Monday Memories: Breaking Free

From Psalm 31:3-4:  “You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me, take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge.”

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Crying out from devilish wasteland

Surrounded by desert’s empty sand

Caught, tangled in sin’s deceptive net

Buried under life’s heaviest debt

 

Captured by evil’s sly temptations

Confined to cellblock’s harsh reception

Engulfed by relentless guilt and shame

Throwing key away, dimming life’s flame

 

Praying to Holy Father above

Singing of His steadfast, faithful love

Seeking His mercy in valley’s distress

How will life move forward, from this mess?

 

Coming to life’s rescue, Jesus Christ

Accepting His grace, He pays full price

Breaking free from sin’s ongoing grip

Sailing on Spirit’s armored flagship

 

Exiting darkest, shame-filled prison

Beholding blood-stained Cross, He’s Risen!

Remaking character, with each day

Walking with Jesus, never shall stray

 

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From Psalm 18:1-2:  “I love you, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Originally published February, 2021.

Through God’s Love

From 1 John 4:9-10:  “God’s love was revealed among us in this way:  God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

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Lost in darkest wilderness

Uncertain where to turn

Truth’s light marked with God’s love

Finding hope’s blessed return

 

Sky above filling with light

Destiny of Christ’s gift

Assurance of God’s love

Trusting, no longer adrift

 

Every breath of Spirit’s grace

Heaven’s light to behold

Radiance of God’s love

Removing sinner’s blindfold

 

Together at Calvary

Who can be against man?

Forgiveness through God’s love

Knowing from where light began

 

Every heart redirected

Strengthened from faithful light

Steadfast stream of God’s love

Redeeming on mercy’s flight

 

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From Romans 5:3-5:  “And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

Heavenly Blessings (Elfchen Series #292)

Heartened

Depending

Upon Father

Guiding light embraced

Faith’s trusted path rebuilt

Hope

Promised

Rescued

By Father

Hearing morning’s cry

Forgiveness removes heavy burdens

Peace

Comforted

Accepting

Father’s grace

Nourishing daily strength

Filled with infinite love

Joy

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.

Forgiving Light

From John 3:16-17:  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.  Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”

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Witnessing distant light

Christ in Bethlehem born

Journey makes way toward cross

Thorns of man’s transgressions worn

 

Raising light, seeing grace

Father’s love bears His Son

Calvary moves from shadows

Hope’s fulfillment shall be done

 

Marking truth’s difference

Faith’s Messiah shows up

Destiny’s light serves pardons

Mercy flows from Heaven’s cup

 

Leaving days of darkness

God’s blueprint marks Christ’s way

Man’s sinful spirit transformed

Light nourishes peace each day

 

Exchanging world’s sorrows

Savior’s forgiving light

Every iniquity paid

Redemption’s dynamic flight

 

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From John 3:19-21:  “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.  For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed.  But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

Breath of Repentance

From Joel 2:1:  “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on My holy mountain!  Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near.”

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Living in shadows of darkness

Lost in depths of hope’s despair

Looking upward to heavens

Light gathers from daily prayer

 

Hearing call of Zion’s trumpet

Trust found on wilderness road

Returning to walk with Christ

Heart gathers His grace to reload

 

Following hope-filled voice of Christ

Faith’s gathered army of One

Witnessing forgiving light

Darkness flees before Father’s Son

 

Gathering to witness mercy

Truth received from Christ’s own hands

Abounding with steadfast love

Peace nourishes each grain of sand

 

Raising hope’s breath of repentance

Calvary’s transforming night

Pouring from Spirit’s waters

Christ returning with gathered light

 

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From Joel 2:13:  “Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from punishment.”

On Way to Heaven

From 1 John 1:5:  “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.”

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On way to Heaven

With each passing day

Envisioning New Earth

Jesus leads our way

 

Righteousness proceeds

Praises filled with joy

All marching to Zion

Jesus leads convoy

 

Blessed harvest waits

Feast upon light’s grace

Leaving sin’s darkened street

Jesus takes our place

 

Chains of bondage break

Freedom’s bells now ring

Reaching heavenly peace

Jesus always King

 

On way to Heaven

Mercy’s opened door

Forgiving voice of love

Jesus evermore!

 

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You are invited to sing or follow along with Isaac Watts’ hymn, “We’re Marching to Zion.”  Watts, an English pastor, wrote these lyrics in 1707.

Wendell Berry Quote

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The Christian gospel is a summons to peace, calling for justice beyond anger, mercy beyond justice, forgiveness beyond mercy, love beyond forgiveness.

From Colossians 1:13-14:  “He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Wendell Berry (born 1934) is an American novelist and poet.  Much of his writing embraces the goodness of protecting our environment and preserving agriculture’s way of life.

 

Embracing Tomorrow

From James 1:2-5:  “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face various trials, consider it all joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing.  If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.”

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Trusting with confidence

Facing life’s many trials

Testing of faith endures

Patience studies each mile

 

God supplies every tool

His wisdom offers light

Faith strengthened every day

Removing doubts each night

 

Leaving evil’s darkness

Rising sun brings great joy

Receiving peace through grace

Richness in truth deploys

 

Temptation’s breath withers

Forgiveness brings fresh start

Every chain now broken

Filling hope in one’s heart

 

Persevering each day

Walking with Christ above

Embracing tomorrow

Submission tastes His love

 

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From James 1:12:  “Blessed is anyone who endures temptation.  Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

Messiah’s Love

From Colossians 13:13-14:  “Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

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Faith’s journey with Christ

Seeking all things above

Heavenly treasures wait

Revealed in Messiah’s love

 

Bitterness removed

Embracing Christian love

Salvation’s welcome voice

Nourished from heavens above

 

Spirit of patience

Spreading each truth of love

Just as Scripture teaches

Joined in Christ, grace shines above

 

God’s mercy forgives

Sharing peace from above

Harmony’s hope brings joy

Marked with unlimited love

 

Resurrection’s light

Raising praises of love

Redemption fills each heart

Witnessed by Lord from above

 

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From the words of American pastor, Harry Emerson Fosdick:  “Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it.”

Father’s Vision

From Deuteronomy 6:5:  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Courtesy of Pinterest.

Unconditional, none greater

Father’s steadfast and faithful love

He witnesses each human stain

Yet, His grace forgives from above

 

Eternity’s river of hope

Father’s truth expressed through His love

Heavenly spirit’s mercy flows

Righteousness descends from above

 

Enemy’s darkness now shattered

Father’s peace illuminates love

Patience always slow to anger

Angelic praises from above

 

Judgment left to His caring hands

Father’s vision expresses love

Invites man’s actions of kindness

Sunrise always leads from above

 

Truth sown from greatest commandment

Father looks inward at man’s love

Shared with every generation

Joy destined to praise from above

 

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From Leviticus 19:18:  “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself:  I am the Lord.”