Looking Around

I felt my worries piling up

And then I looked around
At all the troubles of the world
That are plain to be found.
 
The sorrow of the broken hearts,
The crippled and the poor.
The lonely, lost within themselves,
With no hope left in store.
 
The children without tomorrows
Where they can grow in peace.
The old, whose minds have gone ahead,
Seeking longed for release.
 
I know my worries are all real,
And must be faced head on,
But I will most likely live still
When those woes are all gone.
 
And, though my troubles seem to mount
Up exponentially,
Yet I have no doubt I am blessed
More than I ought to be.
 
So, as I look about myself,
I see my troubles still,
But I see them in different light,
And, from now on, I will.  

Isaiah 41:10

The seas are rising in the storm

They’re rough and tossed with foam.
I sometimes wonder if I will
Ever find my way home.
 
The winds batter me as I fly
I cannot flee their force,
But if I let them carry me
Then I’ll be blown off course.
 
Oh Lord, if I did not have You
To hold me in Your hand,
Then I would have no hope at all
Of ever reaching land.
 
But You have promised to hold me,
So I won’t quake in fear.
I’ll call Your name, knowing full well
That You are near, and hear.
 
Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Kingdoms

We build our kingdoms out of stone,

The turrets tower high,
Proclaiming we are mightiest
To every passerby.
 
In arrogance we build them up,
But time tumbles them down
And generations that follow
Find no kingdom or crown.
 
But such is not the way it is
In the kingdom of God.
There is no shattered edifice
To mark where Jesus trod.
 
There is no tower, no turret,
Nothing to mark its place,
Beyond the children who proclaim
His never ending grace.

His kingdom is not here or there,

But lives within them all
Who walk within the everyday,
Yet listen for His call.
 
Luke 17:20-21
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

Deep Water

The sea is roughest near the shore,

But the deeps hold more fear.
And, though I’m terrified to go,
I know I can’t stay here.
 
The waves will crush me on the rocks
If I don’t get out deep,
But how can I get past them with
All of the fears I keep.
 
The task that You have asked of me
Will lead beyond the shore,
Yet I can’t know what the deep holds,
Or what fate lies in store.
 
Yet I must find the faith I need
To cross the crashing foam,
And sail out into deep waters
That may not bring me home.
 
Oh Lord, I rise. I’ll face my fears,
Then head on out to sea,
And I will cast my nets with faith
That You watch over me.

Luke 5:4

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

These Remain

They lay there, just above the tide,

Shaped from the drying sand,
And scattered almost carelessly
By their creator’s hand.
 
They were not going to last too long,
The tide was rising fast,
And when the waves wash over them
Their time would soon be past.
 
Yet though they’ll wash into the sea
They fill my memory,
Where, like the sentiments they bore,
They’ll linger timelessly.
 
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Living Water

The river that runs through me, Lord,

Originates in You.
And though I bathe within in its Grace
The river flows on through.
 
It spills into the many lives
That touch my day to day,
Reminding me how many lives
We reach along our way.
 
The living waters of Your grace
Wash over me, and through,
Until I have a better sense
Of who I am in You.
 
John 7:38
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.

Rooted in Faith

They’re rooted in the muddy earth,

Yet still they bloom with glee
For, though they’re bound to one small space,
They’re spirits are still free.
 
They bloom with joy because they can
Despite their place in life.
They never let their colors fade
Through all life’s weeds and strife.
 
I don’t know if they grow by faith,
But faith is what I see
And I hope that I’ll someday grow
To live as faithfully!
 
Colossians 2:6-8
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

I'm Too Afraid

Why did you ask me to do that?

Lord, that task seems too great.
If I were to try doing that
I’d be tempting my fate.
 
Oh Lord, please ask somebody else,
Please don’t ask this of me,
For I am much more frightened than
I ever thought I’d be.
 
Oh Lord, If I must be the one,
Please strengthen me to try.
I’m terrified to do it, Lord,
But for You, I will fly!
 
Isaiah 35:3
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;

His Word

There are so many who, today,

Think wrong truly is right.
That’s what they tell themselves rather
Than forego false delight.
 
They call themselves Your children and
Claim to live by Your Word,
Yet still they live life as if they
Had listened, but not heard.
 
It’s easier, sometimes, to live
Within the wayward world
If we keep Your name under wraps
And hold our faith unfurled.
 
But I’ll try to live in the light,
Though all the world grows dark.
Believing, in the darkest night,
Your Word can strike a spark.
 
Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Old Age and Faith

I may be getting a bit grey,

My hair is growing thin,
But there are seeds of boundless faith
Still blooming deep within.
 
I will not give up on the faith
That life’s a gift of grace.
No matter how old I may grow,
That faith remains in place.
 
I know the Lord gave me this life
As part of His great plan,
So I will live it to the last
With all the faith I can.
 
2 Thessalonians 1:4
Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.