God

Just thinkin’

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Early on in our relationship, I found out that my wife could read my mind.
Okay, you’re thinking, that’s just a wife thing. I mean, guys are pretty obvious, right?
The thing is, she really has a knack for it. I don’t begin to understand how it works, but
when I figured out it was happening, we had to come to an agreement. The agreement was
that if I thought something that wouldn’t exactly be conducive to marital bliss, but didn’t
say it out loud, she had to give me credit for not vocalizing what was on my mind. That’s fair,
don’t you think? Thank the Lord, she’s held up to her end of the bargain. At the same time,
my thought life is better than it was when I was younger. I thank God for that too.

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. Psalm 139:1-6

Entreaty

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Lord, I have heard the report about You and I
fear.
O Lord, revive your
work in the midst of the
years,
In the midst of the years
make it known;
In wrath remember
mercy.
Habakkuk 3:1-2

Lord, I pray to remember
not only your sweet love and grace
but your strong hand
and your judgement.

Let every corner of my being be laid
bare before you.
At the end of my life here on earth
let my life scroll be a worthy document.

In the Shadow of Your Wings.

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6 When I remember You
on my bed,
I meditate on You in the
night watches,
7 For you have been my
help,
And in the shadow of
Your wings I sing for
joy.
Psalm 63:6-7

In the shadow of your wings, Lord
I am strengthened.
In the shadow of your wings
dread runs away.

In the shadow of your wings
the enemy’s arrows cannot harm me.

In the shadow of your wings
my foe’s
force of onslaught
matters not.
Let your angels’ army
seize the day.

More than we can bear

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Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

God you did not promise this life would be easy,
but you promise strength
in the midst of the storm.
No matter how ugly the news we hear,
in a cold world you are there
for life sustaining warmth.

The false comfort and ease of a life
ignoring your truth
can push our craft toward an inevitable cliff,
but if we believe and act upon
the message of salvation
You will make of our detritus and debris
a lighthouse and life saving ship.

God, did you hear?

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God, did you hear the world shout?
They decided
not
to believe
in you.
Not just
a lone voice
in the desert,
but all your believers, too.

God, did you hear the world shout?
Give us
science,
that’s what we
understand.
The scientific method
will unify the nations
and bring solace and joy
to the land.

God, with all the shouting,
how can anyone hear?
How can they look
at your creation
and not believe
you are near?

God, we humans
have made such an awful mess
of what you created for us
while not believing
and wanting everything
except you
we’ve made
deadly short cuts
to our lusts.

God forgive us
and bring us
into relationship
with you.
Let us place you first
in our hearts and homes
until the world you made
is renewed.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Revelations 21:1-4

Inheritance

Photo by Urban Wall Art & Murals
Image courtesy of Urban Wall Art & Murals

the inheritance of
the joy of the Lord
is of the forever kind
a true joy and gift
not earned by effort
or indeed birthright

freely given
though dearly bought
by the King
above all kings
the One who causes
my countenance to glow
and my heart to sing

Calling Out

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You can call out to the universe,
light a random spiritual flame,
converse with some spirits
you may or may not name.
You can link with a dead disembodied
owner of a shady past.
Those identities you’ll never know,
and fake relationships won’t last.

The One who stood
and stands
beside you,
and your sorrow sees,
left no question of His sacrifice,
or authority.

You may seek,
but when you’re finished seeking,
weary at the end of the day,
look up from the feet of Jesus,
the one who is “the way.”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6

Strength

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The often unrecognized truth of strength
is that we’ve never owned it.
The God of all that is and will be
designed us to be one with Him.
If we seek strength apart from our Lord
we dwell on a weak foundation. A durable
heart and home have Him as King within.

1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

My Mind

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help me mind my mind oh Lord
where it’s going
where it’s been
when it’s settled on
higher things
or heavy burdened
with sin
when it’s lifted up with worship
to amazing grace
in league with a heavenly choir
setting the sanctuary ablaze
let me not on a rare day
meet Your Spirit there
but rather often seek to commune with You Lord
in the midst of Your angels fair