Praising
Living God
Experiencing His love
Hearts filling, spilling over
Joy
Sharing
Prayerful thoughts
Worshipping with reverence
Father smiles from above
Praise
Walking
With Jesus
Wickedness turns away
Shield of faith protects
Trusting
From Jeremiah 14:20-21: “We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord, the iniquity of our ancestors, for we have sinned against You. Do not spurn us, for Your name’s sake; do not dishonor Your glorious throne; remember and do not break Your covenant with us.”
Famine in spirit
Eroding landscape
Darkest days ahead
Hopelessness takes shape
False prophets at work
Preaching hollow words
Continuous gloom
Gospel never heard
Sin ravages lives
Seeking true healing
Spirit never waits
Always revealing
Christ’s redemption saves
Spurning evil ways
Ember of faith grows
Resurrection’s blaze
Heavens open up
Showering God’s love
Grace enriches trust
Hope shines from above
From Jeremiah 14:22: “Can any idols of the nations bring rain, or can the heavens give showers? Is it not You, O Lord our God? We set our hope on You, for it is You who do all this.”
From Psalm 121:1-2: “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
Dark perils come knocking
From where will “real” hope come?
Dreaded illness stalking
Hearing death’s haunting drum
His steadfast assurance
Calvary’s lasting love
Heavenly insurance
Breathing from God above
Forever life’s keeper
Never pausing to rest
Eternity’s doorkeeper
Refilling life with zest
Tomorrow’s sunrise beams
Hope reborn and glowing
Healthy spirit fills dreams
Believing and knowing
This poem touches upon a personal reflection of my own Dad, who contracted Covid several months ago. Despite being vaccinated, his underlying health conditions put him at great risk from the disease. I give thanks every day that he has recovered and can look forward to his upcoming 87th birthday.
From John 4:13-14: “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.'”
Haunting landscape of needs
Darkness, breathless with fear
Back streets can never hide
Overflowing with tears
Facing hunger-filled void
Shadows filled with man’s greed
Overburdened labors
Breathing amongst ragweed
Walking with heart of pain
Emptiness without dreams
Thirst waiting to be quenched
Beholding mercy’s stream
Hearing sorrowful cries
Clamorous, selfish strife
Voice speaking, Son of God
Rising above each life
Flowing freshness of grace
Well of Living Water
Each heart again restored
Forming life’s breakwater
From John 14:1-2: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”
From Psalm 37:1-2: “Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.”
Another day
One more trial
Kneeling to pray
With God each mile
His way shines bright
Patience fills hope
Holding on tight
God’s faithful rope
Love conquers all
Wicked step back
Hearing His call
God’s steady tack
Temptation folds
Righteousness saves
Crafting hands mold
God quiets waves
Dark times expire
Storms fade away
Sowing faith’s fire
God’s firm pathway
From Psalm 37:39-40: “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their refuge in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and rescues them; He rescues them from the wicked and saves them because they take refuge in Him.”
Every school year brings challenges to our youngest learners in the classroom. These struggling children find hope in a teacher, administrator, custodian, instructional assistant, or any other type of mentor. This is the hope of this poem.
Fearing tomorrow’s tasks
Dreaming of something more
Probing life’s gloomy path
Failing again to score
Meeting darkness once more
Ignoring teacher’s clues
Bearing sounds of silence
Surrounding failure’s blues
Learning nothing today
Parking in empty space
Sharing with hidden friend
Reaching familiar place
Retreating to safe zone
Boarding life’s empty plane
Watching goals crushed again
Seeing more fire than rain
Entering new classroom
Looking into hope’s eyes
Hearing assuring voice
Launching learning’s sunrise
The location of Hope County can’t be found on any maps
Perhaps hope resides in our caring hearts, ready to tap
Last year’s drought
Brings misery and dried-up hope
Optimistic farmers seed spring crops with unwavering hope
A nearby processing plant
Will close soon with vanishing hope
Hurting families look to God for new hope
A nation’s inner fiber
Torn and ripped apart with faltering hope
Martin Luther King proclaims a message of rebuilding hope
A man sits despaired and forlorn
Being laid off with a future that offers spiritless hope
Receiving a new job brings praise to a God of immense hope
A crime-ridden neighborhood
Breathes each day with an absence of hope
Community spirit and love return with true hope
A charred Apollo spacecraft
Dashes an American moon journey with little hope
Neil Armstrong walks on the moon with restored hope
A scorned and forgotten child
Feels left out at school with fading hope
A passionate teacher smiles and brings refreshing hope
A middle-aged woman
Receives news that her body is filled with cancer and no hope
Prayers intercede filled with cancer-free and grace-filled hope
A sin-filled world
Awaits a Savior with never-ending hope
God sends His Son to deliver eternally-filled hope
Our world contains many places
Where hearts are filled with everlasting spirit and hope
Let’s never turn-off for a second our amazing hope
The Bible speaks a great deal about hope. Search for numerous examples such as from Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Stirring in early morn
Feeling approaching tide
Future’s hope now airborne
Flying without clear guide
Standing still at crossing
Waiting for next green light
Future now crisscrossing
Hiding in hopeless night
Looking for place to rest
Stumbling along dark road
Future stalls at hill’s crest
Spilling hope’s heavy load
Waking to darkest gloom
Hoping for one sure thing
Future trying to bloom
Hanging on threadbare string
Seeing fresh hope renewed
Shifting life’s paradigm
Future no longer skewed
Finding success to climb
From Nehemiah 1:3: “They replied, ‘The remnant there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.'”
Shining locomotive churning along
Life ascending every mountain peak
Suddenly, trusty light turns to darkness
Disappointment abounds, whom shall we seek?
Loyal tracks of faith, now wrecked and ruined
Trusting walls of protection, now in shambles
Shepherd’s gate to heaven, forever crushed
Life in darkness, attempts to unscramble
Season of discouragement, shrouds small faith
Eyes filling with tears, overwhelming scene
Kneeling below bloody, Golgotha cross
Prayer fills with forgiveness, hope blooms green
God’s attentive ear, mercy listens in
Rebuilding life within Christ, faith’s linchpin
From Nehemiah 1:11: “O Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to the prayer of Your servants who delight in revering Your name. Give success to Your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man!”
From Psalm 118:24: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
On our way—
Following
Son of God,
Jesus Christ
On our way—
Witnessing
Faithful hope,
Filled with Christ
On our way—
Confronting
Day’s darkness,
Buoyed by Christ
On our way—
Restoring
Shattered lives,
Praising Christ
On our way—
Quieting
Stormy seas,
Christ as work
On our way—
Conquering
Evil’s foe,
Christ with us
On our way—
Redeeming
Wayward souls,
Christ’s love saves
On our way—
Proclaiming
Thankful hearts,
Blessed Christ
On our way—
Rejoicing
Forever,
Within Christ
From Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
The inspiration for this poem comes from the hymn, “On Our Way, Rejoicing.” Here are the lyrics and music of this beloved song.
Big Sky Buckeye 