Father’s grace and peace
Sticking to each hungry soul—
Fed along rocky roads
Dealing with life’s stress
Islands of isolation—
Jesus rescues us
Righteous highway leads
Like river’s gentle current—
Spirit’s guiding hand
Dishonored
Broken heart
Sin’s inner chains
Saved by mercy’s key
Forgiven
Discouraged
Overwhelming darkness
Sin’s high tide
Grace saves with love
Jesus
Holy
High priest
His precious blood
Pays our sinful debts
Redemption
Embracing
His lead
Overcoming our resistance
Changed by God’s persistence
Prayer
Envisioning
Sharing hope
Acts of generosity
God’s works best revealed
Grace
Rain’s
Early morning
Rinsing our souls
God calling us home
Forgiveness
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.
From Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.”
From ancient garden, crying out
Man’s sinful seeds scatter and sprout
Father’s wrath consumes with His fire
Suffering journey to hellfire
Spiritually dead from God
Lives walk in darkness, always flawed
Holy tablets proclaim God’s law
Sin’s frozen nature never thaws
Judgement follows life’s trespasses
Sticking like thickest molasses
Lord’s saving grace seeks better way
Messiah opens new causeway
Jesus steps into this abyss
Unselfish love shall never miss
Hopeless man’s eyes can’t turn away
Drawn to grim, cruel cross, Christ pays
Jesus offers Himself instead
Faith follows this new Living Bread
Father’s amazing grace enters
Salvation breathes life’s new center
From Romans 5:18-19: “Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary grace.
From James 4:5-6: “Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, ‘God yearns jealously for the spirit that He has made to dwell in us’? But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says.”
From Psalm 25:4-5: “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.”
Looking to God above
Reading His Holy Book
Holding us together
Opening life’s guidebook
Witnessing Father’s hands
Creating and molding
Holding us together
Seeing lives unfolding
Abiding in Lord’s faith
Building each step with trust
Holding us together
Escaping evil’s lust
Searching for God’s footprints
Discovering His love
Holding us together
Finding mercy above
Praying to our Father
Knowing He always hears
Holding us together
Overcoming heart’s fears
Following Lord’s teachings
Accepting divine grace
Holding us together
Leading to heaven’s place
From Psalm 25:20-21: “O guard my life, and deliver me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.”
Broken and waiting
Stumble, now falling
Mankind blind and lost
Grace always calling
Spirit picks us up
Reach for Father’s hand
Love fills empty cup
Vision clears as planned
Ask God our questions
Read Bible’s story
Taste Scripture’s account
Witness His glory
Lift eyes up high
Breathe in heaven’s love
God’s promises fly
Goodness from above
Wait for our Father
Hold tight to faith’s hand
His hope comes on board
Salvation’s steel band
Faith
Grace refilling
Every precious day
Father, Son, Holy Spirit
Eyewitnesses
Walking
Never alone
Holy Spirit’s voice
Yielding to His guidance
Transformation
Darkness
Hiding sin
Divine light’s guidance
Grace nurtures Christ’s forgiveness
Believe
From Psalm 29:3-4: “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.”
Life’s calmest seas
Facing coming storms
Never alone
In His midst, strength forms
From God, our hope
Reaching out His hand
Safely sheltered
Upon His command
Witness His peace
Quieting these waves
Triumphant’s might
Father’s grace shall serve
Darkness retreats
Hearing comfort’s voice
Glory thunders
All saints will rejoice
Mercy rescues
Breathing with God’s love
Everlasting
Blessings from above
The lyrics and music of “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” is a familiar hymn to many. Inspired by Psalm 90, the lyrics were composed by English hymn writer and theologian, Isaac Watts, in 1708.
From Psalm 31:9-10: “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away.”
Feeling earth’s numbing cold
Facing each new trial
Life’s winter darkness stirs
Filling another mile
Witnessing grief and loss
Traversing heavy snow
Life’s winter darkness stands
Causing impulse to slow
Prowling disease and strife
Reading storm’s latest news
Life’s winter darkness shouts
Raging snow sings the blues
Plodding in Arctic’s chill
Crushing social unrest
Life’s winter darkness tests
Failing every quest
Viewing world’s upheaval
Blinding blizzard’s whiteout
Life’s winter darkness runs
Bulldozing faith with doubt
Guiding light now arrives
Accepting Father’s grace
Life’s winter darkness fades
Walking in Spirit’s place
From James 4:5-6: “Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, ‘God yearns jealously for the spirit that He has made to dwell in us’? But He gives all the more grace; therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'”
Big Sky Buckeye 