Restored In His Peace

 

Some days can be overwhelming
And I wanted to hide,
To find that place far from the noise
Where stillness can abide   
 
My weary soul, my fearful heart,
Needed to know His peace.
I longed go where all the noise
Of this loud world would cease.
 
It’s as if He knew what I’d need,
Time to sit and be still,
Since all the plans made for today
Failed, as if by His will.
 
The world fell back, peace settles in
To heal my weary soul.
That which the world tried to shatter,
He’s restored and made whole.
 
Isaiah 38:16
O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. Oh restore me to health and make me live!

Lessons Learned Today

 

Why do I have to make complex
The simple things in life.
Even that which is made for joy
I fill with my own strife.
 
It could be that the problem’s me,
Indeed, that does make sense.
I tend to see an open gate
And focus on the fence.
 
Most times the process is simple,
The bloom becomes the fruit
Without any input from me.
I have no horn to toot.

 

The Lord has put His plan in place
And life follows His plan.
Though I want to add my two cents,
I don’t think that I can.
 
The lesson that I learned today
Is I’m not in control.
I also learned the One who is,
Still loves my rebel soul.
 
I may be just a blossom now,
Yet, with His plan in place,
Someday I’ll bear fruit He can use,
But only through His grace.
 
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
 
Ephesians 2:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God

What Matters Most

The question stands, what matters most,
Where do I place value?
Does it rest in today’s delight,
Or being close to You?
 
The two can both be true, I know,
But my priority
Is doing that to which I’m called,
Being who I’m to be.
 
I’ll gladly work at many things,
If they fit in Your plan,
But serving You as You’ve called me,
Outweighs the plans of man.
 
Therefore, I discipline myself
To work diligently,
And not let things that don’t matter
Divert or distract me.
 
I still rejoice in all life’s gifts,
Give it all that I can,
But when I must choose play or serve,
I’ll serve within God’s plan.
 
1 Corinthians 9:27
But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
 
Hebrews 12:11
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 

Nor Anything In Creation

 

No matter how far or how fast
The world lures us away,
We’ll never outrun His mercies,
Nor get so far astray
That He can’t find us when we’re lost,
Then lead us home to stay.
 
I’ve stared in awe at heaven’s lights
Spread out across the skies.
I watched a mountain exploding
Before my very eyes.
 
I’ve stood within the forest’s depth
And heard the wind’s soft sighs.
None of these places are too far
For Him to hear my cries.
 
Heaven and earth were formed by Him,
Where do you think I’d go
That He would not see every step.
There’s no place that I know.
 
That doesn’t mean I’ve not been lost,
Running off now and then,
But when I cried out to my Lord
He led me home again.
 
This world has many traps and snares,
But I have Heaven’s Son,
And He won’t let this world destroy
The good work He’s begun.
 
No matter how far off His path
I find that I might stray,
I’ll never be so lost that He
Won’t hear me when I pray
And come to find me, by His grace,
Then lead me home to stay.
 
Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Entering Like A Child

I hear the wise scholars speaking
In terms proud and profound
Of all the wisdom they have learned,
The answers they have found.
 
Yet, He did not say “let them come”
In respect to the sage,
But to the children, great in faith,
Though still so young of age.
 
Our children are not lost in pride
For all they think they know.
Instead, they take His words to heart
And in those hearts, they grow.
 
The young can understand some things
That we, the old, cannot.
For they hold on to what they’ve heard,
Long after we forgot.
 
Our thoughts are often distracted
By lists of things “to do”,
And we set His words to the side
Until those lists are through.
 
I think that those children may be
Wiser than you or me.
It seems they have a clearer grasp
Of who we’re called to be.
 
They don’t listen and say I will,
But after I am done
With all these things that matter less
Than following The Son.
 
We’re called to teach our children well
All that they need to know,
But maybe we need to take time
To learn from them, also.
 
Luke 18:16-17
But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 

Impatiently Awaiting Patience

 

Lord, I need patience, and right now,
I need it on demand.
I’ve just run out of all I had.
I hope You understand.
 
Those “little things” keep piling up
And my patience runs thin.
Would You please give me more right now?
Just let it pour on in.
 
I’m not sure I can take much more
Of anything today
If I can’t find the recharge port
For patience right away.
 
I know we’re to wait patiently
For what we can’t yet see,
But patience is what’s out of sight.
I can’t wait patiently.
 
Alright, I’ll breathe and just listen
To what You’re telling me,
And hold fast to the promise that
Your grace will recharge me.
 
For You bear patiently with me
Despite my attitude,
And I’ll try hard to pass along
That grace, in gratitude.
 
Until then, I’ll hope in what I
Cannot yet clearly see,
That You will restore my patience.
I’ll wait impatiently.
 
Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Proclaim The Gospel

 

He called His people to carry
His Word to all the earth
That no soul’s lost without the chance
At redemption, rebirth.
 
He wants each heart that beats today
To have the chance to sing
With all the choirs of heaven.
Life only He can bring.
 
The calling is to share His Word,
Not only when we speak.
But how we live and mirror Him
To each new soul we seek.
 
It’s true that we can’t change a heart,
But He can use our voice
To reach the hearts of those who will
Turn to Him and rejoice.
 
Go, then, each one and share His Word,
Everywhere, every place,
And let your voice, your heart, your life
Reflect His love, His Grace.
 
Mark 16:15
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

I Belong To Him

The storms are rolling through tonight,
But my heart holds no fear,
For I live knowing, good or bad,
My shepherd’s ever near.
 
The dark sky rattles with the winds
And thunder fills the air.
Yet, since I live within His grace,
My heart knows no despair.
 
I’ll settle in and watch the storm,
Ominous, dark and grim,
But all that I see is His Light.
For I belong to Him.
 
Isaiah 43:1
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 

Humble Yourselves, Stand Firm

 

It’s easy to think we’re in charge,
But we never will be.
Our arrogance and our bold pride
Are wielded foolishly.
 
There is no hope outside of Him
To manage all life’s woes.
We lay our plans and do our best,
But life comes and it goes.
 
Stand humbly, then, before the Lord.
Place all your faith in Him
To shield you and to lead you through
When life grows harsh and grim.
 
Give Him your worries, then let go.
Do all that you can do,
Knowing that where your skills fall short,
His mercy’s there for you.
 
Your arrogance cannot help you,
Humble yourself, your pride.
Stand firm in the unfailing truth
That His love will abide.  
 
1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

You Have Made Me Glad

 

You shaped each work of creation
With love in its design.
Some may not be “my cup of tea”,
While some are rare and fine.
 
The grand and great are hard to miss,
The simple things, less so.
Yet it’s often in the small things
Where Your greatest works show.
 
A simple bloom, tucked in the shade
In the back of the bed,
Until Your light touches its face
And it lifts up its head.
 
Just for that moment, in Your light,
I saw it shine with joy
And I, too, sang out with delight
That time cannot destroy.
 
I caught that moment years ago
And yet, even today,
It reminds me that Your sweet grace
Is always on display.
 
We simply need open our eyes,
And our hearts to Your grace,
To find there’s still joy and delight
That’s blooming every place.
 
Psalm 92:4
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

Watchful In Prayer

I find myself just saying words,
Now and then, when I pray.
My mind is off on some tangent,
Not hearing what I say.
 
Oh, shame on me, and it should be,
For all the grace I’ve known,
To not stay focused in my thanks
For the love You have shown.
 
I stop and ask Your forgiveness,
And then I start once more
To praise You and lift up my thanks
To You, whom I adore.
 
I know I chat with You often
As I move through the day,
But when I come in earnest, Lord,
I should focus and pray.
 
Your blessings flow unceasingly,
I see them everywhere.
I need to thank You for them with
A heart focused on prayer.
 
The many hopes and fears I place
Before You in my need,
Should not be uttered as rote thoughts,
But prayerfully, indeed.
 
Oh, Father, help me keep my thoughts
Fixed on You as I pray,
That I’m sincerely offering
My praise and thanks each day.
 
Colossians 4:2
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Standing Firm In You

 

My world has been shaken today,
And nothing I can do
Will mend or heal or change a thing.
Therefore, I stand in You.
 
So many blessings came my way,
And so much heartbreak, too.
I’ve wept and laughed and praised Your name.
Through all, I stand in You.
 
This world will never be easy,
But this I know is true,
Easy or hard, You are my Rock.
Firmly, I stand in You.
 
I thank You for the faith and hope
That always brings me through,
And for Your peace within the pain.
Oh Lord, I stand in You.
 
1 Corinthians 16:13
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

Keep Running The Race

 

The land was frozen, dawn approached,
But darkness still held on.
It planned to hold the day at bay
Until all hope was gone.
 
Then there, across the forest rim,
I saw a gull sail through.
It mattered not what the day planned,
He did what he should do.
 
He rose above the frozen world
And sailed across the sky.
The wind and cold could not stop him
From taking wing to fly.
 
I stood up in that winter dawn
Within the rising light,
And felt God’s Spirit stir in me,
Bidding my soul take flight.
 
For God has called us each to task
Carrying forth His Word
To all who don’t yet call Him King,
And those who have not heard.
 
If that bird can rise up and fly
Despite winter’s cold bite,
Then I, too, will find faith to rise
And keep sharing His Light.
 
2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

In Humble Gratitude

 

My life may not be glamourous,
But it is filled with grace,
And I have lived life long enough
To praise You any place.
 
I’m just a small voice in the world,
But You taught me to sing.
I’ll lift my voice up and rejoice
In all that wealth can’t bring.
 
Your perfect peace as each day ends
Means more than gold to me,
For I find gold in each sunrise
That I am blessed to see.
 
I have more than enough to eat
And still have some to spare,
So, I am grateful for others
With whom I get to share.
 
You led me through some dark valleys,
And some green pastures, too.
It didn’t matter where I was,
I walked that road with You.
 
Yet, in the end, You brought me home
To friends and family,
And I find comfort in each day
That’s shared so lovingly.
 
There is no wealth, no palace great,
That my soul could value
With half the joy and gratitude
For all I have in You!
 
Micah 6:8
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

The Third Choice

 

In times of worry or dismay
It seems all I can hear
Is an unending litany
Of everything I fear.
 
What might go wrong, what might get worse,
How much I have to lose.
And either choice made could go bad,
But still, I have to choose.
 
Within that whirlwind I’d be lost
If He were not my rock,
The anchor holding me in place
Beneath each wave of shock.
 
I know, my friend, you feel it, too.
I truly understand,
But I know He also holds you
In the palm of His hand.
 
There is no safer place to be
When storms of doubt roll through.
Please hold in faith to His promise
That He is holding you.
 
Be still and let the whirlwind fade,
For you have a third choice…
The storms have no authority.
Wait for His still, small voice.
 
1 Kings 19:11-12
And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.

Remembering No More

 

I laid my sins before the Lord,
They numbered beyond count,
And He poured out His grace on me
Like a swift flowing fount.
 
I see them still, when I look back,
Then shudder at the shame
That I could have lived such a life,
And still, His mercy, claim.
 
How could it be that one so pure
Would not just cast away
A world of sinners, scarred by shame,
Who chose to go astray.
 
Yet, since I turned back, called His name,
Declared Him to be Lord,
I’ve watched those scars heal, one by one.
His mercy’s my reward.
 
I cannot wait to see the day
When all my scars have healed,
All sin behind me, and His Light
Is completely revealed.
 
Until then I’ll count my blessings
Praising Him, Heaven’s King,
For His forgiveness of my sins,
And not remembering.
 
Hebrews 10:16-17
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

The Bruised Reed Did Not Break

All of the forces of evil
Sought to break Him on earth,
But He would neither bend nor break
Til He redeemed our worth.
 
They tried to silence both His voice
And those He called by name.
Yet they could not smother the wick
That burned with His bright flame.
 
I was not there when He called them,
Nor when they answered Him.
Still, I stand here with faith I learned
By listening to them.
 
Try though they might, He would not break,
He stood in victory
Until He had bought absolute
Healing for you and me.
 
They bruised the reed, the wick smoldered,
But my Savior held true,
And that’s why I, a mere Gentile,
Can hold on in faith, too.
 
Matthew 12:20-21
a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope. 

His Steadfast Love Endures

He called the universe to life.
The heavens He secures,
While moon and sun both call Him King.
His steadfast love endures.
 
He filled the earth with mountain peaks,
With rivers, swift and wide,
Then wrapped them all within the arms
Of the sea’s shore and tide.
 
With life abundant, He filled them,
A vast, varied array
That flourishes, each in its time,
And, in time, fades away.
 
Those created in His image
Are blessed above them all,
For when they cry out, He hears them.
He answers when they call.  

 

For He who holds the sun and moon
Resting within His hand
Holds them, as well, His love endures.
Praise Him throughout the land
 
Psalm 136:7-9
to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever; the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever; the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever 

Be Vigilant And Faithful

 

Be vigilant and guard your heart
For it has been foretold
That evil spirits, evil men
Will keep growing more bold.
 
They seek to claw us from our faith,
Or lead us far astray
From the truth living in His Word.
Be alert, turn away.
 
Keep your eyes fixed upon His Word,
And question prayerfully
The one who whispers promises
Of wondrous things to be
 
If you but follow this slight turn
Away from the path laid
By all He taught, the blood He shed,
The covenant He made.
 
Live in His Word, attend your thoughts
And keep your soul secure.
Be vigilant and guard your heart,
No false prophets endure.
 
1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Songs Of Joyous Praise

 

Oh Lord, my heart cries out with joy,
Your name is on my tongue.
For I am blessed beyond belief.
Your praises will be sung.
 
I lift my thanks up with great joy,
Your peace I claim as mine.
Lord, I’m grateful to have a place
Within Your grand design.
 
I cannot fathom why You called
A broken soul like me,
But I will follow, rejoicing,
For Your love set me free.
 
I’ll sing to You, oh Lord, my God,
From mountain top to shore.
Through all the earth my praise I’ll sing
To You, whom I adore.
 
Psalm 98:4
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

He Carried Away My Sins

 

He carried my sins far from me,
So why do I still call them mine?
You’d think I’d leave them in my past,
Not let them age like some fine wine.
 
They are the scars I carry now
To remind me of all my flaws,
The many times I willingly
Turned my back on His love and laws.
 
Yet, He has given me new life
With strength and wisdom I will need
To stay on path and follow Him.  
What I need most is to pay heed.
 
That He died seemed somehow mundane,
Yet it becomes breathtaking when
I found all my sins died with Him,
And, unlike Him, they’ll stay dead sin.
 
Those sins are now no longer mine,
I need to stop holding to them
And turn my heart, my mind, and soul
To forever hold on to Him.
 
He carried my sins far from me,
So why do I still call them mine?
I will surrender them to Him
And claim instead His grace divine.
 
2 Peter 1:8-9
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.