The Wages of Evil

 

The Lord has called us to forsake
A life of sin and strife,
But He has also let us choose
The path we’ll walk in life.
 
The price of sin, eternal death,
Is often grimly paid.
Yet, He grieves for each wayward soul,
Who chose sin, and then stayed.
 
The darkness comes for all of us,
But light follows the dark
For all who know and call Him Lord.
He’s the eternal spark.
 
For those who choose a sin filled life,
And turn from His clear path,
There is one answer, grim and hard;
They’ll, one day, know His wrath.
 
The evil that fills heart and mind
Will kill both, ruthlessly.
The darker the path they have walked
The harder death will be.
 
Turn back from darkness, do not heed
Evil’s seductive call.
Redemption’s price, already paid,
Is there for one and all.
 
Don’t let the evil of this world
Be all you speak and do,
Or you will find death, when it comes,
Holds even worse for you.
 
Ezekiel 18:23
Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
 
Proverbs 10:16
The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.

A Place To Rest

A moment spent in silent thought,
A prayer of thanks and praise
For bringing me closer to You,
And for these quiet days.
 
The morning mist wrapped me in peace
And whispered of the grace
That led me out of the tempest
Into this restful place.
 
For all my life I’ve walked the path,
The rough and rocky way,
Learning to know You as I walked,
And how to trust and pray.
 
I know my journey is not done,
But You have brought here
Where I can rest, renew, rejoice
And feel You ever near.
 
The time will come when I must rise,
And carry on, once more.
For now, I’ll rest within Your peace
Upon this quiet shore.
 
1 Peter 5:10
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Walking In Darkness

 

It seems as if the darkness draws
Closer to us each day.
Though we may stand with lanterns bright,
The dark seems here to stay.
 
The world is falling back once more
Into its sinful ways,
And with that sin comes the darkness,
The guilt obscuring haze.
 
I know that we’ve been here before,
This darkness is not new,
But I can’t see the path to walk
Unless I’m close to You.
 
I know that there are many more
Trapped in this darkness, too,
Who call Your name and seek Your light
Trusting You’ll lead us through.
 
For Your children all know Your voice
And our trust is in You.
The darkness that consumes this world
Can’t hold a light to You.  
 
Isaiah 50:10
Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on their God.

Thank You, Lord

Lord, thank You for the suffering
That keeps my faith on track,
And thank You for the miracles
That show You have my back.
Lord, thank You for being my shield
When I’m under attack,
And thank You for Your vast patience.
That’s something I still lack.
 
I seem to have this tendency
To ask for everything
Without stopping to simply say
Thank You, oh Lord and King
For helping me through every day,
With all that it can bring,
And holding me when I’m afraid
To trust You, rise, and sing.  
 
So, for tonight, I lift my praise
In thanks, simple and true,
For keeping my feet on the path
That leads me straight to You.
 
Acts 2:28
You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.

This amazing photo is a blessing from AC, from her trip to Africa. 

Please Teach Me, Lord

 

Lord, give me strength to walk the path
That You’ve asked me to walk,
And teach me how to use Your words                               
Each time I start to talk.
 
Remind me daily of the grace
That You have shown to me.
Teach me to offer that same grace
To others, lovingly.
 
Teach me to be patient with all
I meet upon the path,
As You are patient with me, Lord,
offering peace, not wrath.
 
Give me the wisdom that I need
To listen when You speak
And then to share that wisdom with
The others who still seek.
 
Exodus 4:11-12
The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

Each Season's Blessings

 

The seasons change as God designed,
His will is on display
In spring's blossoms, in summer’s grass,
In autumn’s bright array.
 
It seems as if the seasons drag
When we are young and spry,
But as we grow older each year
They seem to hurry by.
 
There are blessings in each season,
Enjoy the gifts each bring.
In summer’s warmth or winter’s cold,
Rejoice, take time to sing.
 
For God’s design includes us all,
There’s purpose in His grace.
Stand patient, with your trust in Him,
Relish each season’s pace.
 
James 5:7-8
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.

The Lord Is Great

 

I seek You in my joyous days,
I seek You in my tears,
I seek You when I am confused
By my worries and fears.
 
I turn to You and offer praise
From a heart once broken
By a lifetime of suffering,
By my own shame and sin.
 
You are the Light in a dark world
I turn my eyes to You.
I seek to walk the path You set
Trusting You’ll lead me through.
 
Because You called me out of sin,
I’ll seek You all my days,
And I will do so with a heart
Filled with wonder and praise.
 
Psalm 70:4
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!”

In The Hurricane

 

The storm is shattering the night
For those caught in its path.
They need the anchor of Your grace
To ride out its wild wrath.
 
Oh, Lord, You’ve always stood by me
When I was terrified,
You held me close each time I wept
Until my last tear dried.
 
Tonight, Lord, this storm’s breaking hard
And many need Your peace.
I pray that You will hold them tight
Until the storm winds cease.
 
I pray that they will feel You there,
Holding them close to You,
And that they find Your strength within
To ride the tempest through.
 
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

This photo was taken during a hurricane earlier in the summer. The tree bent sideways in the photo was bowed to the ground several times, in different directions, but it did not break. 

A Song of Peace

 

I felt the peace of heaven’s song
Wash through my heart today,
While all my worry and my stress
Was gently swept away.
 
My spirit soon joined the chorus,
Joy filling every note,
And hope became the essence of
The song that heaven wrote.
 
I pray that, despite each day’s rush,
You, too, find time to sing
And that you feel the peace and joy
That Heaven’s song can bring.
 
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Red Sky At Morning

There is an old sailor’s story
That, when dawn’s sky is red,
There is a big tempest brewing
And trouble lies ahead.
 
I’ve been seeing that warning sky
Grow deeper every day.
I don’t know when the storm will hit,
But it is on its way.
 
This world is walking into pain,
As it has done before.
Yet, this time I stand in its path,
Upon this troubled shore.
 
Oh, Lord, there is no way for me
To hold this storm at bay,
And there’s a chance that all I love
May well be washed away.
 
While I will stand up in the faith
That You are in control,
I ask that, if the storm takes me,
Lord, You will keep my soul,
And those I love, who love You too,
Will come through strong and whole.
 
Jeremiah 25: 32
This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.”

Looking Toward the Unknowable

 

The waters of the ocean rush
Upon the wind tossed shore,
The storm clouds mount up heavenward
Promising more in store.
 
The earth has trembled beneath us
More than a time or two,
And mountains spewed forth rock and flame,
Destroying all in view.
 
There are no troubles on this earth
That have not shown their face
To all the world time and again,
Until they’re common place.
 
Though there is nothing on this earth
That has not been before,
We cannot start to understand
All heaven holds in store.
 
From creation to redemption,
The proof is everywhere
Of love that healed the sins of man
That we could never bear,
 
Of blessings beyond mortal count,
And mercies unending,
The peace, surpassing all we know,
Of which the angels sing.
 
The earth and sea, the stars and clouds,
We’ve seen them all before,
But we can’t begin to conceive
All heaven holds in store.
 
Ecclesiastes 1:9
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

Go and Do Likewise

 

It isn’t always about you,
Sometimes it’s about grace,
Giving others priority
And taking second place.
 
Those who need help that you can give,
Even a word or two,
May have nowhere that they can turn
If they can’t turn to you.
 
We have each received gifts from Him
That we are called to share.
Make use of those gifts as you can
And show others you care.
 
Head out into the world each day
With blessings on your mind,
And offer mercy, great or small,
To everyone you find.
 
For, as you’ve received grace from Him,
It should be no surprise,
That He wants us to share that grace…
Now, go and do likewise.
 
Luke 10:36-37
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Hear My Heart, Oh Lord.

 

I have no words to lift tonight,
Though my heart’s full of praise.
I’m absolutely worn out from
These crazy, busy days.
 
Please know my heart is filled with thanks
Though my mind holds no thought.
I’m overwhelmed by the blessings
Your loving grace has brought.
 
Oh Lord, please listen to my heart
And to the love that’s there,
Despite the whirlwind in my mind,
My heart holds praise and prayer.

I Know You Know

I didn’t see that coming, Lord,
But I bet that You knew.
In fact, I bet that sweet blessing
Came straight to me from You.
 
I still don’t fully understand
Why you should love me so.
I guess that’s something else You see
That I may never know.
 
I’m grateful to You every day,
But, somedays, even more
Because You know what I will need
And You have it in store.
 
Today, what I needed was space,
I had so much to do.
Yet, other days I need a shove,
To simply push on through.
 
I used to worry all the time
About what lay in store,
But now I just pick up and go
Where You have gone before.
 
I’ll count the blessings of silence
And room to clear my head,
Then I’ll be ready for what’s next,
Trusting You’re up ahead!
 
Psalm 139:2-3
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

Storm Tossed

The world can whirl by so quickly
That we feel tossed and blown,
But keep in mind, You’re not the world’s,
His blood made you His own.
 
He has your name upon His hand,
Your life is on His heart.
He knows each step that you will take
And has known from the start.
 
Don’t let the world toss you about.
Let each storm blow on by,
While You hold onto His promise
Of love that does not die.
 
There is no power in the storm
That He cannot control.
Let His voice be the anchor for
Your weary, worried soul.
 
Be still within the storm’s chaos,
However fierce and grim,
For He has calmed the storm before.
Be still and rest in Him.
 
Mark 4:41
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”