I Stand Apart, Not Alone

 

I have been called out more than once
Because I stand apart
And do not echo the voices
That say, “just trust your heart”.
 
I stand within the world’s boundaries,
And help out where I can,
But my eyes are fixed on the Lord
And not the works of man.
 
My soul is His who redeemed it,
I stand for Him alone.
My heart’s not fixed on worldly dreams,
But on the grace He’s shown.
 
I offer that same love and grace
To others in this world
Because He’s told me to do so,
Not for invectives hurled.  
 
Some may believe the choice I make
Is a foolish mistake,
But I have seen where their path leads.
That’s not a path I’ll take.
 
Let this world speak against me, Lord,
I’ll keep standing apart.
For I stand firmly on Your Word
In body, mind and heart.
 
Matthew 5:11-12
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
 
Isaiah 55:6-7
the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

When Plans Get Changed

I wake up not knowing each day
What I will walk into.
The only confidence I have
Is that I walk with You.
 
The world has thrown a loop or two
In my path now and then.
It may cause me frustration, but
Such is the life of men.
 
I fuss and fume and then admit
It doesn’t change a thing.
Instead, I turn my eyes to You,
Lift up my voice and sing.
 
Simply changing my point of view
From me to You I find
Helps me step outside of the noise
That distracts heart and mind.
 
It’s easier to carry on
With a heart filled with hope,
Than with one full of frustrations
With which I cannot cope.  
 
I still start out with plans in place,
Those that are of my choice,
But now, when You change up my plans,
I'll concede and rejoice.  
 
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
 
Proverbs 21:30
No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord. 

A Prayer For Peace And Comfort

 

A prayer for peace for all those who
Are facing down hard things.
Sometimes it’s not answers we need,
But the peace Your grace brings.
 
For those who stand upon the brink
Of changes great or small,
I ask for the strength to step out,
And faith to face it all.
 
For those in illness or great loss
Who are living in fear,
I pray that they know, without doubt,
That You are always near.
 
For those who feel they are alone
And no one sees their tears,
I pray they come to realize
You’ve been right there for years
 
I lift to You a prayer for peace
And one of thanks, also.
You are the greatest strength and hope
That we will ever know.
 
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.
 
Psalm 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

We're Not Alone

 

We sometimes feel we stand alone
Against a world that’s lost.
We face the ridicule and hate,
And there can be a cost.
 
Yet, if we raise our eyes above
The world and look to Him,
We understand we’re not alone,
And hope should not grow dim.
 
We stand within His loving grace,
Never out of His sight.
Though we still stand against the world,
He’s with us in the fight.
 
It’s still a fight! Stand strong in faith,
Unyielding as a stone,
And know that He’s always with us.
We do not stand alone!
 
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
 
Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

First Trust, Then Rest

 

Another day has come and gone,
Nighttime is drawing near.
I’m giving my worries to You,
The blessings stay right here.  
 
The things that I could do today,
You helped me to get through.
Those outside my control or reach
I surrender to You.
 
Tonight, though I feel overwhelmed,
I also feel Your grace,
For You have brought me through the noise
Into my quiet place.
 
I’ll rest tonight and start again
When You wake me at dawn.
I’ll make my plans, but trust in Yours,
Then rise and carry on.
 
Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
 
Psalm 23:2
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

In Storms And Hard Times

 

So many people that I love
Are walking through hard days.
For most, they know You and have peace,
But, Lord, please guard the strays.
 
There are some who deny themselves
The comfort of Your grace,
And when the storms come rolling in
They are swept out of place.
 
They hold on to what they can see,
Thinking that they are strong.
Yet, everything that’s of this world
Will fail them before long.
 
Please keep them under Your wing, Lord,
And open up their eyes,
That they may know You and Your peace
Though dark storms fill the skies.
 
Until the day they call Your name
Please help them hold on to
Only that which will help them reach
Their solid ground in You.
 
John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
 
Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

The Dark Abyss

 

We stand upon the precipice,
Peering at the abyss,
Wondering how we reached a point
As dangerous as this.
 
The minions of satan’s domain,
Those who call him their king,
Wield sin and evil, hate and fear,
With all the death they bring.
 
They are not standing at the door,
They’ve already come in,
And we can see the black abyss
That dwells within such men.
 
If we don’t cast the demons out,
Then we become their prey.
There will be no place we can hide
Until the judgement day.
 
As we stand on the precipice
We have a choice to make.
Don’t be deceived, instead recall
Our children are at stake.
 
If we just step aside and watch,
Then I assure you this,
We’ll watch all those we love cast out
Into that dark abyss.
 
2 Corinthians 11:14-15
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
 
Ecclesiastes 3:8
a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

Eternity To Eternity

 

Yesterday, today, tomorrow,
One thing remains the same.
God’s in control and we are not,
Despite what some might claim.
 
His is the power to command
The heavens and the earth.
It will be so beyond earth’s end,
And was before its birth.
 
For any man to claim power
Is but a farce and lie.
God does not relinquish His might,
His kingdom cannot die.
 
Stand not within your own pride, then,
But in His holy name,
Knowing that His redeeming grace
Is there for us to claim.
 
Immortal and eternal King,
We lift to You our praise.
To You alone, in Trinity,
Forever and always.
 
Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
 
Isaiah 40:28
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
 
1 Timothy 1:17
To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

A Branch Of The Vine

 

God planted His Word in this earth,
And Christ became His vine.
All those who live and grow in Him
Are fruit, ample and fine.
 
As long as the branch stays attached
To the vine’s sanctity,
Then that fruit which it produces
Will grow abundantly.
 
If a branch grows apart from Him,
It withers and will die.
Without Him, it will bear no fruit,
However it may try.  
 
Time and again the vine has shared
His mercies with us all,
But few are those branches that choose
To answer to His call.
 
Do not be the branch on the vine
That withers and is lost.
Stay close to Him, rooted and strong,
Through drought or bitter frost.
 
Grow closer in Him and rejoice
As the harvest draws nigh,
For that fruit which still lives in Him,
He’ll gather by and by.
 
John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
 
Jeremiah 2:21
Yet I planted you a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine?

Unyielding Love

 

I lay them down at Your feet, Lord,
My worries and my cares.
I know I tend to take them back,
When I’ve said my prayers.
 
This time I plan to just let go
And leave them in Your hand.
That’s how I see it in my mind,
The way I have it planned.
 
I bet You’re laughing in heaven
At my bold, well laid plan.
You know me well enough to know
Planning does not mean can.

 
I know that You know what is best,
Your sight exceeds my own,
And I know that I trust You first.
At least that much, I’ve grown.
 
Now I need to put in practice
What I’ve said I will do,
And leave them in the hands of Him
Who’s love will see me through.
 
Thank You for loving me so much
That, even when I flinch,
Your love is still unceasing, and
It does not yield an inch.
 
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
 
1 Peter 5:7
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Blessed To Serve

You’ve blessed me with so much to do,
Helping those that I love.
It keeps me focused on life’s joy
And not its push and shove.
 
It doesn’t matter that I run
So fast I fear I’ll fall,
Because nothing delights me more
Than answering their call.
 
Thank You for seeing my calling
Is helping where I can.
It’s as if You made me for this,
Like it’s part of Your plan.
 
Thank You for giving me this chance
To help those I love so,
And for the heart that loves to serve,
Which You chose to bestow.
 
1 Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:
 
Philippians 2:3
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

In Faith, Not Doubt

 

I stood upon the windy shore
And watched the waves rush in.
Unrelenting in their fierce quest,
To sweep the beach again.
 
It’s easy to stand there and know
That each day those great waves
Will sweep back down upon the shore,
But knowing never saves.
 
Now that which we can clearly see
Is His work on display,
But faith is trusting when He says
What’s unseen’s on its way.
 
That’s not an easy thing to do
When you stand in the storm,
But He’s calmed the waves more than once.
Let faith become your norm.
 
For that which we cannot yet see,
Is a promise away.
He’s standing by you on that shore,
He hears you when you pray.
 
The answer isn’t always as
We see it in our mind,
But if He says it’s on its way,
It will be there to find.
 
Lift up your praise and call to Him,
Asking within His will.
Then don’t be too surprised to see
The tempest growing still.
 
Psalm 107:29
He made the storm to be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
 
James 1:6
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Heed The Warning Signs

Loud thunder starts to fill the sky,
And I will not complain,
For it is heralding the chance
Of some much needed rain.
 
There were some other hints of rain,
But I took little note.
They were so quiet I ignored
Those hints. They seemed so rote.
 
I realized, about the time
Those thunder clouds rolled in,
That we tend to give the same heed
To the warnings of sin.
 
They’re often quiet, those warnings,
And temptation is sweet.
If we don’t stay ever alert,
They’ll land right at our feet.
 
The voices and the choices of
Sin we will face on earth
Are so destructive to our souls,
While carrying no worth.
 
Don’t miss the small signs that appear,
Before it is too late.
There’s no use in barring the door
Once sin is through the gate.
 
So, while we need the rain that comes
Thundering though the skies,
Against the sin that slinks on in,
Keep guard with watchful eyes.
 
Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
 
Proverbs 14:16
One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless. 

Beneath Your Wing

 

Tonight I rest beneath Your wing,
Someday before Your throne,
But in between I know that I
Will never be alone.
 
Within the stillness of the night
Your mercy does not sleep.
Through I may not see You nearby,
Your vigil You still keep.
 
You guard my going out, Oh Lord,
And, too, my coming in.
There is no place that I can go
That Your will has not been.
 
So, when I lay down and seek rest
My weary soul will sing,
For I am never out of sight,
Always beneath Your wing.
 
Psalm 36:7
How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
 
Psalm 91:4
He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

A Simple Praise

 

Today’s is just a simple praise
To thank You for Your love.
I turn my heart, my eyes, my mind
To heaven up above.
 
I lift my praise up to You, Lord,
For waking me each day,
And for the strength to stand in faith
Despite what comes my way.
 
I know that I would not make it
If You cast me aside.
That’s why I’m grateful for the grace
In which I now abide.
 
I thank You that You called my name
To follow You. I’m Yours!
I’ll follow You and praise You in
The joy Your grace assures.
 
I thank You for the sacrifice
You didn’t need to make,
The suffering that You endured.
All of it for my sake.
 
I thank You that my eyes can see
How wonderful You are
And that my soul can feel the love
You carry in each scar.
 
A simple praise, but genuine,
For in it I proclaim
The gratitude I feel each time
I call upon Your name! 
 
Romans 5:2
Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
 
Psalm 71:23
My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.

Standing In Faith Through The Storm

 

In tribulation I will stand
And keep my eyes on You.
For, in my weakness, You are strong,
And You will help me through.
 
Today I stand within travail,
But my roots still run deep
In the Word and the promises
That I know You will keep.
 
You never said it wouldn’t hurt,
But that You’d see me through.
Lord, I will stand on that promise,
And hold, in faith, to You
 
Psalm 71:3
Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
 
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

A Simple Procedure, A Needless Worry

 

Tomorrow may be a rough day,
But nothing I can’t face
If I do so within Your strength
And through Your loving grace.
 
A little thing compared to all
That others have walked through,
And even I have faced worse things.
Still, I’m glad I have You.
 
You are the calm within my storm,
The laughter, midst my fear.
When I am anxious, I recall
That You are ever near.
 
Tonight I’ll sleep, then rise at dawn
To prepare for the day.
Before I leave, I’ll take a breath
And a moment to pray.
 
Then I will step out in the faith
That Your peace will abide
And all my worries mean nothing,
For You are by my side.
 
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
 
Romans 8:18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

His Word, Unchanging

 

The forest burned beyond the hills
And smoke filled up the sky,
Skewing the perspective of those
With smoke stinging their eye.
 
The rising sun peaked through the smoke,
Hot pink, as you can see.
Yet, above the line of the smoke
The clouds glowed goldenly.
 
This world can sometimes influence
The way we perceive things
And that can cause some confusion
With the fallout that brings.
 
Much like the sun seen through thick smoke,
God’s Word can be obscured
By all that we want it to mean,
But that truth is secured.
 
The sun does not change what it is
Seen through smoke or clear skies,
And God’s Word is unchanging, too,
Despite all this world’s lies.
 
Don’t be distracted or deterred
By what this world shows you,
But hold to God’s unchanging Word,
For it alone stays true.
 
Hebrews 13:8-9
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.
 
Psalm 119:89-90
Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.

Like Footprints In Sand

 

They walked upon the sandy shore
Leaving a trace behind,
But, with the next incoming tide,
There’ll be nothing to find.
 
We are but a footprint in sand,
Now here, and then we’re gone.
Yet, all that we have been in Him
Remains, and will live on.
 
As numerous as all the sand,
Are the thoughts of the Lord.
That He would give a thought to us
Is beyond all reward,
 
And yet His thoughts for us exceed
All of those grains of sand,
For He still holds us tenderly
In the palm of His hand.
 
He will not lightly wash His hands
Of those He calls His own.
Our names are engraved on His palm,
More eternal than stone.
 
The world will turn, the sun will set
And rise on a new day,
But, unlike a footprint in sand,
In Him, our souls will stay.
 
Psalm 139:17-18
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
 
Isaiah 49:16
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.

Feeling Pensive Today

 

I’m feeling pensive today, Lord,
My thoughts weigh heavily.
I needed to stop and recall
What You have said to me.
 
In this world there will be trouble
But You have overcome
All that the world can throw at us.
You’re where our strength comes from.
 
Your plan was in place long before
You commanded the light
To shine down upon this dark world.
Your design’s always right.
 
All these things that now weigh on me,
The evil taking place,
The ever growing willingness
To seek out sin’s embrace,
 
You’ve seen it time and time again.
Yet, in such vast array,
This is the first time I have seen
It all on full display.
 
I know I can’t fix what is wrong,
And I know that You can.
I also know You’re in control.
This is all in Your plan.
 
I just needed to talk to You
To get my thoughts in line,
And give to You what’s beyond me.
Then I can handle mine.
 
Thank You, Lord! I love You.
 
Ecclesiastes 1:9
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
 
James 1:5-6
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.