Three Trees

We disobeyed God and took
From the tree in the garden
We received its fruit -
Our hearts towards Him would harden
But there was another tree
And quite another garden
Where Christ took the cup for us
To pay for all of our sins' pardon
In Heaven, there is a tree of life
Its leaves, for the healing of nations
The curse of darkness now lifted
For God is our light and salvation
Look to the tree where Christ died and bled,
Surrendered His life, and hung in our stead
In a garden tomb, He rose from the dead
And with open arms, He waits for us yet
To reach out and receive from God's hand
Taste and see His goodness and
Mercy with which He pursues us
Open the door, to communion with Jesus
---
January 31, 2017

We are God's Offspring (Acts 17:28)

We are God's offspring,
Beloved daughters and sons
We live and find our purpose
Through what our Creator has done
He has accepted us
As His beautiful Bride
Through His precious Son, Jesus
Eternal pleasures await at His side
So, worship the Lord
For He's faithful and true
Give God the reverence 
That He alone is due
Rejoice in Him, 
His name extol
For only God 
Will satisfy our souls
---
January 29, 2017

Broken Gifts

The truck’s tires did not break in time
A broken shell of a girl
Lied in the dust
It had not seemed that long ago
Her mother’s water had broken
And this precious one
Had broken through the womb
As a seed first is broken
Before it grows and blooms

A mother’s heart is broken
Along with darling dreams
Inside the psych ward, she screams
“Why, God? Why?”
Her marriage cannot stand the strain
It breaks
More shards of pain

Her other daughter
Picks them up
And breaks the flesh
Upon her fragile teenaged-wrist
She wished
She could make sense
Of all this brokenness
Of all these shards
This life so hard

Her broken heart,
She offers to the Lord
It’s all she can afford
He takes a hold of it
With care,
And slowly, He repairs
As she prays
The brilliant rays
Of His Light shines through
The broken parts

She dares to count the ways
That God has blessed her
Through her life
Of troubles, hardship, strife
She breaks bread with Christ
And shares communion -
His suffering and hers
Are fused into a union
She knows His power
Breaks the chains
Of sin and death
And He is close
To the broken-hearted
Who sigh and groan
With heavy breath

She takes the broken bread
And the cup that’s poured
Christ’s broken flesh
Makes her become
More fully whole,
More fully real,
More abundantly alive
Not without its
Brokenness and pain
But with Christ’s love and hope
And peace she can’t explain

She holds His nail-scarred hand
And breaks into a joyous laugh
“For the joy set before Christ,
He endured the cross
On our behalf”
She cannot make sense of His
Great love and humbleness
To suffer for us
But knowing this,
She is wholly blessed
---
January 13, 2017
Inspired by Ann Voskamp's books, One Thousand Gifts and The Broken Way

God is Close

God is close to those
Grieving at the graveside
He is with ‘the least of these’
By the wounded on the wayside
To the ever-present poor
He pours out His cup of mercy
Emmanuel dwells with us
Through the Spirit of Christ Jesus
The Man of Sorrows weeps
And captures our tears
He will not leave us or forsake
He is with us, for us, here
---
January 8, 2017

With Humility, Be Clothed (1 Peter 5:5-11)

With humility towards
One another, be clothed
For God favours the humble;
To the proud He’s opposed
Humble yourself then
Under God’s mighty hand
Cast all your cares upon Him
For He cares and He understands
He will lift you up in due time
Be alert and sober of mind
For the devil seeks
To devour God’s own
Who undergo sufferings
Of the same kind
Resist the enemy
And stand firm in the faith
And our glorious God
Of all grace
Who called you to be
With Him in heaven
He will restore you
Your suffering won’t last
He will strengthen you
Make you firm and steadfast
To Him be power
Always and forever. Amen.
---
January 4, 2017

Withdraw

Spend time with God 
Who with us dwells 
Draw on His strength, 
Draw from His well 
There be refreshed, 
There be restored;
In a quiet place,
Your heart outpour
Your broken cistern, 
Leave on the shelf
Commune with Christ,
Be fed, find health
Recall God’s promise of
Life-giving springs 
With joy, draw near,
And deeply drink 
---
January 1, 2017
Inspired by Judah Smith's blog post





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