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Our help in time of need Is effectively dispatched by the Lord; Where seemingly impossible situations Are miraculously restored. Do we believe that God hears us When our petitions are sent to Him? Or do we doubt and wonder if He’s real When our cup is filled to the brim? As our head rests on our pillow Do we ponder the meaning of life? Are we in wonder and awe or are we frightened In case there is an after-life? Do we lie awake at night And think about the injustice? Or are we content with our lot in life Where peace and joy is in our midst? Do we have a void inside And wonder what life is about? Are we overwhelmed with situations With feelings of self-pity and doubt? As we implode with our frustrations We can easily blame God indeed, But it’s wiser to cry out for mercy So He can truly intercede. It’s normal to have doubt and fear But abnormal to dwell with same, Since we’re given the faith and the hope So these strongholds do not remain. Fear is debilitating Along with unbelief, And unless we use the tools God provides We’ll never find true relief. God is truly our best friend Our comforter, rock and refuge, But we forfeit His blessings and His promises When our stubborn hearts refuse. When biblical truth is rejected We naturally turn to philosophies, Or religions based on good deeds and merit So our conscience can be appeased. But our pride levels are dangerous And we’re truly unaware of same, When we pretend that all is merry When from biblical truths we refrain. God adores us and gave us Christ To appease His wrathful way, And the fact that Jesus died a horrific death Shows the extent of the price that was paid. God listens to our prayers; Our supplications and to our pain, And although sometimes it appears He doesn’t The facts will still remain. Only a holy God can eradicate our sins And it’s something we desperately need, As our soul requires a regeneration Where only God can intercede. Let’s rejoice that He’s a loving Father And let’s surrender all to Him, And exercise our spiritual muscles With all the promises this brings. (C) P.B. 2020 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 “May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble.” Psalm 20:1 “For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore for You name’s sake lead me and guide me.” Psalm 31:3 “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:14 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.” Psalm 46:1 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 |
A WHISPERED PRAYER
How many times have we whispered a prayer
And there’s been a helping hand?
And in how many moments in despair
Lies an answer that we demand?
How many times have we looked up
With a hope for a solution?
How many times have we been answered
Where the matter has faced conclusion?
Invisible helping hands they are
Healing the turmoil in our soul;
When God touches our heart and fills it with hope
When situations take their toll.
Helping hands extend from above
As there’s always an answer indeed;
An opening where we can move forward
Once the Lord will intercede.
He’s always faithful and always there
We just need to ask to receive,
As He’ll never leave us nor forsake us
As He heals us from all grief.
He heals our broken soul
And understands what we’ve been through,
But when we compare it to Christ’s sufferings
There should be no complaining from me and you.
Our prideful ways will not reach out
Nor cry to God Almighty,
Since we’re ferocious in our independence
And God’s ways we take so lightly.
But God’s word does carry weight
As it’s a treasure chest with might;
An inspired promise with a delightful ending
With blessings forever in sight.
God will help us…
We just merely need to ask,
And when it’s according to His will
There’s no limit to His task.
It could be the most dire circumstance
A horrendous one indeed,
But His desire is to deliver us
When we invite Him to intercede.
Our answer lies in humility
When we bend our feeble knees,
And ask for His forgiveness
To do with us as He would please.
It’s a broken spirit and a contrite heart
That receives all of His blessings;
The spiritual ones that count indeed
As we learn through many lessons.
His helping hands are available
But we merely need to request,
And thank Him in advance for our answer
As we know His ways are always best.
(C) P.B. 2020
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. These, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17
“But on this one I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Isaiah 66:2
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
“O Israel, trust in the Lord, He is their help and their shield.” Psalm 115:9
“Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 124:8
“Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” Mark 9:24
“..be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” Hebrews 13:5
REFRESHED
There’s a fountain for the soul
Where refreshing waters spring,
And renew all stagnant remnants
With a beauty that it brings.
It’s a rejuvenating flow
Energising all that is within;
As we rejoice with the hope
That eternal life this brings.
It is music to our soul
Where the melody is sweet;
With a love and a joy
That is played on repeat.
It’s a purifying touch
As new life is birthed within;
It’s knowing without doubt
That we’ve received incorruptible seed.
It’s the confidence that we’re refreshed
And made alive forevermore;
It’s to trust in His promises
That with God’s ways we are restored.
It’s the power to overcome
As the Spirit comes to dwell,
To give us rest with much peace
So our soul we never sell.
It’s to quench those fiery darts
As the warfare takes its aim;
It’s to cast down all that’s diabolical
And never surrender to its game.
It’s to know that we’re His
When He becomes our first love;
When our thoughts and our vision
Are fixed firmly on above.
To be refreshed is to be renewed
With His sovereign power;
Knowing that He’s truly in control
And so required for this hour.
As we cast aside man-made traditions
And all new-age philosophies…
We are humbled as we realise
That situations are not as they seem.
We can try to find satisfaction
In many different ways,
But it’s temporary and unless God reigns
Much frustration can remain.
We’re weak in stature but He is strong
And it’s only by His might,
That we’re refreshed to enter His kingdom
When we finally see the light.
(C) P.B. 2020
“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”‘ John 4:14
“Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
‘having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” 1 Peter 1:23
“casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
HUMBLE OR HUMBLED
There’s something about humility
That’s a sweet smelling fragrance;
When we’re aware of our shortcomings
With the absence of arrogance.
Humility is submissive
Since they both go hand in hand;
It’s to believe we’re not important
And thus freed from our demands.
To be humble is the opposite
Of a proud and haughty spirit;
It is modest and it is meek
With no presumptious ways in it.
Humility is not self-seeking
Since it respects the needs of others;
It won’t broadcast transgressions but show love
And a multitude of sins will cover.
It’s not conceited or egocentric
But has deeper roots indeed;
It’s to trust in God for our provision
And to provide our every need.
To have a low estimate of self
Doesn’t mean it’s inferior;
It simply reiterates the wonderful fact
That there’s no need to act superior.
To be truly humble is to acknowledge
That without God we are nothing,
And that He alone is sovereign
And through His grace good things He brings.
But those who are haughty
Are spreading a net for themselves;
When pride and arrogance is their necklace
And where everything false does dwell.
All knowledge, facts and ideas
Can inflate our mind indeed;
It’s where all arrogance and superiority
And entitlement can breed.
Those who exalt themselves
Will not doubt be humbled,
Since the ladder eventually does come down
And all lofty thoughts do crumble.
God resists the proud
But always gives grace to the humble,
Since the proud are blinded by deceptions
And eventually will stumble.
We are all fallible
And subject to many falls;
Only God and His word are infallible
And worthy of applause.
(C) P.B. 2020
“God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5
“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12
“Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18
“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.” James 4:10
“to speak evil of no-one to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.” Titus 3:2
“Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble..” Romans 12:16
“…He does not forget the cry of the humble.” Psalm 9:12
“A great man is always willing to be little.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
ALL IN GOD’S HANDS
There’s something majestic indeed
When we leave it in God’s hands;
When we come to the undestanding
That only His promises can stand.
When we’re tempted to worry
And when fear grips our heart,
We can either entertain them both
Or boldly tell them to depart.
Both the spirit of fear and worry
Should have no place in our soul,
But they can come to take residence
With firm and fixed strongholds.
Unfortunately it’s easy to allow them in
And most times we’re unaware,
As we believe they’re a natural part of us
But they’re simply a deceptive pair.
God has not given us a spirit of fear
And never plans to torment us;
He desires we have a sound mind
Without the confusion, drama and fuss.
Worrying does not add a stature
But gives us heartaches instead;
Especially when situations are out of our control
And when lies our mind is fed.
When we leave it in God’s hand
There’s a peace that floods our soul;
With a trust and a knowing
That our future He does hold.
When we leave it in God’s hand
We understand the brevity of our life,
And the fact we’re just a vapour
And that His security will suffice.
We worry when we hold onto things
That are transient and temporary,
But the only worry we should have indeed
Is meeting God and as to whether we’re ready.
Worry, fear and depression
Are real and we’re subject to same,
But we’re to lay them at the cross and surrender
Where they simply cannot remain.
Life can be challenging indeed
But when we know He holds our hand;
He wipes our tears and all our fears
With a renewed mind to understand.
When we leave it in His hands
There’s a burden that’s released,
As He opens doors and closes others
And it’s where all strivings and stress has ceased.
(C) P.B. 2020
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Matthew 6:27
“Now if God clothes the grass…will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Matthew 6:30
“But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord. I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in Your hand.” Psalm 31:14-15
THE SWAN AND THE BUTTERFLY
Although an ugly duckling
May be living in the soul…
There’s a stunning swan to be revealed
One that’s been hidden all along.
The ugly duckling is a reproach
And unsightly to everyone,
But once transformed it’s a testimony
Of what God has truly done.
The swan is the epitome
Of the soul’s transformation,
With a new beginning and a new adventure
Where it overcomes temptations.
The swan is like a pure fragrance
A white and sweet delight;
It reveals God’s special glory
With His power and His might.
It is pleasing to God’s eye
As it’s a true masterpiece;
It’s the queen of the lake
With a beauty that won’t cease.
She dances with the King of Kings
And washed by rivers of living water;
She’s a bride prepared for her bridegroom
She is indeed a daughter.
The swan is inside us all
When we encounter God’s special touch;
To reveal same for His glory
To show He loves us very much.
The caterpillar is unsightly
But there’s a treasure to be revealed,
And once inside the cocoon it changes
Where it’s fate is ultimately sealed.
It becomes a stunning butterfly
One of the most beautiful creatures indeed;
It is gracious and so delicate
It’s where God did intercede.
Let’s not be discouraged
Of the duckling in our soul,
Or the caterpillar awaiting change
When our beauty is yet to unfold.
But we simply cannot change ourselves
As it requires a supernatural touch,
Since we can only modify our behaviour
But with no true transformation as such.
God’s transformation is always best
When we leave it in His hand,
Since a new birth is required
One that He truly does command.
(C) P.B. 2020
“unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12
“But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.” Hebrews 10:39
“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
FENCE SITTERS
Although we can be fence sitters
With one foot on either side;
There comes a point in life
Where we’re challenged to decide.
A fence sitter is nonchalant
And is not passionate about a plea,
Because there can be confusion from his viewpoint
And the bigger picture he cannot see.
Until we receive a revelation
That there will always be a fight,
We will never truly support a cause
Or become successful in our plight.
But how can we know
Whether we’re on the right side?
Unless a conviction does take place
When scales fall and open our eyes.
God is not a God of confusion
And He hates lukewarmness too;
He prefers we’re either hot or cold
But where convictions they are true.
It depends what side of fence we’re on
In our beliefs indeed;
That either everything is a miracle
Or it’s not, although one is deceived.
Fence sitters are mere man pleasers
And never rock the boat,
But to please man is to disobey God
And to be considered as a goat.
A fence sitter doesn’t care
And won’t take responsibility,
To outline and express his cause
Since no clear direction he can see.
Fences do eventually come down
When a renovation does take place,
And we’re forced to make a decision
Where reality we must face.
The fenceline may seem comfortable
But it’s never the solution,
Because to sit on same it eventually hurts
As it becomes an obvious protrusion.
We’re either with God or we’re not
And it’s something we must ponder,
As we all so desperately need a Savior
And the beauty of His wonder.
There’s only two sides and always will be
But it’s never too late to swap;
Let’s ensure we’re all in God’s pasture indeed
And to the devil’s lies put a stop.
(C) P.B. 2020
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand ‘Come you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'” Matthew 25:34
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand. Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41
“So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16
“And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.” Matthew 25:33
