1-28-16 The Need for Thorns

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

2 Corinthians 12:7 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank God for all the troubles you must bear:

Infirmities that keep you from your pride,

The weaknesses that drive you to despair,

That thorn within your flesh that won’t subside.

There’s not much worse within than arrogance,

For it takes your attention off of Christ.

It makes you boast of your great competence,

Some dollar souvenir way overpriced.

And but for your affliction you’d be lost,

Your halo bound so tight to make you dumb.

Be grateful to be saved at any cost,

For weakness makes you strongly overcome.

If Satan buffets you with trials enticed,

God may be telling you His grace sufficed.

~~~~~~~~~~~

REMEMBER: Thorns humbles the rose.

7-26-15 Diligence

⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

⁶ And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

⁸ For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁹ But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

¹⁰ Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

2 Peter 1:5-10 KJV

            ~~~~~~~~~~~

If you would come to know of Christ our King,

Then work with diligence these attributes:

Keep faith so strong it stands through anything,

And build your virtue as an absolute.

 

Increase in knowledge of the scriptured word,

Conduct with temperence your words and ways,

Be patient to endure all trials incurred,

And strive toward godliness without delays.

 

With kindness treat your brother as yourself,

And move with charity in all you do.

Without these things you’re blind upon a shelf,

Forgetting what Christ’s death has done for you.

 

            Give diligence to make your calling sure

            And you will never fall as immature.

            ~~~~~~~~~~~

 

sonnet #417

4-19-15 Go Your Way

Now, go your way and eat your bread with joy,

And likewise drink your wine with merry heart!

Such words we’d love to hear and thus enjoy

When we approach the gates of Heaven’s start!

Then after such a long and weary life,

To hear that God’s accepted now our works,

No mortal aches and pains, no longer strife,

Eternal rest in Heaven with its perks!

O let me hear those words when I am gone

Away from all these trials and tragedies!

The Savior’s arm around my shoulders drawn

And said with such a love I’m now at ease!

Now, go your way, and eat and drink in bliss,

Well done, my faithful servant, grace is this!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Go thy way,

eat thy bread with joy,

and drink thy wine with a merry heart;

for God now accepteth thy works.

Ecclesiastes 9:7 KJV

3-18-15 Temptation

Temptation is a tawdry, painted whore

Seducing you into her bed of death;

How well she knows afflictions always pour

And promises respite within her breath.

We all must suffer hardships in our life;

They are a gift from God to help us grow,

But if we are enticed to dodge our strife

We soon can not endure its ebb and flow.

Our trials are meant to draw us to the Lord,

Temptation, though, does claim a better way.

In Jesus do we find our true reward:

He suffered unto death and did not stray.

Say “Get behind me, Satan! Out the door!

With Christ I can endure it all and more.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation:

for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life,

which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

James 1:12 KJV

9-30-14 God’s Got Your Back

God knows the trials you face from day to day;

His spirit dwells within you all the time.

Be confident in all you do and say,

For God is always with you so sublime.

No need to fear, no need to run and hide,

The Lord has gone ahead to light your path.

No matter what transpires he’s by your side;

Whatever interferes will face His wrath.

The God of Israel has got your back,

So speak in confidence with truth and fire.

Don’t worry that your foes will soon attack;

God knows who is the thief, the thug, the liar.

Don’t worry, God is with you in your trial;

His presence makes your trouble all worthwhile.

~~~~~

For ye shall not go out with haste,

nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you;

and the God of Israel will be your rereward.

Isaiah 52:12 KJV

9-26-14 Them Who Are Called

When you obey the Will of God with love

Allowing Christ to live inside of you,

When you submit your life to God above

All things will work together good and true.

This doesn’t mean your wool will turn to silk

Or opposition tucks its tail and runs;

You will have sickness, still of mortal ilk,

Sometimes you’ll find your trials have just begun.

No matter what befalls your troubled life,

God’s spinning all your problems into gold.

He knows the purpose of your pain and strife;

He’s forming you into a sacred mould.

Your suffering is truly not in vain:

Just take the hand of Christ; He will sustain.

And we know that all things work together

for good to them that love God,

to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 KJV

9-14-14 Be of Good Courage

Adversity, affliction and ordeals

Are common to the mortal life of man;

When suffering we send up our appeals

And pray that God remove the troubled span.

The sorrows and the pains that come to all

Cannot be circumvented all the time;

If you hope in the Lord and bide His call,

Your courage will be known by God sublime.

He’ll touch your heart and strengthen it with care,

Regardless of the trials that you face.

Sometimes you’ll be made whole, sometimes laid bare,

But either way He’ll see you win the race.

Put all your faith in God when times are grim;

He’s just a prayer away so trust in Him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Be of good courage,

and he shall strengthen your heart,

all ye that hope in the LORD.

Psalm 31:24 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7-23-14 I AM With You

The trials that you face most ev’ry day,

The hurt, distress and torments in your life;

So now you feel forlorn along the way,

And there will be no end to all this strife.

Be not afraid, for you are not alone;

I’m with you, precious child, forever more.

Have courage, I am here, you’re not unknown.

I have great treasure still for you in store.

I’m with you through your loss, your grief, your pain;

I’m whispering to you ‘This, too, shall pass.’

Be strong, beyond your struggles I remain

To carry you ahead through this impasse.

Do not dismay, for I’m the Lord your God

To walk with you along this path you trod.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Be strong and of a good courage;

be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed:

for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Joshua 1:9 KJV

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~