In Thanks For So Much

 

We do not thank the Lord for food,
For wealth or our life’s hours.
We thank Him for the loving grace
That makes such blessings ours.
 
The value lies not in the gift,
But such grace from the hand
Of Him who formed the galaxies
With a simple command.
 
His power is vast in array,
While we are of small note.
For Him to see us and bless us
Is not mundane or rote.
 
It is, instead, abundant grace
Poured out on you and me.
Blessings beyond what we deserve
That He gives us freely.
 
It’s not about the food we eat
Or our wealth on display,
It’s about love, joy, righteousness,
The peace He sends our way.
 
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The Son Will Rise - Advent - Peace

 

My world lies wrapped a dark night
As it was long ago
When all there was to guide the way
Was one star to follow.
 
It led the three where they’d not go
Left to their own design.
Yet they followed and there they found
The humble, but divine.
 
The Prince of Peace lay at their feet.
They bowed with great delight
In Him for whom they’d wandered far,
Through many a dark night.
 
So was it for the three wise men,
So is it for us, too.
For He’s the light that shines for us,
That leads us home to You.
 
Along each dark path we must walk,
We know The Son will rise.
Thus, we will walk, peace in our hearts,
Til His light fills our eyes.
 
Luke 1:78-79
because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

In Your Perfect Peace - Advent - Peace

 

I sit within Your perfect peace
And I can hear Your voice.
All the world may crash around me,
But my soul will rejoice.
 
For my faith lies not in the world
Of what I see or hear.
It’s in the shelter of Your peace,
Where my soul knows no fear.
 
This world’s a tattered, broken place
Filled with chaos and pain.
Yet, when I strip away the noise,
Your peace and grace remain.
 
I have to walk through this world’s noise,
However loud the din,
But I know I’ll find perfect peace
When I let You come in.
 
1 Corinthians 14:33a
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

Peace To This House - Advent - Peace

 

He sent the Twelve to share His word
To the earth’s very ends,
Not just to those they all knew well,
Their family and friends.
 
As each was sent to a new place
He told them what to do,
Offer His peace upon the house
And all who dwelled there, too.
 
To this day, that command still stands,
Wherever we may go
We are to offer peace to all,
The loving peace we know.
 
We are not called to make demand
That His peace must be theirs,
But for those who accept His love,
They’ll never doubt He cares.
 
The peace that’s born of heaven’s grace,
The sins from which we’re spared,
Is the same peace we have received.
His peace, which must be shared.
 
Luke 10:5-6
Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.

Hope Abounding - Advent - Hope

 

It is in the dark of winter
That my hopes and fears collide.
All my worries seem to nestle,
Tucked in closely at my side.
 
Hope is easier in summer,
In the warmth of longer days,
But it holds more precious value
When the dark echoes in praise.
 
Lord, You lift me up in darkness,
Fill my emptiness with Light.
In You I find hope abounding,
From You springs peace and delight.
 
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

The Unseen Hope - Advent - Hope

 

I dreamed about you earlier,
We laughed and had a chat.
Sitting, once more, in the kitchen
Where we’d so often sat.
 
We’d been laughing, some silly thing,
When you stepped out of view.
I answered you with a question,
But no response from you.
 
I asked again, I called your name,
But still heard nothing back.
So, I got up and followed you
Still making my wise crack.
 
Yet, as I walked to where you were,
Or, where you should have been,
You were not there. I was alone.
Then I woke up again.
 
I miss you, and that will not change,
But life must still go on.
The empty places in my heart
Reflect what is now gone.
 
Yet I cling to the unseen hope
That I’ll hug you again,
For we all trust in the promise
From heaven’s Son of Man.  
 
Romans 8:24
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?

Filled With Hope - Advent - Hope

 

From the stump of Jesse’s line
A shoot burst forth and grew,
As prophesied long years before.
His promise was proved true.
 
He is the way, the truth, the life
And His word does not fail.
Though darkness falls upon our lives
His Light and Grace prevail.
 
Though He’s the Lord of Israel,
He called the Gentiles, too,
And covered us in redemption,
As only He could do.
 
By this, our hearts are filled with hope
That we can hold onto.
Though we are lost in this dark world,
His Light will lead us through.
 
Romans 15:12
And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”

Patient In Hope - Advent - Hope

 

The blossom sleeps in winter’s cold
Nestled beneath the soil,
And, with the advent of springs warmth,
Begins its work and toil.
 
Then, breaking through the dirt, it grows
Into unfolding plumes
That reflect summer’s bright sunshine
In all its joyous blooms.
 
It is with that same patient hope
That we will someday grow
To reflect back the grace of God
That we have come to know.
 
We are still buried in the loam
Of this, our sinful world,
But, patient in our hope, we’ll grow
Into His blooms unfurled!
 
8:25
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

We Hope In His Blessing - Advent - Hope

 

How often do we turn our gaze
To that which can destroy,
Our troubles or our broken dreams,
While ignoring our joy.
 
We walk through hard times every day
But there are blessings, too.
Why do we focus on the pain,
But joy, we look right through.
 
It all comes down to what we seek,
For that is what we see.
If we spend our time counting tears
Then we’ll find misery.
 
For those who live with hope in Him
Their troubles come, then go,
But their eyes stay fixed on His grace
From which all blessings flow.  
 
Psalm 42:11
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

His Eye is On Us - Advent - Hope

 

We live beneath His watchful eye,
And, if we look, we see
The power of His loving grace
Poured out for you and me.
 
Our prayers do not go unheeded
By Him to whom we turn,
His Glory is abundant, and
His grace we cannot earn.
 
That is a gift to those who hope
In love beyond compare
And who live in the faith that He
Will hear each lifted prayer.
 
We cannot count upon this world
To offer aught but strife,
While He blesses each breath we take,
Watching o’er every life.
 
His watchful eye is ever turned
To those who fear His name
And live knowing His steadfast love
Is always theirs to claim.
 
Psalm 33:18-19
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.