Shall we judge others?
Who among you have not sinned?
Room quickly empties
Darkness covers life
Filling with harshness and pain—
Show love to others
Believers join God
Salvation belongs to Him—
Good over evil
From Proverbs 30:5: “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”
Feeling weary and lost
How can any prevail?
Desolate road ahead
Actions will surely fail
Lost in darkness of life
Our Father lights the way
Filled with His righteousness
God’s road map saves our day
Our Lord’s Word speaking truth
Daily meditation
Bible’s meanings ring clear
Leading to salvation
Study God’s Holy Word
Share its hope and Good News
Trusting each promise
His commands, we must choose
Inhale, breathe it all in
Fed by the “Bread of Life”
Quenched by “Living Water”
Transforming daily life
From the words of American-born missionary and Christian theologian, E. Stanley Jones: “The Gospel is not so much a demand as it is an offer, an offer of new life to man by the grace of God.”
God will make obstacles serve His purpose.
From Matthew 8:23-27: “And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but He was asleep. And they went and woke Him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'”
The burdening of our heart to pray for ourselves or for others is a special demonstration of God’s love.
From John 16:13: “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but will speak whatever He hears, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.”
From Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Life’s journey suddenly growing cold
Living under clouds of uncertainty
No longer feeling confident and bold
Even confident people possess fears
Overcome by unplanned dilemmas
Feeling much like the rest of our peers
Our faithful prayers will be heard
God’s will scatters those stormy clouds
Never lose hope, listen to His Word
As neighbors, our love supports each other
Through our steadfast encouragement
Children of God, true sisters and brothers
Tackling problems on life’s clipboard
Filled with determination and courage
Walking in confidence with our Lord
From the words of German-Dutch Christian author, Thomas a Kempis: “Oh, how great peace and quietness would he possess who should cut off all vain anxiety and place all his confidence in God.”
Photo by Nadine Wuchenauer on Pexels.com
The Pharisees were great on loud, dogmatic commands, lengthy requirements, and drawn-out demands. Oh, how they loved the sound of their own words! But when it came to doing, they struck out. In other words, don’t talk compassion; lend a hand. Don’t pound a pulpit about generosity; give. Just do it.
From James 1:22-24: “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.”
Never try to live the life with God on any other line than God’s line, and that line is absolute devotion to Him.
From John 6:67-69: “So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'”
The planet is fashioned by God’s expert hands
Creating the depths and peaks across the land
He uses wisdom to create the seas
Refreshing the dry land that we see
Earth Day arrives as an annual event
Witnessing our actions that implement
We are asked to be loyal guardians of this earth
Preserving it always, adds to its value and worth
Loss of natural treasures causes intense sadness
Being good stewards, brings God much gladness
Farmers operate to be effective caretakers of the land
Asking the rest of us to walk with them, hand in hand
We are called by our Lord to be fully aware
Sending out trustworthy legions, always fair
History and science often transmit gloomy news
Watching this earthly home decline in our view
Look around the planet, where we call home to be
Asking, what can be accomplished for God to see?
Perhaps our political kingpins should stop and pause
Leading a call to action for a just and worthy cause
Our planet is transforming before our vigilant eyes
Envisioning climate change and more as time flies
Our earthly sanctuary furnishes a home for all
Protecting our environment, too precious to fall
Earth Day is a yearly event on April 22. Many view “Earth Day” as an every day activity to preserve our planet for future generations. These verses from Psalm 95:3-5 bring to mind God’s wondrous creation, which deserves our fullest attention in being excellent stewards of what He has given us.
“For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods. In His hands are the depths of the earth; and the heights of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for He made it, and the dry land, which His hands have formed.”
From Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Normally for many
This world looks full and bright
Cups overflow with blessings
But then, dark dims faith’s light
From this window, world turns blue
Hope was filled with each seed
Life’s harvest seems in doubt
Farmers’ fields fill with weeds
Harsh rhetoric and gloom
Positivity hides
Lost in negative times
With whom shall we abide?
There has to be a way
Let’s not fight over masks
Turning blueness to light
Remind us of our tasks
Jesus, faith’s Bread of Life
Fills our empty hunger
Leading us to His peace
Hearts feeling much younger
There are days during this Covid pandemic in which I feel at a loss. The roller coaster ride of life suddenly takes a dark turn, and I feel left at the gate. This poem was written following one of these “blue” moments in my life. Together, we can continue to share prayers and encouragement with others. God’s peace!
The Gospel is not so much a demand as it is an offer, an offer of new life to man by the grace of God.
From Proverbs 30:5: “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”
