Great And Hidden Things

 

This Sabbath peace was what I need,
One day of rest and praise.
Your gift of knowing before me
Never fails to amaze.
 
Prayers answered before I ask,
Provision for each need,
And grace beyond my deserving,
All with no need to plead.
 
I know that we’re to pray always.
Yet, knowing You know all,
I think we’re praying to draw close.
It’s not a “help me” call.
 
You already know what we need
And have Your plan in place,
But we can’t see that if we’re not
Able to see Your grace.
 
Thus, spending time praying each day,
Lifting them up to You,
Helps us to recognize that You
Will always see us through.  
 
That’s why my prayer, this Sabbath,
Is one of thanks and praise,
For peace today, strength tomorrow,
And to seek You always.
 
1 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.
 
Jeremiah 33:3 
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

Growing Closer To Him

 

Forgive me, Father, for my sins,
They seem vast in array,
And, though I try to do better,
They still pop up each day.
 
I know You see them, every one,
Like the hairs on my head,
But You washed all my sins away
When Christ rose from the dead.
 
I still feel shame for each of them,
And try to sin no more,
Yet, for each time I stop one sin,
Two more knock at my door.
 
Some are the same old sins today
That I sinned yesterday.
While others seem to randomly
Put on some big display.   
 
You formed the heavens, named the stars,
And keep watch on sparrows,
So, I have no doubt that You know
How my strength ebbs and flows.
 
I’ll rest upon the promise of
The forgiveness You give,
And try to grow closer to You
Every day I live.
 
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
 
Psalm 73:26 
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

The Glory Of The Lord

 

All glory goes to God, my Lord,
All praise is to His name,
And it is His unending grace,
I gratefully proclaim.
 
All glory to my Redeemer,
Who bore what I could not,
That I might stand within His light,
My soul cleansed of sin's rot.
 
All glory to the Holy Spirit,
Who guides me day and night,
Until I stand before the throne,
Rejoicing in delight.
 
Let all creation sing with joy,
From mountain peak to sea,
That we are loved and we are His,
Through all eternity.
 
Revelation 4:11
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
 
Isaiah 60:1 
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Like A Restoring Rain

Soft the rain falls from the sky,
The night now settles in.
I feel my thoughts unwind enough
To let Your peace begin.  
 
I spent so long living in rain,
Its voice still soothes my mind
In much the same way Your voice holds
The peace I long to find.
 
An evening rain reminds me of
The sweetness of Your grace
That settles in, restoring me,
Like soft rain on my face.
 
Tonight I’ll let Your loving peace
Restore my weary soul,
Then, like the rain renews the grass,
I’ll rise up strong and whole.
 
Hebrews 6:7 
For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.
 
Deuteronomy 32:2 
May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. 

Resting And Rejoicing

 

I hear You remind me tonight
To rest within Your hand.
Though I am weary, I am blessed
And that is as You planned.
 
The chance to serve those that I love
Who do so much for me,
Makes all the weariness a gift
I’ll accept joyfully.
 
I don’t know why You chose me, Lord,
To receive so much grace,
But each moment I have to share
Is one I will embrace.
 
Thank You for letting me help out
Those who’ve loved and helped me.
I’m blessed to be weary tonight,
And grateful as can be.
 
1 Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace
 
Proverbs 11:25 
A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Precious Time With Precious Friends

 

You told me to slow down my pace,
You had a plan for me
And it would place me somewhere else
Than where I’d planned to be.
 
It meant that I got to spend time
With precious friends tonight.
It might have set my schedule back,
But that will be alright.
 
For I don’t get to spend much time
With such a loving pair,
And I was grateful when I left
To have had the time there.
 
Their grace and joy, their loving words
Reminded me of You.
A reminder I took to heart,
As You knew I would do.
 
I thank You for the lesson of
Their kind and gentle way.
It may have set my schedule back,
But it sure made my day!
 
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works
 
Proverbs 13:20 
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.

A Moment Of Reflection

I get caught in the day to day,
The drama and the strife.
When I find I’m there, I step back
And reflect on my life.
 
The task You set before me is
Simple in many ways.
Yet, it can feel quite difficult
In the course of some days.
 
I look at me and see Your grace,
The blessings that I live
Only because of Your mercies
And the true hope they give.
 
I have a place to lay my head,
And food enough to eat.
When I stop to count my blessings,
The tally is replete.
 
Since You have blessed me so fully,
How can I withhold grace
For others who act as I might,
If I were in their place.
 
If I find I’m frustrated by
A knucklehead or two,
I need to recall that’s likely
How I must look to You.
 
Through this moment of reflection
I hope to find in me
Some of Your patience and Your grace
That others ought to see.
 
2 Corinthians 13:5 
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
 
Proverbs 27:19
As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.

Doing His Father's Will

What wondrous things the Lord has done.
They outnumber the stars,
And greater than all of the rest
Are dark Golgotha’s scars.
 
The sins He carried were not His,
But He carried them still.
For He knew we would never be
Able to do God’s will.
 
He bowed before the punishment,
And bore God’s crushing wrath
That we, who sinned, might be redeemed,
That we might walk God’s path.
 
He chose to do His Father’s will,
That we might not be lost,
Despite knowing that He would pay,
For us, the brutal cost.
 
How wondrous is the grace of God
And how vast the array
Of its blessings poured out on us
From the cross that dark day.
 
Matthew 26  
39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
 
42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”
 
44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 

Knee Deep And Praising Him

 

When I’m knee deep in rising tides
I may be tossed about,
But I am not without the hope
That He will hear my shout.
 
The waves may try to drag me down
And drown me in their wake,
But I will stand with faith in Him
That those waves cannot shake.
 
It may sound simple, said like that,
But it took years to learn
That His grace is already mine.
He gives what we can’t earn.
 
I tell You now to answer Him,
Reach out and take His hand.
You may feel strong enough right now…
One day you’ll understand.
 
Mark 4:39 
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
 
Psalm 93:4 
Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!

Free Indeed

 

I found myself, far too often,
With my thoughts fixed on me,
Instead of having them focused
On where they ought to be.
 
I counted sins, polished my scars,
And told myself I’m why
Christ had to face crucifixion,
So my soul would not die.
 
I’m not worthy of such great love,
Undeserving of grace,
And I could list all of the wrongs
That I should have to face.
 
Then I heard Him call out my name
And tell me to let go
Of the sins from which He’s cleansed me
Because He loves me so.

 

I raised my eyes up from myself
And looked into His face.
That was the moment when I knew
I’d turned to the right place.
 
This isn’t about all my sins,
Or those of anyone.
It’s about His love and His choice
To redeem everyone.
 
The sins I counted everyday
He will no longer see,
Because He chooses to forgive,
Because He still loves me.
 
When my eyes were fixed on myself,
Shame was all I could feel,
But now that they are fixed on Him,
His Word is all that’s real.
 
I can’t be His if I still hold
To what He’s washed away.
His is the truth I need live,
He is the only way.
 
Now, I no longer count my scars
Or let my past sins live.
I keep my eyes upon Him and
The grace He chose to give.
 
John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
 
Psalm 32:1
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.