Faith’s Cornerstone

From Isaiah 30:15:  “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:  In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

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Father looks upon His design

His perfection draws each detail

Filling darkness with trusted light

Faith now strengthens, no longer frail

 

Father molds mercy’s truth to shine

His promises to be fulfilled

Sending Shepherd, care for His flock

Faith’s cornerstone, set to rebuild

 

Father plans enemy’s demise

His victory shall bring glory

Witnessing Teacher’s lesson plans

Faith refreshed with every story

 

Father pulls strings of righteousness

His forgiving love offers hope

Wiping away sin’s endless debt

Faith grips Savior’s eternal rope

 

Father calls out from Calvary

His boldness breathes with quiet might

Offering life through Jesus Christ

Faith’s peace, rising on heaven’s flight

 

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From Isaiah 30:20-21:  “Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself any longer, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.  And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.'”

Faith Coming Alive

From John 11:25-26:  “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.  Those who believe in Me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?'”

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Overwhelming with darkness

Tomorrow’s vision unseen

Out of life’s impossible

Wondering what faith will mean

 

Calvary’s light beams ahead

Today offers blessed place

Possible waiting in view

Powering toward Christ’s grace

 

Prince of Peace offers his hand

Hour of hope at last arrives

Redemption shall be fulfilled

Seeing faith coming alive

 

Bitter sorrow fades away

In Christ, mercy filled with love

Answers to prayer’s journey

Touching Spirit high above

 

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From John 10:9-10:  “I am the gate.  Whoever enters by Me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Messiah’s Light

From Isaiah 53:9:  “They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.”

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Born before light breathes

God’s master blueprint

Only darkness exists

Waiting, His Son’s footprint

 

Sin breathes at Eden

Perfect light shattered

Tomorrow’s harsh darkness

Righteousness now scattered

 

From garden’s shadows

Bloody cross awaits

Savior’s light journeys on

From heaven’s open gate

 

God’s people wander

Darkness covers world

Divine plan’s fulfillment

Messiah’s light unfurled

 

Light moves against sin

Nailed to rugged tree

Every transgression paid

Saving grace sets man free

 

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From Isaiah 53:10:  “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with affliction.  When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.”

Charles Stanley Quote

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While we cannot escape our dark society, God has provided everything we need to live in the light of our all-sufficient Savior, Jesus Christ.

From Ephesians 5:8-9:  “For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.  Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.”

John Greenleaf Whittier Quote

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Thine to work as well as pray, clearing thorny wrongs away; plucking up the weeds of sin, letting heaven’s warm sunshine in.

From Isaiah 61:11:  “For as the earth brings forth its shoots and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.”

John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892) was an American poet.  His Quaker background entrusted him to advocate for the abolition of slavery in the United States.

Single Voice

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Facing overwhelming odds

Single voice stating its case

Stepping out from shelter’s light

Today, darkness loses race

 

Standing alone with courage

At last, time for change arrives

Trampling down twisted darkness

Today, faithful light survives

 

Clinging to truth’s conviction

Multitude of pain erased

Extinguishing all darkness

Today, humble light embraced

 

Understanding life’s purpose

Human rights boldly proclaim

Recalling depth of darkness

Today, light forgives all blame

 

Learning from history’s past

Actions taking direct route

Offering nation new light

Today, darkness falls—no doubt

 

History has amplified the single voices shown below as a testament to taking a stand, respecting the value fellow man, and putting others above self.  Top left and moving clockwise:  1989, Tank Man stopped tanks at Tiananmen Square in China; 1877, Nez Perce Chief Joseph surrendered to American cavalry near Bear Paw Mountains in Montana Territory; 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her front seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama; 1930, Mahatma Gandhi led peaceful protest during India’s Salt March; 1945, Anne Frank used her diary’s voice as her final witness of living under the brutality of war.  (All photos courtesy of Pinterest)

Monday Memories: Redeeming Spirit

From Isaiah 12:2:  “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; He has become my salvation.”

person standing on rock formation near body of water during night time

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To a world filling with harsh darkness

Our Heavenly Father wakens trust

God’s love conquers, crushing this starkness

Sending our Redeemer, always just

 

Jesus, the Messiah, walks the land

His Spirit deepens our mind and soul

We experience God, close at hand

Blood shed on a Cross, paying our toll

 

With every footprint Jesus makes

Walking forward, His bright light beckons

We follow with faith, make no mistake

Through our adversity, faith checks in

 

Enemy lurks, bringing temptation

Walking with Jesus, freed like a bird

In alignment with Him . . . Salvation!

Faithful “doers” of God’s Holy Word

selective photography of flying black falcon

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From Psalm 3:3-4:  “But you, O Lord are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.  I cry aloud to the Lord, and He answers me from His Holy hill.”

Originally posted March, 2020.

Morning’s Light (Haiku Series #286)

Precious

Each calming sunrise

Warmest personality—

Treasured summer breath

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Photographic

Sunrise awakens

Color added to landscape—

Stirring with brightness

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Performance

Transforming sunrise

Moonlight now fading way—

Day’s curtain rises

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Elizabeth Gilbert Quotes

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There’s a crack (or cracks) in everyone . . . that’s how the light of God gets in.

I am a better person when I have less on my plate.

Elizabeth Gilbert (born 1969) is an American journalist and author.

Hearing His Calling

From Psalm 119:105:  “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

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Father’s tender voice

Presenting oneself

Hearing His calling

Old ways left on shelf

 

One body in Christ

Transforming faith’s breath

Hearing His calling

Rising from sin’s depths

 

Father’s trusted Word

Walking faith’s new road

Hearing His calling

Sharing burden’s load

 

Response to Christ’s grace

Tuning in faith’s love

Hearing His calling

Finding peace above

 

Father’s righteous ways

Honoring faith’s flight

Hearing His calling

Embracing Christ’s light

 

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From Romans 12:2:  “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”