Mighty, Wonderful God

May 29, 2015

Mighty, Wonderful God

I worship Thee, O Father:

What wonders Thou hast done!

The shooting stars come to my mind,

The fiery brightness of the sun.

The glorious volume of the clouds

Their gathered vapours purest white,

They build and cover all the earth

And re-form, still so awe-full bright.

The heavens tell of Who Thou art

And down below, upon the earth,

Thy hands have made leviathan;

Thy voice can make the deer give birth.

And in mankind the greatest work

The we finites could ever know

That Thou, LORD God, would become flesh

And come and die on earth below.

Amazing thought! And this the same:

That Thou would raise Thyself to life

And offer to mere man a cure

That heals his wont for sin and strife!

I think on Thee and shake my head,

How Wonderful I see Thou art!

You did all this, but most to me,

You came and changed my sinful heart!

Another wonder do I know,

(And long to share in it someway):

Thou callest those whom Thou hast changed

And bid'st them tell of Thee each day.

And many have received the call,

This Thy command to share of Thee,

And I would be another one

Who gives Thy good new fearlessly.

I praise Thee that Thou callest those

Who are Thine own to share Thy light,

But also that Thou dost equip

Thine in this great and holy fight!

(For that is what this life becomes

When we surrender to the LORD:

And we must fight with all we are

Through His sure strength, and by His Word.)

I thank the LORD for all He’s taught

Though His dear Bible and Himself;

I thank the LORD for those who’ve taught

And that I learned to read, myself.

And at the end of His dear Book

I give Him thanks as this I read:

My LORD is King for evermore,

The One Who gains the victory!

A Very Holy Bravery

 May 27, 2015

A Very Holy Bravery
  (For my best friend, JR)

A very holy bravery my cousin showed tonight.

She knows a living battle, and oft’ has kneeled to fight.

And now she asks assistance from me that I would pray

For her to win this battle she fights within today.

The Father Who has loved her and saved her as His own

Knows what a fight within her is vying for His throne.

He sits as King of Glory upon the golden seat

Established there, within her heart, where she and He do meet.

I know our LORD can win this, but struggles come before;

I must kneel down, petition, the victory from my LORD.

“My Father, help my sister, who’s going through this war.

You’ve saved her soul, but foulest fiends are knocking at her door.

They hate Thy Name of Glory; they’d dare destroy Thy child.

I know that Thou art greater: You can o’ercome all wilds.

My sister struggles hardly, she calls and begs for Thee.

Make haste, my LORD, to help her.  Now be availed, I plead.

The heart is quite deceitful; it makes us think we’re fine,

Or puts us in a misery, (despondent, mucky clime).

I know that Thou art greater, e’en when our hearts condemn:

Jesus is our Savior! There’s nought greater than Him!

And so I beg Thy help LORD, to aid my sister dear.

Destroy all that’s against Thee, all sin, and every fear.”

The Warrior Wife

May 27, 2015

The Warrior Wife

(for my sweet cousin, Stephanie)

It’s been some time since my cousin said

Those words which circle in my head

Which show such quiet, holy fire,

The love for husband, her Admired:

“Don’t look, dear man; I shield thine eyes.”

(Not quite those words), but very wise,

She took in that which would trip him,

Directed his eyes away from sin.

She, noble, holy, Warrior Wife,

Desires the best for her man’s life,

Desires that nothing come between

Her man and God, or her, his queen.

She knows that love is not just words;

It’s shown through action, she has learned.

She gives, he gives, all that they have

To be one whole, not sep’rate halves.

In Christ, the Warrior Wife can stand

And better her beloved man.

Upon her knees she fights for him,

Petitions Christ Who Only wins.

When he is weak and she the strong,

She doth believe: she must pray on.

The Warrior Wife imperfect is;

Through shortcomings she knows of this.

In Christ, she has a hallowed place

In which to stand, fulfil, & grace.

LORD, make a Warrior Wife someday

Of she who now to Thee doth pray,

And thank Thee for my cousin sweet

Who this example is to me. 

On my Young Man Cousin

May 26, 2015

On my Young Man Cousin

(For A & B)

With shining eyes and lively face

He tells me all his escapades

Of what he’s seen and what he’s read,

Of schemes and thoughts within his head.

I listen rapt to all his words,

But very little can be heard,

For all my thoughts and all the awe

That he would tell me ought at all!

How can this be that such a chap

Has grown to such a man as that?!

I held him in my arms at ten

And now he’s joined the ranks of “Men”!

We were good buddies then, ‘tis true,

But now he’s joined the “older group,”

And he treats me as if I’m young,

Or understand his youthful tongue!

I find my thoughts so far away

Not on his words, but bent to pray:

“Lord, help me shore him up for Christ

(Not that I live a perfect life),

But help me hear in such a way

That points him back to You today.

Help me speak with godliness

That holds Thy Word up as “The Best”.

Already he has learned so much;

Already he has felt Thy touch.

On Christ’s foundation he now stands,

Oh bless Thou now his life and hands!

Let him Thy will know for himself

And give Thee all his life and health.

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl

May 25, 2015

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl 

(for Lela)
 

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

With naturally-tan brown skin,

With a darling nose with a delicate dip

And a slight, dear cleft in your chin,

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

You’re quite grown up (too fast!).

I remember you as a Baby Girl,

How did the time sneak past?

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

You’ll soon a lady be.

You’re most a lady as still a girl,

You mean so much to me!

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

With a heart so big for God,

With a life that’s changed by Jesus Christ

And one washed clean by His blood.

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

You’ve served your family well.

You soon will have a home your own.

With a husband and children you’ll dwell.

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

Until you see that day,

Enjoy your life as a single girl

And love Christ in every way.

Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl,

The age between us two

Is great I know, but what a friend!

 I so, so much love you!

The Throne Room of the King

May 18 or after, 2015
 

The Throne Room of the King

My heart is full of gunk and sin,

E’en in the Throne Room deep within.

With all that stuff I have dethroned

Him Who deserves the crown alone.

Oh LORD, come in! rule from this Throne;

Be King o’er me and God alone!

This stinking mire, Iniquity,

Has filled the place where You should be.

I know not how to go about

Repenting that it be cleaned out!

Give me a heart of true sorrow

For all the sin that’s caused you woe.

Speak to my heart, bid me repent—

What price of love for me was spent!

And once it’s cleansed, and all sin’s gone,

LORD, come and reign, rule from this Throne!

Be Thou Our Helper

May 5, 2015

Be Thou Our Helper 

“Be Thou our Helper, LORD.”

So oft’ my granddad prayed.

It was his prayer ‘most daily:

The LORD in his mind stayed.

My Granddad knew his failings;

His weakness he could see.

That God alone was strong enough

His life and prayers taught me.

His days on earth were numbered;

God gave him ninety-one.

Each moment was a priv’lege

To serve this man of God.

(Of course I didn’t see it

Always in such a light,

But as the days were passing,

The LORD was giving sight.)

And now his time for leaving,

“Promotion Day,” has come,

And we, with hope-filled teardrops,

Know he’s arrived at home.

And we, the ones who stay here,

Turn hearts again to Thee:

“Thou art All-Knowing, Father;

Be Helper now to me.

Be Helper to each member

That we would run the race

And be Thy faithful servants

Until we see Thy Face.”