Category: Poetry

Hope is hard to find or believe
Under the shadow of darkness.
The unfairness of life’s trials
Can be so cruel and heartless.

You can’t help but to wonder
Why a life would be cut so short.
No one understands the pain
That you can’t take anymore.

What can you look forward to
When the hourglass is so low?
Is this the only life to live?
Is this all there is to know?

What if this life is not all there is
When you breathe your last breath?
For the believer in Jesus Christ,
There is better life beyond death.

Does your perspective change
With the thought there’s more?
Could there be gain in the loss?
Is there another side to this door?

Where hope overwhelms despair -
Life beyond what you hear or see.
But what is that solid foundation
That you can stand on and believe?

Then you hear about a God of love
Whose Son took your place on a cross.
Yet rose to defeat death’s finality -
Giving hope for the hopeless and lost.

For the believer in Jesus Christ,
Light overcomes the shadow of death.
Your hurt and pain is not your end.
Healing is at heaven’s first breath.

So, it’s a lie that this is the only life.
If true, what purpose would it serve?
But if there is a hope of heaven,
Thank you, Jesus, for making it secure.

Our world is changing.
Indeed, not for the better.
An evil agenda of lies
Tightens spiritual fetters.

Eviction of God’s presence -
The goal of Satan’s plan.
Dimming the Spirit’s light.
Shrinking the Promised Land.

Consequences of the exodus
Includes something displaced.
Take away God’s goodness,
And with it departs His grace.

Something must fill the void.
It’s judgment entering the scene
Along with condemnation.
Attitudes stiffen into extreme.

No room for accommodation.
Love becomes tally marks.
It’s one side versus the other -
Unbinding hardening hearts.

So, can this agenda be broken?
What truth can be unfurled?
Try He who is in you is greater
Than he who is in the world.

This was proven at the cross -
Though it appeared a defeat. 
When Jesus was resurrected,
Truth triumphed over deceit

Love was also resurrected
By the power of God’s grace.
The Word of God testifies to
Strength in belief and faith.

So, if we repent and confess,
Jesus is God’s only Son.
We’ll find Satan was defeated
At the cross and grace won.

Evaporating grace will return
With the water of God’s Word.
The two go hand-in-hand.
Of that truth you can be sure.

When does the Son shine?
He shines all the time.
Searching into the darkness.
Even giving hope to the blind.

Light came into the world.
Jesus said in the Gospel of John.
But man chose the darkness.
Like taking music from a song.

Because even Jesus’ light won’t
Brighten the hardened heart
That’s determined not to believe.
Buying Satan’s lies from the start.

Can you fathom such deceit
That creates such a darkness?
Not even the light of the world
Can’t penetrate such hardness.

So, is there any hope for
These hardened hearts so lost?
Truth will always defeat the lies.
Like Christ’s victory at the cross.

The real power behind the light
Is the truth of God’s forgiveness.
That comes from a fount of love
For the sinner from the Sinless.

Yes, there is the promise of hope
For the heart darkened by lies.
If it will let the truth of God’s love
Reveal the power of His Light.

Oh, mighty eagle, I sorrow.
Your broken wings hold you down.
What calamity befell you
That pins you to the ground?

Was it your relentless pursuit
Of the desires of the flesh?
Or a reckless abandon for
Keeping up with the rest?

Now that you cannot fly,
Was your pursuit worth this pain?
Even if you achieved your goal,
Would you be satisfied with the gain?

Or would it make you seek and crave
Something better, something more?
A future robbed of flight sounds like
Poe’s raven’s word, “Nevermore.”

But is it true there’s no hope for you?
Can your broken wings ever heal?
There is a cross-shaped tree
That promises hope to become real.

Make this tree your new residence,
And your wings will quickly mend.
Perspective and priorities change.
The God you hated is now your friend.

For it was God who made that tree
To change from its evil purpose.
To become a symbol to this very day
Of sacrificial love and service.

Please, mighty eagle, go to the tree,
You’ll have a new life once more.
We’ll all rejoice in seeing
Once broken wings can now soar.

My child let Me help you understand
Exactly what happened at the cross.
Some call it the Great Transaction
Where heavenly blessings were bought.

You were born as an object of wrath –
Separated from Me by your sin nature.
Because I require a holy relationship,
You were lost and in need of a Savior.

Atonement is a must for reconciliation
That requires the shedding of blood.
My Son’s sacrifice was the provision.
The Lamb of God’s blood was enough.

With that sacrifice came a peace
That surpasses all understanding.
Storms that knock most people down
Gives you the power to keep standing.

You’re also given My constant presence
With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
He will shape you into the image of Christ
To live a new life as He would live it.

You are set free from the slavery to sin.
There’s enormous power in forgiveness.
Not only to let go of guilt and shame,
But also, to offer it as My witness.

There’s revelation of a better love
That doesn’t focus on just yourself.
It’s sacrificial and unconditional –
Transformative to a soul’s health.

There’s adoption into a new family.
Still flawed but united in Me.
Learning to love and serve
In a heaven-like community.

The cross reveals to a finite creation
Revelation of the infinite I Am.
Who seeks to save all I create.
This is the truth of My eternal plan.

These are just some of the blessings.
There are many more to see.
Ultimately, though, it’s your choice
To see them you must believe.

Driving to nowhere into the deep night.
Denying the confession of helplessness.
Carrying a burden and heavy load
Of years of sin and selfishness.

Inevitably, I broke down.
I was defeated down to the core.
Like a lost and broken ship
At sea that at last ran ashore.

I cried out with a surrender,
‘Won’t someone help me?’
At first there was only silence,
But then I felt a fresh breeze.

Arising out of the moonless dark,
Light emerged from the distance.
The beams were moving towards me
With a purposeful insistence.

A truck with a cross-shaped tow
Rolled to a stop to my right.
A man from the window said,
“I heard you calling in the night.”

How can that be possible?
No one was around to hear.
“I’ve been waiting for this call
All your days and years.”

“Now that you’re in this place
And have called out to Me,
I’m here to take your burden.
There is no charge – it’s free.”

I don’t understand this offer.
Why would you be so kind?
“This is the business I’m in
Unburdening the heart and mind.”

“You only have one thing to do
Should you choose to receive.
If you want your load to be lifted
You must confess belief in Me.”

I looked at the sign on the truck,
‘Welcome to Salvation Tow.
Forgiveness is the power to lift
And reveal a God you can know.’

I thanked the man and accepted
His free offer I so desperately need.
What a deal of trading my burdens
For a life of forgiven belief!

Suddenly the sun arose.
The night surrendering to the day.
I joined the Driver in the truck.
Forever going His way.

If Jesus saw your portrait
What would He see?
A face masking the pain
Or one of liberty?

Who are you fooling with
The mask you’re wearing?
Don’t you know He can see
The burdens you’re carrying?

There’s no point hiding
Every secret and sin.
He knows about them all
Why not let Him in?

He understands the shame
That’s weighing you down.
He’s sympathetic to the guilt
That ties you to the ground.

Forgiveness is the power
To take off your mask.
It’s there for the taking
You only need to ask.

Jesus reveals the lies
And always speaks the truth.
He went to the cross to show
How He feels about you.

He’ll never leave your side.
He loves with mercy and grace.
He’ll unveil the beauty
Of your maskless face.

I was awake one early morning
With a heaviness on my mind.
The value of my daily work
I was struggling to find.

These gifts given to me
Are granted for a purpose.
Not just to make money
But to be put into service.

To the One who gave me
These gifts and new thought.
So, I bow on bended knee
To my good and gracious God.

Please forgive me, my Lord
For wasting Your provision to me.
Please plot a new course –
Here I am, send me.

“My child, you are forgiven.
I rejoice that you are here.
You’ve listened to my Spirit
Whispering in your ear.

One thing I need to correct –
Nothing is wasted with Me.
All things are useful
In a life that’s been redeemed.

What you think you’ve wasted,
Are lessons to be learned –
To share with those around you
Such as grace cannot be earned.

So, go, be courageous and true
Be the blessing I created.
Let go of those forgiven thoughts –
That anything in life is wasted.”

Something that’s been going on –
Going on for way too long,
And it’s nothing short of a disgrace.
To judge by the color of skin
Is hatred and blatant sin.
In God’s Kingdom it has no place.

Have we even read His Word?
It’s like we’ve never heard
The sixteenth verse of John three.
For God so loved us all,
Jesus Christ paid for all.
Are there exceptions that you see?

God loves the color of all faces.
He lovingly created all races
To live in harmony and peace.
So, hatred has no place
To those who live by faith.
How can we not all agree?

Have we read Matthew twenty-two?
Where Christ commands us to do,
To love God and love each other.
How can we deny His command
When we see the holes in His hands?
Such sin should make us shudder.

It’s all ignorance and evil
At the leading of the devil.
Who hates all that God creates.
Why don’t we choose to listen
To the holy One who has given
So great a mercy by His grace?

If one person would just step up,
Deny hate and choose to love.
Then our hearts might finally see.
The color that God sees in us
Is the red blood of Jesus
That forgives us and sets us free.

Brothers and sisters let’s unite
To join the good and just fight
And follow our Lord to the cross.
Let go of what’s been forgiven.
Dispense the grace we’re given.
And love every color that’s lost.

Then the world will finally see
A change they can truly believe
And turn to God’s mercy and grace.
They’ll see God does love us all
If we choose to answer His call
In His Kingdom racism has no place.

The same old voices keep shouting.
They’re calling out my name.
“Where have you gone, old man?
You don’t seem to be the same.”

“Don’t you remember the fun?
There was not a care in the world.”
The lack of care was the problem
Because of the damage it unfurled.

Not only on me as a man,
But more-so on those I loved.
Witnessing the pain in their eyes
The old life had caused enough.

So, I hit a spiritual crossroads.
Do I live to satisfy myself?
Will I let pride keep the wheel,
Or give it to someone else?

A softer but louder voice spoke
Into the darkness of my mind.
“I’ll lead you on a better path –
You can leave the past behind.”

“What you thought was of value.
What filled your heart and mind.
Are meaningless in eternity.
So, please leave them behind.”

“What awaits you in your life
Is the ideal by My design.
But you need to surrender
And leave yourself behind.”

The old voice that was shouting –
The one that left me blind.
Has now been silenced by Him,
And I gladly leave it behind.

I don’t know where I’m going,
But in Him I will always find
How much better life is
When I leave the past behind.