10-28-15 Wise in Your Own Eyes

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

Isaiah 5:21 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~

Whenever you should fancy you are wise,

That’s when you are the closest to a fool.

So shrewd and smart are you in your own eyes,

Like thinking you’re a steed when you’re a mule.

Such arrogance can only lead to woe,

So blind by self you step right off a cliff.

The only way to wisdom is to know

Compared to God your mind’s a hieroglyph.

How humble is a man upon his knees,

His head bowed to the One in tearful prayer.

Obedient and meek, he aims to please,

To do his Father’s will with every care.

The wisest man is one who listens well,

Subservient to God his mind does dwell.

9-9-15 Flee Youthful Lusts

Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2 Timothy 2:22 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~

The lusts of youth don’t always mean the flesh,

But every one is meant to bring them down.

Their vanity and ego cannot mesh

With those who come to wear a humble crown.

There is a need to hear their peer’s applause,

But that lasts just a moment of their life.

Seek favor from the Lord in faith because

Unlike their friends God’s love remains through strife.

Contentions and contempt will mark their way

Unless they live in peace like Christ did show.

Abide with those whose righteousness won’t stray,

Whose charity defeats the biggest foe.

When youth resists the constant lustful lure,

They join the ranks of those whose hearts are pure.

~~~~~~~~~~~

6-24-15 First to Last

So the last shall be first, and the first last:

for many be called, but few chosen.

Matthew 20:16 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~

The souls who are forgotten by the crowd:

The meek, the low, the bullied and the plain,

Are lost among the ego-driven proud

And last to find a post they can attain.

The Lord will not ignore the seventh son,

The shepherd boy who one day would be king.

The manger-born became the perfect One

To save a sinful world who hopeless cling.

We all are called to come unto the cross,

Invited to the wedding feast by Christ;

The proud will all be counted as a loss,

The chosen ones are those who’ve paid the price.

Down here we choose the leader of the pack;

If you would follow Christ, then serve in back.

~~~~~~~~~~~

sonnet #397

2-8-15 Parable of the Flea

Recall the flea that landed on the wheel

And kicked up grains of dust beneath his feet;

How proud he was and shouted in his zeal:

“How powerful I am upon this street!”

Now were it not for God you would not be.

His Grace has carried you this very day,

So when you’re all puffed up think of the flea;

Perspective crushes ego gone astray.

Don’t think yourself more highly than you are,

But soberly reflect with gratitude.

God gave you everything to get this far;

The gifts you have He graciously imbued.

The measure of your faith was granted you,

So love with all you’ve got; He’ll see you through.

~~~~~~~~~~~

For I say, through the grace given unto me,

to every man that is among you,

not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;

but to think soberly,

according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Romans 12:3 KJV

11-30-14 Thoughts of the Wise

You find them in the universities,

Or splashed upon the television screen;

They like to show you all their fine degrees

And always come across as so serene.

Some want you to believe that they are wise,

And you might think they have a smarter brain,

But God knows all their theories, flaws and lies;

If they believe they’re wise they’re truly vain.

Intelligentsia think they have smarts,

But they have only mastered arrogance.

The Lord sees through their minds into their hearts;

To Him their pride and egos are affronts.

The wise are only wise when they think not,

For wisdom comes from God – it can’t be taught.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise,

that they are vain.

1 Corinthians 3:20 KJV

7-4-14 Dirge #17: The Conceited

“I’m just so funny I can’t stand myself!” quipped the puffed up young man to his pal;

He was the wittiest guy that he knew, and he thought he was great for morale.

Beware, vain and glorious, you’ll soon be notorious!

Inflate your own ego and lose your amigo.

The conceited won’t be so victorious!

“We are Americans, don’t mess with us!” bragged the tourists to their poor cab driver;

They had no clue they were hated abroad because of such stupid behavior.

Beware, you that rant, you’re so arrogant!

You think you’re so special, you’re eager to wrestle;

Satan uses you, for Jesus can’t!

“I have forgotten more than you could know,” crowed the old man to his young grandson.

He rested on all the things he had learned, forgetting all the dumb things he had done.

Go away and beware, you so full of hot air!

All that ego and pride; once in Hell you can’t hide.

Keep it up and you’ll know deep despair!

If you would hope to be saved in the end, you had better be saved here and now.

Your only hope is to come to the cross and surrender to Christ with a vow.

Bring all your conceit and just lay at His feet.

You are nothing at all – without Jesus you fall.

~~~~~~~~~~~

¹ “But know this: Difficult times will come in the last days.

² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud,

blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

³ unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self control,

brutal, without love for what is good,

⁴ traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasures

rather than lovers of God,

⁵ holding to the form of godliness but denying its power.

Avoid these people!”

 

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (HCS)

~~~~~~~~~~~