Tag Archives: hope

Buried Faith

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From the words of American pastor and Christian author, A. W. Tozer:  “Faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God.”

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Winter’s lost, snow-covered faith

Father’s presence, long frozen

Buried faith, under deep drifts

Lack of any hope, blows in

 

Christ melts each frozen glacier

Ice turns to living water

Holy Spirit flows with hope

God’s Word molds, as faith’s potter

 

Spring arrives, God’s Holy love

Maturing into life’s fruit

Flowering trees, witness faith

Hope emerging, each new shoot

 

Resurrection brings new life

Hungry faith springs with fresh growth

Spirit warms forgotten hearts

Faith then hope, Christ unearths both

 

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From Proverbs 3:3-4:  “Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.  So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and of people.”

Never Alone (Elfchen Series #46)

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Always

Father

Almighty God

Never sits silent

From sunrise to sunset

Righteousness

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Solitary

Voices

Seeking attention

Single voice calls

Come, walk with Me

Jesus

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Blessing

Journey

Never ends

From Calvary’s cross

Resurrection faithfully assures tomorrow’s

Hope

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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.

Bill Bright Quote

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Without the certainty of His resurrection, we would come to the end of this life without hope, with nothing to anticipate except despair and doubt.  But because He lives, we rejoice, knowing soon we will meet our Savior face to face, and the troubles and trials of this world will be behind us.

From John 16:31-33:  “Jesus answered them, ‘Do you now believe?  The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave me alone.  Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me.  I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution.  But take courage; I have conquered the world!'”

Follow His Footsteps

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From Romans 12:1-2:  “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

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Imperfect humans

Walking darkest trails

World twists upside down

Christ calls, without fail

 

World crying out with

Endless, empty claims

Filled with dead end thoughts

Christ drowns looming flames

 

Noisy distractions

Countless temptations

Follow His footsteps

Christ’s supplications

 

Waking to darkness

God’s will lights each day

Struggling with life’s sin

Christ bridges the way

 

Share genuine love

Holding fast to good

Serving the Father

Christ transforms driftwood

 

Zealous in spirit

Rejoicing in hope

Walk with humbleness

Christ’s love helps us cope

 

Marked with our Lord’s truth

Walk with Christian steps

Soul and mind renewed

Follow Christ’s footsteps

 

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From Hebrews 6:19-20:  “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Faith Nourishes Hope

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From John 16:33: “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace.  In the world you face persecution.  But take courage; I have conquered the world!”

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Where can mankind find lasting hope?

 

Living each day without much joy

Peace and hope absent from life’s scope

Searching under every rock

Calmness found in elusive hope

 

Falling into Enemy’s traps

Darkness clouds life’s kaleidoscope

Overcome with discouragement

God’s love endures with living hope

 

Life’s tribulations never win

Our Father promises lasting hope

Christ fulfills Bible’s prophecies

Faith fuels hope, ascending life’s slope

 

Tireless Holy Spirit at work

Opens doors by way of God’s Word

Building and strengthening our faith

Life’s fresh discovery, hope stirred

 

Turning sorrow into joy . . . Rejoice!

Ask the Father in Jesus’ name

Guiding with righteousness and truth

Faith nourishes hope, now aflame

 

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From the words of American evangelist and Christian author, Bill Bright:  “Without the certainty of His resurrection, we would come to the end of this life without hope, with nothing to anticipate except despair and doubt.”

Witnessing Grace (Elfchen Series #39)

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Live Today

Truth

From God

Proclaiming His righteousness

Moving forward in acceptance

Faithfulness

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Salvation

Faith

Calvary’s darkness

Our Lord promises

Green blade now rises

Hope

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For Us

Sunrise

New day

Feeling His peace

Being anxious for nothing

Jesus

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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.

Hope in Christ

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From Isaiah 64:8:  “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”

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Spiritual homelessness

Forcing hope’s darkest setbacks

With every passing day

Time stops, frozen in its tracks

 

How long will God stand silent?

Fading lives, like autumn’s leaf

Among earth’s darkest shadows

Hope’s flames, drowned by a sly thief

 

Expectations growing dim

Praying, Savior’s light to come

God’s love, molds life’s foundations

Our hope, plays its steady drum

 

Coming Spiritual light

Transforming power from God

Iniquities to be paid

Shepherd’s hope, His staff and rod

 

Hopeful world watches and waits

Appealing to God, save us

Hungry flock’s burdens cry out

God remains faithful, hear us

 

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From Psalm 80:1-3:  “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock!  You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.  Stir up your might, and come to save us!  Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.”

The Christian season of Advent begins with this final Sunday of November.  For myself, this will bring a time of meditation and prayer . . . filled with the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christ, the Messiah.

Monday Memories: No Longer Lost

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This poem, written in May of 2019, again brings a message which has been part of some recent devotionals and Bible readings.  May all believers continue to reach out to others with the message of God’s grace and peace.  He never grows weary of gathering the Lost to hear His Word.

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Walking down an empty sidewalk all alone

Feeling lost when no one calls his phone

Facing the final sunset of a life

Remembering past sinful strife

Rubbing together his chilly, worn hands

Warming a cold heart of a humbled man

 

Recalling a strong home built brick by brick

Wiping away tears when she became sick

Losing his loving bride to illness

Asking, “Why God, is this meant?”

 

Battling the raging, turbulent cosmic powers

Creating lonely darkness that sadly towers

Living without a daily dose of hope

Trying to understand his life’s scope

 

Reciting scripture as Christ says, “I am with you”

Witnessing the bloody Cross, coming into view

Testing his faith, builds continued endurance

Removing sinful chains at every occurrence

 

Loving us, God guards our hearts and minds

Smiling, the old man knows he has more time

Bringing Salvation, our Savior conquers the Cross

Blessing another life, this man no longer feels lost

 

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John Calvin Quote

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Hope is nothing else than the expectation of those things which faith has believed to have been truly promised by God.

From Romans 8:24-25:  “For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope.  For who hopes for what is seen?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

Old Man Trouble

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From the words of British pastor and theologian, Charles Spurgeon:  “The closer we are to the Shepherd, the safer we are from the wolves.”

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Encountering another of life’s setbacks

Visitor from the darkness shouts, “I am back”

 

Old Man Trouble comes knocking at my front door

Relentless, he desires to even the score

 

How will I choose to deal with adversity?

His darkness masks the sky over this city

 

Tackle straight forward what Old Man Trouble brings

Or . . . wait timidly for his continued sting

 

God’s Word teaches us and brings us hope:

 

We all live preciously in God’s perfect sight

He gathers us in His loving, Holy might

 

Past—present—future . . . from the Great I Am

Making it through turbulent seas for each lamb

 

Through desolate wilderness, God shares a way

Bringing rivers of hope to this life’s gateway

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Looking Old Man Trouble in his doom-filled eyes

With faithful courage, my hope begins to rise

 

Life waits to see . . . who will finally blink first?

With God’s living water, quenching my parched thirst

 

Listening, following God’s steadfast handbook

His love will save me with a whole new outlook

 

Bringing Godly fortitude, when needed most

Old Man Trouble defeated, nothing to boast

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From Isaiah 43:2-3:  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.  For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”