Jesus did what we could not–He set us free from our sins. Consider the immensity of the sacrifice He made on your behalf.
From Hebrews 10:10: “And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Leadership
Far wiser
Filled with love
Exceeds our earthly leaders
Jesus
Realm
Of peace
Won with Grace
Love, faith, and hope
Christ
Eyes
Lifted upward
Blessed, final victory
Conquering sin and death
Cross
From Psalm 31:24: “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.”
Facing life’s trials and critics
Soul and body wasting away
Discouraged, hurting, and distressed
Broken down, strength failing . . . decay
Needing encouragement with love
Safe from others, place for healing
Looking for refuge, where to turn
Life under siege, tired and reeling
Seeking lasting grace and mercy
Delivering us from dark gloom
Rescue arrives, stand and rejoice
His steadfast love, fully in bloom
Staffed by a special redeemer
Our strength, comrade, fortress, and rock
Holding us up with steadfast love
Follow Him, our living bedrock
Called by another name . . . Jesus
From Psalm 31:1-2: “In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.”
From John 13:14-15: “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”
Jesus, our Lord and Savior, teaches us
Sharing the love from the Holy Father
Knowing God has given to Him all things
Sharing faithful witness, from the Father
Christ, the living God, guides our faithful steps
Presenting endless chances to serve God
Facing our lives, filled with countless hurdles
Serving one another, as blessed by God
Jesus, Son of David, shares acts of Grace
Washing apostles’ feet, blessing the Lord
Teaching through His loving act of service
Telling all, humbling serve our righteous Lord
Christ, Lamb of God, transforming life on earth
Faithfully following our Lord Jesus
Seeking, trusting, and praying in His name
Glorifying each day, serving through Jesus
From the words of American author, John Eldredge: “Teach a man a rule and you help him solve a problem; teach a man to walk with God and you help him solve the rest of his life.”
Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com
Jesus Christ met people where they were . . . not as they “ought to” be. His enemies misunderstood Him, but they couldn’t ignore Him. They hated Him, but were never bored around Him. Jesus was the epitome of relevance. Still is.
From Hebrews 8:10: “This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Our Lord Jesus
Following baptism at the Jordan River
Led by the Spirit, His Holy Caregiver
Traveling into the barren wilderness darkness
Facing the enemy’s temptation, its starkness
Fasting and praying over forty long days and nights
Comforted and encouraged by His Father’s might
Famished with hunger
Cunning enemy of darkness makes his empty sales pitch
Tempted to turn stone into bread, Jesus will never switch
Jesus answers:
“One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”
Taken to the Holy City
From the top of temple’s highest pinnacle
Desperate enemy becomes ever cynical
Tempted to plunge Himself down to the ground
Mocking Jesus, God’s angels should be around
Jesus responds:
“Again it is written, Do not put the Lord your God to the test”
Arriving at the highest summit
Viewing below, this kingdom’s richness and vastness
No one can ever remain faithful with steadfastness
Come, worship the enemy’s empty, deceitful shrine
Tempted to accept this false kingdom, never Mine
Jesus refutes:
“Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him”
We, ourselves, facing similar darkest temptations
Jesus stood firm, through God’s sound foundation
We are blessed with much the same encouragement
Read, study, follow the Bible without discouragement
Accepting and following Jesus, our Holy Savior and Lord
Through Salvation to Eternal Life, choose God’s accord
The Scripture verses come from Matthew 4:4, 4:7, and 4:10.
The dearest friend on earth is but a mere shadow compared with Jesus Christ.
From John 15:13: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
From Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Normally for many
This world looks full and bright
Cups overflow with blessings
But then, dark dims faith’s light
From this window, world turns blue
Hope was filled with each seed
Life’s harvest seems in doubt
Farmers’ fields fill with weeds
Harsh rhetoric and gloom
Positivity hides
Lost in negative times
With whom shall we abide?
There has to be a way
Let’s not fight over masks
Turning blueness to light
Remind us of our tasks
Jesus, faith’s Bread of Life
Fills our empty hunger
Leading us to His peace
Hearts feeling much younger
There are days during this Covid pandemic in which I feel at a loss. The roller coaster ride of life suddenly takes a dark turn, and I feel left at the gate. This poem was written following one of these “blue” moments in my life. Together, we can continue to share prayers and encouragement with others. God’s peace!
Stormy clouds approach
Life’s storms threaten with darkness—
Christ quiets the wind
Jesus promises
Another Advocate comes—
The Holy Spirit
Jesus walks ahead
Emmanuel, God with us—
Coming to save us
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 