Promises

From the words of American pastor and Christian teacher, Charles Stanley:  “When we trust God to provide the stamina for the work He calls us to do, we are clothed in power.”

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Walking these roads for so long

Sin short-circuits dusty steps

Trust’s gauge running on empty

Darkness knocking at doorstep

 

Facing life’s tall shortcomings

Empty promises sell short

Holy Spirit calling now

Time to seek Father’s support

 

Hearing faithful promises

His Spirit brings fortitude

Truly believe, seeking Him

Bread of Life, God’s daily food

 

Turning to Jesus Christ

Living water quenches thirst

Savior clothes with grace-filled love

His promises, always first

 

Strengthening life’s weaknesses

Holy promises bring light

Eyes open, hearts enlightened

New life trusts in Father’s might

 

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From Luke 24:49:  “And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

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.”

Just in Case

From James 4:6:  “But He gives all the more grace; therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'”

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Our Creator’s divine plan

Offers fullest, living grace

Giving patience, just in case

When running life’s anxious race

 

Our Lord shares forgiveness

Relationships need healing

Forgiving sin, just in case

When each day seems freewheeling

 

Heaven’s Father, sharing peace

Imperfect lives needing change

Trimming each branch, just in case

When roaming lost on God’s range

 

God shares His timely wisdom

From Heaven, He sees us fall

Touching our hand, just in case

When we need His hope-filled call

 

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From John 15:1-2:  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower.  He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit.  Every branch that bears fruit He prunes to make it bear more fruit.”

L. R. Knost Quotes

It’s not our job to toughen our children up to face a cruel and heartless world.  It’s our job to raise children who will make the world a little less cruel and heartless.

Forgiveness empties the past of its power to empty the present of its peace.

Our Father’s Goodness

From 2 Peter 1:5-7: “For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.”

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Our Father’s goodness

Glory, God and King

Bless and praise His name

Mighty greatness sings

 

Through generations

Honor His great deeds

Infinite goodness

God’s faithful Word leads

 

Glorious splendor

Kingdom never ends

Eternal, Holy

Wondrous works, God sends

From Psalm 145:8-9The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  The Lord is good to all, and His compassion is over all that He has made.”

His greatness declares

Lord everlasting

Praising righteousness

Mercies broadcasting

 

Cries, our Father hears

From darkness, redeemed

He stands, always near

God’s goodness, esteemed

 

Truth, call upon God

Grace, freely given

Love, witness a Cross

Sins, now forgiven

 

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From the words of American pastor and Christian author, Charles Swindoll:  “There are four words I wish we would never forget, and they are ‘God keeps His word.'”

From Death to Life

From Isaiah 64:6: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

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Coming into this harsh world

Born spiritually dead

Ruled by darkest deceptions

Sinful nature fills life’s thread

 

Do we deserve God’s goodness?

Facing our Holy Lord’s wrath

Separated by our sins

Satan lights a wayward path

 

Our lives resemble darkness

Righteous acts, thin and meager

Offering nothing of value

Father’s true love, remains eager

 

Calling upon the Lord’s name

Deliver us from our sins

God, the Potter, molding us

Transforming the clay, He wins

 

Once living under the flesh

Filled with darkest death and sin

By Holy Grace, saved through faith

Walking with Christ, life’s linchpin

 

Placing virgin faith in Christ

In spirit, alive through Him

Body and blood, Cross vanquished

Sins pardoned, new life in Him

 

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From Ephesians 2:4-6:  “But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved–and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Charles Swindoll Quote

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I honestly believe that “forgetting” is the hardest part of “forgiving.”  Forgetting is something shared with no other person.  It’s a solo flight.

From 1 John 4:4:  “Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

Finding New Life

From 2 Corinthians 11:13-14:  “For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder!  Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

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Facing life’s harshest trials

Walking uphill in shadows

Keeping on the proper trail

Coveting greener meadows

 

Suffering darkest ordeals

Praying for divine advice

Listening for God’s response

Willing to pay any price

 

Hiding off the path, waiting

Offering cunning, false hope

Sliding into Satan’s net

Reaching up for rescue’s rope

 

Clutching God’s forgiving hand

Leaving the enemy’s grip

Finding new life with the Lord

Walking in His fellowship

 

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From Romans 6:22-23:  “But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification.  The end is eternal life.  For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Chains Broken and Free

From Titus 3:4-7:  “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.  This Spirit He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

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Running life’s perpetual marathon

Searching for finish line, never in sight

Scaling boundless mountains, summits hidden

Paddling always upstream, with all our might

 

Living foolishly through sin-filled choices

Thinking daily good works shall pay our way

Falling down exhausted, never enough

Realizing God brings His goodness each day

 

Loving us with kindness, comes the Father

Giving to us freely, eternal Grace

Sharing His Holy Word, wrapped in mercy

Renewing Holy Spirit will embrace

 

Chained in darkness as unrighteous sinners

Witnessing now—a mournful, blood-stained tree

Paying for our life’s transgressions in full

Accepting Jesus, chains broken and free

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From the words of American pastor and Christian teacher, Charles Stanley:  “There is only one way to receive our heavenly Father’s favor, and that’s by faith in His Son, who did all the work for us.”

On Our Knees

From Psalm 32:7:  “You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.”

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With faces toward the rising sun

Lord, share your mercy and forgiveness

 

Coming to the Cross, with repentance

Humbly laying our transgressions there

On our knees, breaking bread together

In remembrance, Jesus truly cares

 

Coming to the Cross, seeking its hope

With reverence, looking to our Lord

On our knees, drinking wine together

Singing with praise to His perfect chord

 

Coming to the Cross, stained with red blood

Accepting Christ as Lord and Savior

On our knees, praising God together

Walking with transforming behavior

 

With faces toward the rising sun

Lord, share your mercy and forgiveness

You are invited to click on the photo to listen to the hymn which inspired this poem, “Let Us Break Bread Together.” [Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com]