Guiding principle
Building lasting foundation—
Honesty always
Righteous citizens
Preserving lasting good name—
Sharing goodwill
Each generation
Integrity’s highest road
Inheriting trust
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.“
Faith’s glowing spark
Tiny to see
Strength filling heart
Grace to foresee
Strength facing tests
Unknown as yet
Nourishing faith
Quieting threats
Challenges come
Darkness creeps in
Boosted in strength
Faith, life’s linchpin
Kneeling to pray
Faith never peaks
Fulfilling strength
Humbleness speaks
Always trust God
Mercy lifts up
Source of faith’s strength
Filling life’s cup
Embers of faith
Fed by courage
Blazing in strength
Shall encourage
From Father’s rock
Spirit connects
Lasting faith grows
His strength protects
From Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him.”
Jesus promised peace for those who trust in Him, and He delivers on His promises.
From John 16:12-13: “But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.”
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
The teenage boy has been battling an aggressive form of brain cancer for months. Mark has shown the unwavering courage of a young man who follows God without flinching.
His pastor, Wayne, visits Mark one afternoon. The teen has been at the hospital for several days as he is undergoing another round of treatments to battle his cancer. Wayne wants to share some of God’s Word with this courageous teenager.
Mark’s hair is gone. His slender frame looks even thinner than Wayne remembers. His young body is marshalling all of its resources to battle the foe within.
Mark’s bubbling smiles lights up when Wayne walks into his room. He is thrilled to have a visitor stopping by.
To prevent transmitting any germs or infections, Wayne is gowned up. He looks more like a skilled doctor than a pastor.
After several minutes of conversation, Mark surprises his pastor by sharing a verse from Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.”
The fourteen year-old’s faith under such harsh circumstances is truly remarkable.
At the end of his visit, Wayne asks if he can pray over Mark. Mark quietly says, “Certainly!” The two of them share a few moments in prayer.
Walking down the hallway after leaving Mark’s room, Wayne thinks to himself, “I feel like Mark has ministered to me. I come to bolster his spirits, yet he is the one who reminds me to always trust in God.”
Published in March, 2020, this story was based on a true life experience of a fourteen year-old boy. An entire community rallied around him as he continued to battle cancer. He shared the verse from Proverbs in a video which was shared with many believers. His witness to his Lord was inspiring indeed. Sadly, Mark lost his long battle with cancer, but his courageous spirit will live on.
When God asks us to surrender our will to His, it’s our job to trust He will show us the way.
From Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
Searching
Life’s wilderness
Where’s stability found?
Nothing shall shake God’s
Cornerstone
Faith
Deeply challenged
Whom to trust?
Christ’s love builds His
Cornerstone
Waiting
No longer
Finding empty tomb
Jesus fulfills faith’s empowering
Cornerstone
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.
From Psalm 92:1-2: “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night.”
Giving thanks to our Lord
Praising His divine name
Witnessing steadfast love
Faithfulness sparks life’s flame
Growing old, bearing fruit
Believing in sharing
Abiding in Jesus
Youthful spirit caring
Trusting wholly in God
Reaping harvest of gifts
Walking always with Him
Mindset shall never drift
Flourishing in His light
Listening to His Word
Shaping fresh attitude
Beatitudes now heard
Growing every day
Feeling spirit at work
Hearing positive vibes
Life follows God’s framework
From Psalm 92:14-15: “In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, showing that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”
All the persons of faith I know are sinners, doubters, uneven performers. We are secure not because we are sure of ourselves but because we trust that God is sure of us.
From Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it.
One day you finally knew what you had to do, and began.
Mary Oliver (1935-2019) was a best-selling American poet, who received many honors for her work. Her love of nature can be found in much of her writing, and it resulted in honors from the National Book Award in 1992 and Pulitzer Prize in 1984.
From Joshua 1:9: “I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Man’s human nature
Wrestling with new fears
Breathing with unease
Darkening frontiers
Fear all consuming
Racing with flurry
Suffocating breath
Heartbreaking worry
Root of lasting doubt
Distrusting our God
Overlooking grace
Hiding, sin’s facade
Strength walks with courage
Turning to God’s Word
Following His law
Trusting faith’s watchword
Scripture holding fast
Anchoring with peace
Receiving Lord’s love
Blessing life’s new lease
Christ’s moral compass
Shepherding with grace
Walking in His trust
Slowing down life’s race
From the words of American pastor and Christian teacher, Charles Stanley: “To conquer our fears, we should identify them but then focus instead of God and Scripture.”
Big Sky Buckeye 