Curious and ask
Just what is a Messiah?
Calvary’s cross speaks
Searching endless roads
Lord offering righteous route—
Built on trusted rock
Days fill with trials
Life’s journey walks with Jesus—
Promised Land ahead
Opportunities are usually described as hard work, so most people don’t recognize them.
From 2 Corinthians 9:15: “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”
An early winter blizzard covers the immense ranching country. The harshness of the storm threatens everyone’s safety, both people and cattle.
Phone lines are disconnected, with most on the ground. Electricity is off except where well-prepared ranchers turn on generators to provide for their needs. All roads into each ranch are drifted shut with the heavy, dense snow.
One rancher is overly concerned for the welfare of his family and his cattle herd. The family is warm and safe inside their home, and they have enough groceries to last for several more days.
However, the cattle stand in harm’s way. Their water supply and feeding schedule have been disrupted, and the rancher worries about the length of the storm and the consequences for his 300 plus head of Black Angus cows.
At suppertime on the third night of the storm, the atmosphere is tense. The rancher’s son sees the worry painted on his father’s face. This faithful, little soul of a five-year old reminds his father with words filled with hope, “Jesus will be with us.”
Overnight the storm begins to abate and move on. In the morning, crews begin to slowly and carefully clear the roads. In a matter of hours, they will reach the isolated ranch.
Using his powerful four-wheel tractor with its giant dozer blade, the rancher clears a path to where his precious cattle are nestled against the wall of a massive shelter. While he makes sure the water is running, and the cattle receive their hay with a helping of rolled oats, he smiles and remembers the faithful words of his young son, “Jesus will be with us.”
At some point, we all experience heartache. But one thing is certain: Jesus will be standing by our side to strengthen and deliver us in our time of need.
From Hebrews 13:5-6: “Be content with what you have; for He has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.” 6 So we can say with confidence.'”
From Proverbs 18:24: “Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.”
Dark perils lurking
Sin’s evil prowling
Reaching into souls
Fiercest storms howling
Fragile faith fading
Hope searching for God
Reaching out to light
Gospel never flawed
Others abandon
Lord always remains
Reaching into faith
Hope flowing through veins
At crossroads of life
Father comes calling
Reaching into hearts
No longer falling
Comfort bringing peace
Divine Word spoken
Reaching into self
Spirit unbroken
From Hebrews 13:5: “Be content with what you have; for He has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.'”
You no more need a holiday from spiritual concentration than your heart needs a holiday from beating.
From 2 Chronicles 15:17: “But the high places were not taken out of Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was true all his days.”
Navigating
Uncharted waters
Embrace change ahead
Steadfast in trusting God
Faithfulness
Sin
Life’s misdeeds
Missing God’s target
Grace finds its mark
Forgiveness
Come
Gather today
Community of believers
House of the Lord
Worship
This series of poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.
Discipleship is a decision to live by what I know about God, not by what I feel about Him or myself or my neighbors.
From Micah 6:8: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
From James 3:5-6: “How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
Children sometimes hearing these words
Sticks and stones may break someone’s bones
But, cruel words shall not hurt thee
Sadly, words can harm like thrown stones
Taming his rough tongue, mankind fails
Harsh words lash out, crushing others
Steers life toward ominous clouds
Disrespecting earthly brothers
Mothers teaching, “Now bite your tongue”
How often must we all forget?
Allowing words to run amuck
Their cold misdeeds, sin’s rising debt
Practice daily, Christ’s “Golden Rule”
Taming tongue, words chosen rightly
No longer curse, but life’s blessing
Words count, so use them politely
From James 3:10-12: “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.”
What is God looking for? He is looking for men and women whose hearts are completely His–completely.
From 2 Chronicles 16:9: “ For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the entire earth, to strengthen those whose heart is true to Him.”
