Leading precious sheep
Rod and staff always comfort
Caring tenderly
Call upon the Lord
His love fills with righteousness—
Accepting His Grace
Our Father is near
Safeguarding our hearts and minds—
Rejoice in His peace
The Bible uses “rain” in many ways as God teaches us about His ways. This poem was blessed to receive many views in its original post on May, 2019. Enjoy!
Waking up to see another blessed, rainy day
Witnessing as God brings us grace this day
God creates rain to descend upon the earth
Bringing rain to produce yields from the land
The heavens’ water brings awesome worth
Allowing for existence by woman and man
Rain arrives by the word of our mighty God
Sending vital water to the crops and fields
God’s creation brings early rains with a nod
Providing late rains to fulfill a farmer’s yield
God brings rain in abundance with His hand
Opening the dry earth, salvation springs up
Skies raining down righteousness, is His plan
Showering our lives with a grace-filled cup
Rain nurtures spring’s new green, tender sprouts
Providing seed to the sower, bread for the table
Harvest arrives again on time by fall’s usual route
Filling grain bins as hardworking farmers feel able
God shines sun on both the Good and the Bad
Sending rain on the righteous and unrighteous
Rains from heaven fill hearts, never to be sad
Earmarking fruitful seasons for the righteous
Remember the incredibly prudent man
Constructing his house upon solid rock
Rains fell, floods came—over the land
Preserving a faith as steady as a rock
From 1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
Living hollow life without love
Nothing but emptiness, thereof
Disconnected faith fills our veins
Minus love, tall mountains remain
Mankind’s meaningless possessions
Forgotten in life’s recessions
Worldly knowledge, means so little
Love gently binds, never brittle
Love arrives with Holy kindness
Patience without any blindness
Never arrogant or hateful
Without envy, always grateful
Jesus teaches, love each other
Sincere love, sisters and brothers
Caring God so loved this dark world
Christ’s own unselfish love unfurled
From a blood-stained Cross comes His Grace
Love speaks out, sin falls on its face
Our Lord offers His Holy gift
Faith, hope, love . . . no longer adrift
God’s Word delivers life’s new lease
Love triumphs, building lasting peace
From the words of Christian theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr: “The cross symbolizes a cosmic as well as a historic truth. Love conquers the world, but its victory is not an easy one.”
From John 3:5: “Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.”
Living a dark life of sin
Failing to follow God’s Word
Walking as slaves in the flesh
“Abandon your ways” . . . unheard
Falling, ignoring our Lord
Leaving Him for empty thoughts
Taking our path, darkness prowls
Sinful hunger calls the shots
Consumed by life in the flesh
There awaits a better way
God never abandons us
Offering His Grace each day
God gives Himself entirely
Spirit marches to our hearts
Delivers His greatest gift
God’s Son offers a fresh start
Christ becomes our foundation
Jesus walking where we walk
Exchanging His life for us
Shepherd gathering His flock
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.”
I’ve never been surprised by God’s judgement, but I’m still stunned by His grace.
From Luke 15:3-7: “So He [Jesus] told them this parable: Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com
Our trials are not superficial or irrelevant. They are vehicles of grace that God uses to bring us growth.
From Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
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.”
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
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.”
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.”
This poem was originally published in July, 2019, and it was inspired from artwork in a hotel room while traveling out west.
Most days, life experiences calming seas
Witnessing each moment, steady to see
God provides for us, through it all
Picking us up, even when we fall
Life moves along at its normal pace
Taking for granted, God’s free grace
Then, stormy seas appear in the west
Bringing worried looks, never the best
Life’s ship now encounters the storm
Feeling the sea’s fury, totally reborn
The storm smothers this helpless ship
Causing sure footing to slide and slip
Panic and worry fill helpless hearts
Asking God, may we try a restart?
Our boat takes on water, brisk and cold
Overwhelming our spirit, no longer bold
Has our Lord forsaken us at this time?
Sinking ship, as faith no longer climbs
Across the tempest sea, comes a voice
Calming the storm and sea, His choice
Our Lord and Savior walks over to thee
Releasing the terror caused by the sea
In an instant, the dark storm is gone
Restoring faith and hope, now strong
God prompts us to maintain our hope
Remaining faithful, steadies our boat
Calm or stormy seas, look straight ahead
Accepting God’s grace, always best said
Thank you Lord for being with us each day
Reminding us, Your Word points the way
What dark depths dwell in our lives?
Sinful nature, lost like sheep
Hearts fill with lasting troubles
Seeing life’s well, much too deep
Returning without promise
Jacob’s well cannot quench thirst
Our parched lips, where’s our relief?
Sinful souls, ready to burst
God’s Grace, in living water
Blessing in truth and spirit
Gushing with eternal life
Drink deeply, never fear it
Who will bring us this water?
We look, but the well is deep
Jesus draws living water
Saving His lost, thirsty sheep
From John 4:11-15: “The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.'”
Big Sky Buckeye 