His Grace, His Choice To Give

He did not save us based on works,
Nor was it based on worth.
He did not save us based upon
Our status at our birth.
 
He saved us based upon His love,
His choice to offer grace
To those of us who follow Him,
His word and truth embrace.
 
The choice was His, as was the grace
That’s restored our value.
There’s nothing we can do to make
Our broken souls brand new.
 
Rejoice now in His priceless gift
And serve Him with delight,
For He has love and grace enough
To set your wrongs to right.
 
2 Timothy 1:9
who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began
 
Matthew 20:15
Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?

We Will Rejoice Again

A rose from a summer long past
Blooms in my memories.
Though I may grieve for those I’ve lost,
I will hold on to these.
 
So many loved ones now are gone,
And grief tears at my heart.
Yet, all those memories of joy,
They’re still the better part.
 
Those sweet memories bring me peace,
But more so does knowing
That they’re rejoicing at the throne
Of heaven’s gracious King.
 
I could hold on to crushing grief
Or hold instead onto
The promise that death holds no sting
For those who’ve lived in You.
 
I look upon my father’s rose
And wipe my tears away.
For though I still feel sorrow now,
I will rejoice one day.
 
John 16:22
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 

Obeying His Voice

I think I went astray again,
I seem to every day.
I set out, fixed upon Your path,
Then get in my own way.
 
I might have said a word or two
That I should not have said,
Or had a thought that had no place
Being heard in my head.
 
In point of fact, I need to say,
There’s no “might have” at all
I will confess I did it, Lord,
And You, You saw it all.
 
Help me recall that selfishness
Is not born of Your grace,
And is, therefore, an attribute
That I should not embrace.
 
Please help me get back on Your path
And fix my eyes on You.
Help me to guard my words and thoughts
In all I say and do.  
 
I know I’ll likely stray again,
Much to my great dismay,
But, when I hear You call me back,
I won’t get far astray.
 
Daniel 9:9-10
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 

So Many False Prophets

I hear the words of false prophets
And my heart aches for those
Who listen and who then follow
Where each false prophet goes.
 
They claim to share The Word and yet
With each and every breath
They twist It and they hide Its truth
With lies that lead to death.
 
The souls who turn to them in faith
Are following the call
Of him whose only purpose is
To assure mankind’s fall.
 
The silken words in soothing tones
That mark the easy way,
Are all intended, in the end,
To lead us far astray.
 
Beware the voices who promise
Their truth’s the better one.
Turn back from that path to the dark
And seek again the Son.
 
Matthew 24:11-12
And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 

I Shall Not Dread

 

The fears that used to weigh me down,
No longer trouble me,
For my hopes rest upon Your grace,
As it is meant to be.
 
That doesn’t mean they don’t pop up
To haunt me now and then.
Yet, when they do, I pass to You,
That which is beyond men.
 
I work hard to do all I can,
But I no longer fear
That which I can’t see or predict.
For, Lord, I know You’re near.
 
I don’t go out seeking trouble,
But, when it seeks me out,
I do my best, give You the rest,
And trust You without doubt.
 
Deuteronomy 7:21
You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God.

Even Weeds Can Bloom

 

The world is full of amazing
People who bloom with joy.
They know Your Word and live in it
With faith life can’t destroy.
 
Their blooms can brighten a dark day
Or, too, a dreary room.
I look at them with true delight,
Though I am not a bloom.
 
I think I may be more a weed,
Not quite as bold and bright,
But I too cherish living in
My Savior’s golden light.
 
I tend to stay more out of sight
And have a thorn or two.
You might not think it about weeds,
But we are cherished, too.
 
We each are redeemed through His grace.
While some light up a room,
Others will praise Him quietly…
And even weeds can bloom.
 
Romans 15:7
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

As You Have Blessed Me

 

Please guard my going out, Oh Lord,
And, too, my coming in.
Keep my feet set upon the path
That leads to You, not sin.
 
Grant me the wisdom to see truth
And turn away from lies,
That I may bring glory to You,
Not give cause to despise.
 
Let me rejoice, even in pain,
Knowing that, by Your grace,
I will walk through each dark valley
Into a brighter place.
 
Lord, most of all, I ask that I
Share Your mercies with all,
That I may help reflect Your Light
So others will not fall.
 
You’ve poured Your blessings out on me
In an unceasing flow.
Now help me share that flowing grace
That all the earth may know.
 
John 7:38
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.

Praying and Listening

Are you praying to the Lord, or
Merely praying at Him?
Lifting up demands for grace
Whenever life is grim,
 
Or a wish list of wants and dreams,
Not grounded in His word?
Too often we will prattle on,
Demanding to be heard.
 
I’ve found that He’s less likely to
Engage with such demands
From those who place small value on
His laws and His commands.
 
Instead, when I ask for His aid
As it fits what He’s planned,
Then He will often answer me
In ways I understand.
 
The simple act of listening,
Letting the noise go still,
Helps me to pray to Heaven’s King
And live within His will.
 
Even those days when I ramble,
Too lost to find a thought,
He lets me know He understands
The pain this world has brought.
 
A prayer is a conversation,
His answers are best heard
When I stop talking and listen
To Him and to His Word.
 
Matthew 6:7-8
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 

This is one of the precious photos from AC and her trip to Africa a few years back. 

Rejoicing As It Rains

 

The gospel says we’re to rejoice
Even in grief or pain.
I never really understood,
But the gospel was plain.
 
Then came the time when, blow on blow,
The world beat down on me.
That was when my heart finally
Helped my mind clearly see.
 
When all that grief weighed down on me,
I heard His voice saying
Rejoice until the pain eases
For all the joy I’ll bring.
 
Rejoice for brighter days ahead,
For sunshine follows rains.
When all the tears you’ve cried are dry,
The rejoicing remains.
 
Life seems to bring more storms these days,
And age adds to their weight,
But it is to His word I hold.
I’ll rejoice while I wait!
 
Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

More Friday Thank Yous

 

What is it about Friday nights
That’s leave me with one thought,
“Thank You for always being there
Through all this week has brought.”
 
It’s thank You this and “thank You that,
And Oh, Lord, I thank You….
But guess what, Lord, the truth remains,
I thank You, yes I do!  
 
You’ve kept my feet upon Your path,
And my heart fixed on You.
You’ve challenged me to offer grace
To all I run into.
 
You’ve held me when my strength gave out,
And also when I cried.
When I got lost along the way,
Your light has been my guide.
 
The storms roll in, my fears rise up,
But You just hold on tight
Until I realize I’m safe,
Sheltered within Your might.
 
Each week I hurry here and there
Trying to keep the pace,
Until, by Friday night I just
Want to rest in Your grace.
 
So, once again, I thank You, Lord,
For this week’s “things to do”
And for the time, this Friday night,
To just be still with You.
 
Hebrews 4:9-10
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.