My Heart Trusts In You

 

I’d stressed about it through the day,
How things could all go wrong.
I heard You tell me to trust You,
To let my faith grow strong.
 
At some point I chastised myself,
And vowed to trust in You.
I knew, however bad it got,
That You would see me through.
 
Maybe that should have been the clue
I was still holding on
To all my worst imaginings.
You can’t fear what is gone.
 
I said, “Forgive me”, tried again
To let go and have faith
That my worries would prove to be
No more than a mere wraith.
 
I walked in and walked out in joy
For everything went right.
I thanked You for being my peace,
My strength, and my delight.
 
When all was said and done I sang
In praise and gratitude
That You love me and taught me to
Make faith my attitude.
 
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
 
Psalm 112:7
He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

A Memory And A Smile

A few years back a friend dared me
To write a praise for her
Using an accidental shot
She took. I did concur.
 
The accidental photo popped
Up in my memories,
And I’m feeling nostalgic now.
I ask for patience, please.
 
I’m re-posting the praise I wrote
Because it made me smile
And because I still miss my friend.
Which I’ll do for a while.
 
So here it is, that praise from old.
Two things that still hold true,
We miss you here, we’ll see you soon.
To C, this one’s for you!

 

The world’s gone topsy turvy, Lord.
What once was up is down,
And I would try to smile on through
But, like this, it’s a frown.
 
I don’t know what to make of this,
The world’s all wrong somehow.
I’d love for You to set it straight….
And, by the way, right now.
 
I guess I’ll have to be patient.
That’s harder than you’d think,
And if I rise to carry on
While upside down, I’ll sink.
 
Oh yes, the world’s topsy turvy,
It’s all gone to my head.
And I could give up without shame,
But I’ll trust You, instead! 

Revelation 21:4
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

We love you, my friend! 

Talents From The Master

 

We each have our place in His plan,
Though often hard to see,
And He’s equipped us for that role,
All He needs us to be.
 
We’ve each been given our talents
To use and serve his plan.
Some are easy to recognize,
While some mystify man.
 
Yet He can use each one of us
To reach out to the lost,
He magnifies what we can do
To mitigate man’s cost.
 
Not you, nor I, can do alone
What we have been called to,
But by His strength, within His plan,
There’s little we can’t do.
 
He gave to us without complaint
The grace we need to live
With Him, once more, throughout all time.
Now it’s our turn to give.
 
I know I’ll never do enough
To earn the grace You freely gave,
But I pray You will use me, Lord,
To help those you still need to save.
 
Matthew 25:22-23
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

I Run Back To You

 

It’s easy to be distracted
Along the path each day.
More than once I have found myself
Unfocussed and astray.
 
In that moment, I hear Your word
Replaying in my head
And I turn back along the path
To follow You instead.
 
I know what lies ahead of me
If I don’t walk with You,
And there’s nowhere I want to be
If You are not there, too.
 
So, when I find I’m off the path
To which You have called me,
Then I will turn around and run
And go where I should be!
 
Psalm 119:59-60
When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies; I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments.

I Hear You and I Praise You

 

I can hear You calling to me
In the roar of the seas,
And I can hear Your whispered voice
On breezes through the trees.
 
There’s no place in all creation
That I don’t hear Your voice,
So everywhere that I go
I’ll praise You and rejoice!!  
 
From mountain peaks my voice shall sing,
From the vast plains, I’ll praise
The Lord who speaks to me each day
And leads me in His ways!
 
Job 12:7-8
“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
 
Psalm 96:11-12
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy

Even In Little Ways, Help Others

 

They came to help a friend in need,
And, though they are quite small,
They managed to clean off his bugs.
They ate them, one and all.
 
Or maybe I should say that He
Offered food to strangers
Who seemed to be hungry, in need
Of food without dangers.
 
Whichever way you look at it,
They took the law to heart
As each one helped his neighbor out
By doing their own part.
 
I may have extrapolated
A bit too much today,
But nonetheless the point remains
Help others on your way.
 
It doesn’t have to be big gifts,
Small blessings can help, too.
Just offer others the same grace
With which God has blessed you.  
 
1 Peter 4:9-10
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace
 
Luke 6:31
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Look closely at the photo and you will see several small birds called oxpeckers. They are a huge blessing to giraffes... or so I've been told. 

The Weight Of All Sin

 

I carry my sins through each day,
And they can grow heavy.
I can’t fathom bearing the weight
Of all earth’s sins on me.
 
Beneath the weight of that old cross,
Christ bore for all mankind
The weight of each sin we commit
In body, heart, or mind.
 
It wasn’t just the weight of wood
That forced Him to His knee,
It was the weight of all those sins
He bore to Calvary.
 
I’ve felt it time and time again,
The shame of what I’ve done.
Each time I sin, I add more weight
To that borne by The Son.
 
We can’t take back the weight He bore
For sins of yesterday,
But we can try to add less weight
By sinning less today.
 
John 19:16-17
So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha.
 
1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

The Words Of The Lord

 

In all the long years of my life
I’ve watched things come and go,
They’re here one day and gone the next,
The same old ebb and flow.
 
The fashion trends, the politics,
The music we enjoy,
Those things we praise today will soon
Be those things we destroy.
 
The Lord is not like fickle man,
Who blows with each new wind.
For He who calls the wind to heel,
Is the same to the end.
 
His wisdom does not fade with time,
As blossoms in the spring,
And His words will stand forever
With all the hope they bring.
 
Don’t fix your eyes on things as frail
As blossoms that will fall,
But look to the unchanging Lord
Whose word speaks truth to all.
 
Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.
 
Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Your Sabbath Peace

 

Lord, lead us to Your Sabbath peace,
The place of Your Shalom,
Where every heart can turn to You
And find they are at home.
 
Let each of us turn our eyes to
The place before Your throne
Where we can stand within Your peace,
Knowing we’re not alone.
 
You gave the Sabbath to us, Lord,
To rest from all we do,
But, also, that we would have time
To just be still with You.
 
Let us seek You in each day, Lord,
With heart and mind and soul,
And thank You that Sabbath renews
The peace that this world stole.  
 
Mark 2:27
And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
 
Psalm 23:2-3
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

A Stressful Day

 

This day tore at me more than once,
But I held on to You,
And by the end, though there were tears,
You helped me to walk through.
 
There were more than a few kind folks
Who helped along the way,
And one or two who’s cheerful words
Brought laughter to the day.
 
I dreaded what this day would hold,
But miscalculated,
For I failed to account for those
Who brought me joy instead.
 
Tonight, as I sat down at last,
I realized once more
Though I may worry, Your plans hold
Blessings, then more, in store.  
 
Though life is stressful, there is joy
Present along the way.
Thank You for guarding me and for
Your patient grace each day.
 
Exodus 33:14
And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
 
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.

Water, Bread, And Grace

 

You made the rivers flow down stream
From mountain peak to sea,
And with them they bring fresh water
That brings relief to me.
 
The plans You laid out long ago
Clearly included all
Who had not yet been born to life,
But would answer Your call.
 
Those rivers still run through valleys
Where forests reach the sky,
And You still hold close in Your grace
Thirsty souls such as I.
 
You feed my soul and quench its thirst
With the unceasing flow
Of living water, bread of life,
And the grace You bestow.
 
Psalm 104:10
You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills;
 
Psalm 78:16
He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

Ears To Hear, Eyes To See

 

When it is time, Lord, call me home
And I’ll come right away,
But until then I’ll live within
Your boundless grace each day.
 
We often feel we’re overwhelmed
Or trapped in self-pity,
While You are reaching out to us.
Lord, give us eyes to see.
 
We cry out in our misery
When we should stand and cheer,
For Heaven’s King still comforts us.
Lord, give us ears to hear.
 
Too often we choose to lament,
Rather than to rejoice.
One destroys, the other comforts,
Which one we live's our choice.
 
This world will try to hold us down,
Distract us with worry,
But my ears hear and my eyes see
The blessings You give me.
 
Matthew 13:9
He who has ears, let him hear.”
 
Matthew 13:16-17
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

As We Sow

 

That which you sow, you shall then reap,
Advice we all have heard.
It matters in the farmer’s field,
But, also, in The Word.
 
For God has cautioned all mankind
To sow the fallow field
Of good intentions, unfulfilled,
With a crop that will yield.
 
Don’t sow a crop of mortal pride
For that harvest will fail,
But one sown in His Word, instead,
Will prosper and prevail.
 
Sow seeds of righteousness and grace,
That your harvest may be
A bounty of God’s perfect love
As far as you can see.
 
A harvest that you can then share
With all who pass your way,
That those who hunger may be fed
His love, through you, each day.  
 
Hosea 10:12
Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
 
Galatians 6:8
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 

Trusting You With Each Step

 

Why do I still stand in Your grace
When I fall short each day
Of the person I’m called to be?
Much to my own dismay.
 
I bow my head in shame because
I’m not doing it right,
Yet, I’m still blessed to stand within
The wonder of Your Light.
 
I see the gifts others possess
And use each time they speak,
Yet I don’t possess gifts like that,
No matter how I seek.
 
I find myself wondering how
I’m ever going to serve
The Great Commandment You left us,
The grace I don’t deserve.
 
Yet, Lord, You called me to be Yours
I heard You loud and clear,
And each time that I fall You’re there
Telling me not to fear.
 
It is as if Your plans for me,
Though real, are beyond sight,
And what I need to do right now
Is trust that You are right.
 
I need to keep walking the path
That You’ve set before me
And trust that when the time is right
You’ll make them clear to see.
 
Maybe the gift I’m called to live
For right now is just faith.
To learn that when I’m weak, You’re strong
Is not a myth, a wraith.
 
Then walk forward as You command
And trust You as I go
To lead me to the next lesson
You’ve planned to help me grow.
 
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Isaiah 54:10
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

I'll Go Out On A Limb

So often we try to fit in
With those still of the world,
Only to find ourselves the brunt
Of their anger unfurled.
 
We’re called to love, yet are denounced
By those we’ve known for years
Because we hold fast to the Word
And not to this world’s tears.
 
They demand that we compromise
With the choices they make,
Yet they condemn the path we walk
As a heartless mistake.
 
I know that You lived this and worse
When You walked on the earth,
And I can never hope to be
The equal of Your worth.
 
Yet, I will go out on a limb
And live each day like You,
Doing my best to follow all
That You’ve called us to do.
 
I won’t listen to the voices
That tell me I am wrong
To follow the path of Your grace.
My faith in You is strong.
 
I’ll live as You’ve called me to live
Not as this world commands.
Though I may stand alone at times,
I’ll stand there in Your hands.
 
John 15:18-19
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Rejoice And Sing To Him

There is a song that fills my heart,
And it is seldom coy,
For it is born of gratitude.
A song of praise and joy!
 
I’ve walked the darkened valleys deep
And stood on mountains high,
But nothing can approach the awe
I feel when He is nigh.
 
Though I may stand within the storm
I’m also in His grace,
And there’s nothing that can pull me
Out of His fierce embrace.
 
Let all creation sing His praise
And rejoice in great glee,
For He who formed us, loves us still.
His grace has set us free.
 
No more the stain of sin prevails,
To Him renewed souls cling,
And, in His name, they will rejoice!
Let all praise Him and sing.
 
Psalm 47:6-7
Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm!
 
1 Corinthians 15:55
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Time To Laugh

 

I stood upon the weekend’s cusp,
Your grace whispered to me
Of peace and rest, of joy and light,
As I want it to be.
 
Opps, I must have heard You wrong,
The power just went out.
Oh yes, You have a sense of humor,
Of that, there is no doubt!
 
Okay, I’ll take this all in stride,
Like I did yesterday.
Knowing that I still get time to
Hang out with You today.
 
Six hours, I was being told,
But with humidity,
That isn’t quite as funny as
It otherwise would be.
 
I made my plans and packed things up
To go visit a friend.
Then, just before I hit the road
Power came back again.
 
I still can hear the laughter drift
Down from heaven above.
Okay, You’ve got me laughing, too,
As push comes down to shove.
 
Some days I have to just sit back
And admit once again,
The power to control our lives
Does not belong to man!
 
I love spending time in Your peace,
But now and then I do
Enjoy the chance to sit and laugh
As I spend time with You!
 
Psalm 16:11
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Seeking Your Peace

 

Lead me beside Your still waters.
Lord, I’m in need of peace,
But the unrelenting chaos
Of life just will not cease.
 
Each time I thought I could sit down,
Some new mayhem burst through.
That’s why, right now, all that I want
Is to be still with You.
 
I’m grateful for a busy life,
Lord, please don’t get me wrong,
But now and then I’m overwhelmed
From running for too long.
 
I know each day brings ups and downs,
Today’s been all uphill,
But, if it fits within Your plan,
Could we sit and be still?
 
I just thought I would ask You, Lord,
I knew You wouldn’t mind.
Yours is the only source of peace
I seek and know I’ll find.
 
Psalm 23:2
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
 
Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Your Plans Are My Plans

 

You clearly had my day well planned
Everything right in place.
I just wish I’d had some inkling
That it would be a race.
 
Yet, even though I didn’t know
What all You had in mind
I’m grateful that You needed me
To step in and run blind.
 
I got to help out more than once
And offer up some grace,
Before coming back home to rest
In my own quiet place.
 
I had a feeling You had plans
When I woke up today,
So, I was grateful for the call  
And praised You on my way.
 
I know I promised I would walk
The path You’ve given me,
I’m grateful that I got the chance
To do so joyously.
 
Proverbs 16:3        
"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."
 
Proverbs 19:21      
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."

The Birds Of The Air

 

My heart has rested heavily
Within me as of late.
Too many questions on my mind,
Worries running in spate.
 
There is no cause for such as these,
It’s just me being me,
But now and then I can’t help feel
Something bad’s bound to be.
 
Why do I let my mind drift thus,
Let false worries pile up,
When You have blessed me with Your grace,
An overflowing cup.
 
Birds of the air, don’t share my fears,
They live within Your plan.
They hunt and let Your plan unfold.
They’re more faithful than man.
 
I know I’ve faced some troubled times,
But You have brought me through.
Why do I cling to false worries
When I should cling to You.
 
Lord, help me be like those wild birds
Doing what I’m to do,
While letting go of doubts and fears
Because I trust in You.
 
Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
 
Psalm 147:9 & 11
He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry…
the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

This amazing photo is a blessing from LLT. Wow!