By Grace Alone - Re-Posted

It is not by my hand alone

That anything gets done,
Nor is it through my special strength
That any battle’s won.
 
No song that I may choose to sing
Comes from my heart alone,
And nothing springs forth from the earth
That isn’t, by Grace, sown.
 
For it is only through His Grace
That blossoms robe the earth,
And it is through His Grace alone
Our words and deeds find worth.
 
Thus it’s not through our words and deeds
That we may see God’s face,
But only through His sacrifice.
And that’s a gift of Grace.
 
Romans 11:6
And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

Worries Nibbling My Happiness - Re-Posted

It seems as if I am consumed

By worries every day
They nibble at my happiness
Until it’s worn away.
 
I know that faith should be enough
To hold those fears at bay,
But here I am letting them chew
A bit more joy today.
 
So I ask that You give me faith
Strong enough to hold sway
Over what’s nibbling at me, Lord.
Please make me whole, I pray!

Waiting By Faith - Re-Posted

The promise of tomorrow’s joy
Lies curled within today,
Just waiting to spread forth its fronds
In wonderful array.

Be open to the coming change,
Your faith, fully employ
And let each sprig of happiness
Open your heart to joy.

Galatians 5:5

For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.

In My Distress, I Cry Out - Re-Posted

Oh hear me, Lord, I cry in grief.

I call out in Your name,
For I am broken, heart and mind;
Nothing will be the same.
 
You called home someone whom I loved
Far more than my own life,
And, while I know Your plan is wise,
That death cut like a knife.
 
It tore away the best of me,
I weep that I still live,
And I am not at all convinced
That life has more to give.
 
So I cry out to You, Oh Lord,
Through grief that I can’t bear,
My world is shattered, desolate
Beyond any repair.
 
You are the only hope I have,
Your mercy’s what I need.
Please hold me til the pain has passed,
Oh Lord, hear me, I plead.
 
Psalm 31:9
Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.

Rising in Faith - Re-Posted

The eagle flies despite the storm,

It feels no need to hide.
Nor will it hunker down and wait,
But takes the storm in stride.
 
I want to be the eagle, Lord,
Who rises through this storm
And flies with faith despite the winds
That buffet my fierce form.
 
I’m not that strong, nor am I fierce,
But, Lord, with You I’ll try
To spread my wings, face down this storm
And rise, in faith, to fly!

Tossed In The Storm - Re-Posted

Why is it that we must have times

When our whole life goes wrong?
Those times when blow on crashing blow
Can break even the strong?
 
Why would a God who loves us so
Walk us through living hell?
Why do we have to face rough seas
Instead of one big swell?
 
There has to be some reason why,
Though I may never know,
But this much I can attest to
Those hard times help faith grow.
 
Those are the times when I call out
And seek God in my fear,
When I reach out to Him alone,
Begging Him to stay near.
 
When I am tossed within some storm,
I know that I’ll be lost
If I don’t have Him as the shore
Upon which I am tossed.
 
There may be reasons far greater
Than any I can see,
But when I’m most in need of Him
Is when He’s nearest me.
 
So, though I dread the rising storms,
I don’t face them with fear,
Because I know in every storm
I’ll call and find Him near.
 
Acts 17:27
God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.