Maya Angelou Quote

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.  And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.

From 2 Thessalonians 5:16-18:  “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was an American author, poet, and civil rights activist.  Her body of published work is found in autobiographies, essays, poems, and numerous credits in plays, movies, and television shows.

Hope’s Clear Light

From Colossians 1:4-5:  “For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.  You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you.”

Photo by Lukas on Pexels.com

Faith in Jesus Christ

Rising with hope’s clear light

Love descends from Heaven

Fulfilling mercy’s flight

 

Faith speaks through God’s Word

Nourishing truth each day

Whisper of light to trust

Breathing hope, never gray

 

Faith targets saint’s heart

Sowing each faithful seed

Spirit nurtures each one

Blessing how hope shall feed

 

Faith’s patient journey

Praying to Lord above

Strengthened steps persevere

Uniting with hope’s love

 

Faith’s kingdom shall come

Redeeming with love’s grace

Father, Son, and Spirit

Offering hope’s embrace

 

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

From Colossians 1:12-13:  “Giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.  He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.”

Oswald Chambers Quote

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

The grace you had yesterday will not do for today.  Grace is the overflowing favor of God; you can always reckon it is there to draw upon.  Pray now; draw on the grace of God in the moment of need.

From 2 Corinthians 6:1-2:  “As we work together with Him, we entreat you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.  For He says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’  Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation!”

Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) was a Scottish evangelist and Christian teacher.  Following his death from an illness while in Egypt during World War I, his wife took on the task of transcribing the detailed notes she had written from his lectures and sermons.  Gertrude Hobbs Chambers’ efforts resulted in the publication in 1924 of MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST.  I frequently read from this devotional, and it has greatly deepened my faith and understanding of God’s Word.

Faith Nourished

From Habakkuk 2:4:  “Look at the proud!  Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faithfulness.”

Photo by Caleb Oquendo on Pexels.com

Coming to worship

God inviting all

Praising Son above

Each saint finds landfall

 

Praying in earnest

God hears every Word

Lasting grace comes forth

Truth’s faithful password

 

Walking righteous path

God light’s trusted way

Raising up His Son

Faith nourished each day

 

Singing every psalm

God opens each door

Welcoming with peace

Hope ready to soar

 

Loving with each breath

God’s will never fails

Blessing at sunrise

Spirit set to sail

 

Photo by Mauru00edcio Eugu00eanio on Pexels.com

From 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:  “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth.   It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never ends.”

Monday Memories: Faith and Mountains

From Mark 11:23:  “Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.”

Photo by Aditi Vinod Arya on Pexels.com

Life facing complex, hurting world

Rugged mountain peaks, blocking us

Never be in doubt, but believe

Accepting God’s grace, ride His bus

 

Immovable mountains stand tall

Remaining steadfast in prayer

Requiring faith in our Father

He watches over our welfare

 

Lacking faith, walking in darkness

Our Father sends His lasting grace

Prepared and willing to assist

His energy, ready to embrace

 

God seeks men and women of faith

Follow His Word, forever speaks

For our Lord’s glory and kingdom

Trusting Him, tackling mountain peaks

 

Believe totally in the Lord

Walking in faithfulness each day

Our faith moves our Father to act

Thanks be to God, He shows the way! 

 

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

From the words of American pastor and author, E. M. Bounds:  “Only God can move mountains, but faith and prayer can move God.”

Originally published November, 2020.

Grace Forever Free

From Lamentations 3:22-24:  “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.'”

Photo by Etienne Marais on Pexels.com

Enemy only brings

Darkness upon thee

Emptiness clings

Again, lost at sea

 

Trapped in wilderness maze

No escape for thee

Sun’s missing rays

What does Spirit see?

 

God’s arrow finds its mark

Peace comes upon thee

Redemption’s ark

His Word’s faithful key

 

Salvation’s open gate

Savior’s love for thee

Mercy’s soulmate

Evil’s breath now flees

 

Bethlehem’s blessed light

Shineth upon thee

Hope taking flight

Praying on both knees

 

Freedom from heavy chains

Sins’ debts paid for thee

Christ shoulders pain

Grace forever free

 

Photo by Alem Su00e1nchez on Pexels.com

From Lamentations 3:55-57:  “I called on Your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; You heard my plea, ‘Do not close Your ear to my cry for help, but give me relief!’  You came near when I called on You; You said, ‘Do not fear!'”

Hope Regenerated (Elfchen Series #253)

Faithful Assuredness

Absorbing

Precious grace

Burdens now lessened

Spirit’s breath instills strength

Light

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Faithful Opportunity

Uncertainty

Unrelenting darkness

Jesus comes alongside

Grace strengthens today’s light

Certainty

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Faithful Steps

Encountering

Questionable future

Praying for strength

Light replaces each worry

Grace

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

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.

Oswald Chambers Quote

Photo by Nothing Ahead on Pexels.com

Pray now; draw on the grace of God in the moment of need.

From 2 Corinthians 6:1:  “As we work together with Him, we entreat you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.”

Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) was a Scottish evangelist and Christian teacher.  Following his death from an illness while in Egypt during World War I, his wife took on the task of transcribing the detailed notes she had written from his lectures and sermons.  Gertrude Hobbs Chambers’ efforts resulted in the publication in 1924 of MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST.  I frequently read from this devotional, and it has greatly deepened my faith and understanding of God’s Word.

Charles Finney Quote

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together.

From Matthew 20:18:  “For where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there among them.”

Charles Finney (1792-1875) was an American pastor and Christian evangelist.  In the years before America’s Civil War, he was an outspoken opponent of slavery.

Faith’s Precious Template (Elfchen Series #246)

Preparations

 Sowing

Spirit’s seeds

Planting righteous grain

Fields of eternal life

Harvesting

Connections

Praying

Daily consistency

Faithful relationship deepens

Buoyed by Father’s love

Maturing  

Interactions

Sharing

Christ’s grace

Spirit of gentleness

Placing light upon others

Witnessing

all images courtesy of pinterest.