatred of sin.”
7. “a desire to please God and to live a good life because of what He has done for us.”
8. “a desire to know Him better and to draw closer to Him.”
9. “a conscious regret that our love to Him is so poor, along with a desire to love Him more.”
10. “a delight in hearing these things and in hearing about Him.”

Remember, do not despair if you feel you can’t pass them all today. “[H]e who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (NIV).