Showing posts with label comfort. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comfort. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Sorrow's Silver Lining

Lam.3:31-33 NIV
For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
33 For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.

***
Some sorrow-crosses are borne on backs,
and are easy to recognize,
some are borne in hearts and souls
known fully, only to God's eyes
This life, full of sorrow-inducing care
Is weathered best, tethered to prayer
Because wherever/whatever the cross may be
None are too hidden for God to see
No matter what hurt has fashioned its frame
Healing is found as hope trusts in His Name

*** 

Isa.40:31 NIV
...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
 They will soar on wings like eagles;
 they will run and not grow weary, 
they will walk and not be faint.



Sorrow can be a plumbless pit
Where worship could wither away
Or, it can be the key to fit
The bearer of its cross to pray
To help faith’s posture learn to lean
Completely on God’s perfect will
To guide through gates to pastures green
To lead us beside waters still
And drink from Living Streams, our fill

…where, though Evidence of things seen
May fill our Cup of Circumstance
With sorrow’s bitter go-between
Vexing hope’s perplexing substance
He shepherds and restores our souls
He leads in paths of righteousness
And sanctifies self-seeking goals
With a more Calvary-like ‘yes’
As we cling to His promises

Sorrow could drown hope in sad tears
And blind us to ‘joy set before’
And choke us with a noose of years
Where Yester’s futile shadows roar
Or sorrow can invite us to
Come unto He who gives us rest
To taste His comfort, kind and true
For He bore sorrow’s greatest test
Thus understands our sorrows best

Ah, here sorrow dons eagle’s wings
Though grief may hound time's brief sojourn
Hope's silver lining gleams; joy sings
Like a bird sensing Morn’s return
The valley of death’s shadow grants
The Shepherd's rod and staff to cheer
The Cup of bitter Circumstance
While Heaven’s gate/wait is drawing near
The hour of faith’s final tear

© Janet Martin

Psalm 23 NKJV

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not [a]want.
2 He makes me to lie down in [b]green pastures;
He leads me beside the [c]still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will [d]dwell in the house of the Lord
[e]Forever.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Hope's Stomping Grounds

Today's post is as bittersweet as they come...
most recently mentioned in this post
is free from suffering at last!
Gathered to God on Monday, Dec.18

Ps.116:15
Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.

Recently I received the book below,
*Reflections of Jesus,
a gift from the author, as a way of saying thank-you!
(I am delighted to have the poem Bethlehem Star included in it)



When I received the news that Wayne passed away I picked up this book
and looked and looked at the painting on the cover
weeping sad-glad tears as I pictured him like this,

His hurting is over!
Please pray for healing for the family 
as they mourn the loss of husband and father,
son, brother, etc.
as they bear both deep grief and deep relief!


'our loss is his gain' said a family member last night at the visitation.
 'a great wait/weight lifted at last' murmured his sorrow-worn wife


We mourn, but not as sorrow grieves, without hope, by God’s grace
The rending tear that death achieves and mortal eyes surmise
Does not reveal the Whole; the Unseen of faith’s resting place
As Sight, with no dark glass between beholds The Promised Prize

As God, gathers a suffering Soul into eternity
Healed from the hurts that take their toll on this side of death’s door
Freed from the weight of waiting for the Final Victory
Beyond futile debating of life’s why-when-and-wherefore

How precious in the sight of God is the death of His saints
For those who love Him; thus, no bitter barter tunes or taints
The tears that flow, because through Christ the Soul from hell is spared

The interim that Time employs until this life is through
And loss no longer vexes joys with Heaven’s sweetest gains
Is but Hope’s Stomping Grounds, a tie that Heaven will undo
When in the twinkling of an eye, death rends life’s binding chains

Then, comfort one another with the hope in Christ alone
God hears our prayers and mothers our sorrow-broken hearts
He tromps Hope's Stomping Grounds with us, (not one step on our own
Until the hope found/bound in Jesus, faith's finished fabric parts  


© Janet Martin


May we all make our calling sure while time is still on our side!
May the reason for the Christmas Season become profoundly dearer
as we believe, and receive the inheritance 
only the Saviour of the Soul will/can give;
Living Hope

Rom.15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Thess.4:13-18
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning those who have fallen [b]asleep,
lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
even so God will bring with Him those who [c]sleep in Jesus.
15For this we say to you by the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord
 will by no means precede those who are [d]asleep.
16For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18Therefore comfort one another with these words.



*if you would like to order the book
Reflections of Jesus






















Monday, November 13, 2023

What A Friend We Have In Jesus


No matter who or where we are,
 what we shoulder or what we face...
What a Friend We Have in Jesus!


But I will sing of Your strength 
and proclaim Your loving devotion in the morning.
 For You are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.


Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength,
 an ever-present help in times of trouble.



I love you Lord, my Help, the One in whom I put my trust
I love you Lord, my Hope until I shed this garb of dust
I love you Lord, my Joy in grief, my Comforter and Friend
I love Your Word to cheer and keep Faith faithful to the end
I love You for You understand each wordless groan of prayer
I love You, as You walk with me through valleys of despair
I love Your Hand to hold me as life doles its ups and downs
I love You. You console me when anguish my gladness crowns/drowns
I love You, Lord; You are my strength; through You I will endure
I love You, Lord, for I am rich when my spirit is poor
I love You Lord; your grace and mercy pour as I beseech
I love You, for You minister where no one else can reach
I love You Lord; You are my song in the night and the day
I love You. You forgive my sin and wash my guilt away
I love You, Lord; You are my anchor when storms test and toss
I love You; death defeated through the power of the cross
I love You; Lord, You are my peace when fear seeks to prevail
I love You with the love You give; Your love will never fail

© Janet Martin






Monday, October 9, 2023

With Groans too Deep For Words

Luke 21:28
Now when these things begin to happen, 
look up and lift up your heads,
 because your redemption draws near.”

We weep and pray for you, 
(With groans too deep for words)
dear, suffering fellow-believers
in Israel, as well as those in many others countries in 
Africa, Europe, and Asia😥💔🙏

And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, 
and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: 
for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: 
he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; 
when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.
20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, 
yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, 
but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:
21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, 
when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left...





The whole earth groans with pain as we wait eagerly
For Thy return and none knows when Redemption’s Day will be
Thy hope has set us free from bondage of decay
The power of the enemy cannot Thy will dismay
Thou, Beginning and End, Thou, The First and the Last
Thou, Heavenly Father and Friend, will hold Thy people fast

Thou, Salvation and Light, quells lurking dreads and fears
In Thee we put our trust; Thy might breaks bows and shatters spears
Greater art Thou in us than evil’s hate unfurled
Futile is the ruckus, of he whose kingdom is this world
This world is not the home of those who trust in Thee
Though waters roar and foam and mountains fall into the sea,

…though kingdoms crumble, oh, and nations rage and moan
You bid us to be still and know that You are God alone
Ancient Fortress and Stay, faithful Ancient of Days
In Thee we put our trust for aye; exalting Thee with praise
Come all, and trust in He Whose Coming We Revere
Stand up and lift your heads and see redemption drawing near

© Janet Martin

Rom.8:18-27

I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.
  19The creation waits in eager expectation for the revelation of the sons of God.
  20For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, 
but because of the One who subjected it, in hope
  21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay 
and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

22We know that the whole creation has been groaning together
 in the pains of childbirth until the present time.
  23Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, 
groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
  24For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. 
Who hopes for what he can already see? 
25But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. 
For we do not know how we ought to pray, 
but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.
  27And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, 
because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.


Psalm 46
God Is Our Refuge and Strength

For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth.a A song.

1God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in times of trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth is transformed
and the mountains are toppled
into the depths of the seas,
3though their waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake in the surge.
Selah

4There is a river whose streams delight the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5God is within her; she will not be moved.
God will help her when morning dawns.
6Nations rage, kingdoms crumble;
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
7The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

8Come, see the works of the LORD,
who brings devastation upon the earth.
9He makes wars to cease throughout the earth;
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
He burns the shieldsb in the fire.
10“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted over the earth.”
11The LORD of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Winepress of the Soul

What a week of wonderful weather!!
We are enjoying summer-like temperatures for another two days before they plummet!


I am so thankful God's goodness does not shift like shadows (or weather!)
With love comes a weight of care, doesn't it?!
Wherever, in this care-bearing we are,
What comfort to know we are called to cast our care on Him!

...casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
 1 Pet. 5:7


Beneath the burdens that we bear,
Beneath love’s constant cross of care
There is comfort beyond compare
In God’s mercy renewed
When we are weak then we are strong
Through He whose will is never wrong
Whose grace ignites in us a song
Of humble gratitude

The love that bore redemption’s wail
As triumph tore the temple’s veil
Is faultless and will never fail
Where all in this world will
Then, though want oft misunderstands
The cost obedience demands
As we ponder Christ’s nail-scarred hands
Storms of rebellion still

As we cast our cares on He
Who kindly cares for you and me
He helps us through the parts we see
Of toil and trouble’s toll
Love’s cross is never borne in vain
Though oft we stagger ‘neath its grain/pain
His grace and goodness will sustain
The winepress of the Soul

Where pride primps reason's cunning tricks 
Where failure and folly afflicts 
The righteousness of God convicts
And leads us on and up
Where beneath the burdens we bear
That pave life's/faith's path with prayer on prayer
His promises, beyond compare
Fill hope's uplifted cup
  
© Janet Martin

James 1:12-18
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because
 having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life 
that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” 
For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 
14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away 
by their own evil desire and enticed.
 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;
 and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, 
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, 
who does not change like shifting shadows. 
18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth,
 that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.





Monday, February 13, 2023

A Precious 'Pressing' Presence



'prayerfully pressing into His presence.' 
is the final phrase in today's Daily Bread Devotion.

Oh, what would we do without this refuge?! 
When all else fails, never God. 
No matter what may seem...

Ps.31:19
How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!



He gives sufficient grace where Unknown’s tempest rolls
He tests the treasures we embrace as we pour our souls
Goodness and mercy’s trove no trial can expend
Nor drain the storehouses of love no thought can comprehend

He teaches us to trust only as all else fails
He reaches through our rue of dust to hoist hope’s weathered sails
His promises endure to comfort mortal care
He keeps faith’s falt’ring bark secure as we press into prayer

…where God’s presence defends faith’s groaning cruciform
As peace, not of this world transcends the substance of the storm
Where no power on earth can begin to compare
To the inimitable worth of full surrender’s prayer

© Janet Martin





Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Sweet Comfort and Joy



Psalm 139:5
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.

In our small group bible/sermon studies through our church, last night
we were contemplating the verse below and how we can be mightily transformed in our
thinking and actions if we truly take God at His word!
Heb.13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, 
because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

In today's Daily Bread Devotion  we are reminded
 that no one knows what will happen!
Life is always full of uncertainties.
God and his Word the one constant certainty!
Hallelujah!





What sweet comfort and joy
Before, behind, beside
A safeguard nothing can destroy
Shields us from evil’s tide

Where, though storms ebb and flow
And oft we weep and groan
What sweet comfort and joy to know
We are never alone

Dear one, do not despair
No matter what betide
God keeps us in His faithful care
Before, behind, beside

No foe can penetrate
The bulwark of His Word
No guard on earth can compensate
For God’s arm undeterred

What He says He will do
His vow is bona fide
He accompanies me and you
Before, behind, beside

Nothing seen can compare
To the peace faith receives
As humble trust turns into prayer
And utterly believes

How near The Unseen draws
As sweet comfort and joy
Transcends The Seen with hope because
Of what none can destroy

© Janet Martin

Isa. 40:28
Do you not know?
 Have you not heard? 
The LORD is the everlasting God, 
the Creator of the ends of the earth. 
He will not grow tired or weary,
 and his understanding no one can fathom.

Friday, September 23, 2022

Hymn of Today



How oft it seems my heart is torn
Twixt want and wonder's 'How?'
While from wellsprings of morn to morn
Mercy renews Love's Vow

“I have loved you with an everlasting love; 
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
Jer.31:3

Yet I call this to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22Because of the loving devotionb of the LORD 
we are not consumed,
for His mercies never fail.
23They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness!
24“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in Him.”
Lam.3:21-24

It was one of those mornings where the knowledge of Hope
grappled with the Anchor; where the heart's cables groaned 
beneath the ache and weight of creature-care,
where there was but one thing remaining; prayer
as Mercy Renewed broke through the darkness!
Hallelujah!

The sunrise like a mighty metaphor...





On shores of hurt and hunger yon doors of daybreak part
Where wars of want and wonder vex body, mind and heart
Where anguish and elation in constant conflict vie
A vexing combination of intent and reply

Before soon slips to After; twixt What Was and Will Be
Time’s roar of tears and laughter pours through humanity
In stunning revelation; nobody left intact
Where no imagination can void matters of fact

Faith and fear, hope and heartache, desire and despair
A smorgasbords of choices, we partake of its fare
Where today hinged to morrow, is like life’s quintessence
Of love’s joy hinged to sorrow, of choice to consequence

Where whatever we weather, more weather waits to be
Where we are altogether bound for more than we see
Where the glory of living is not in what we get
But in the sacred giving earnest heed to The Yet

Of what is sure and certain, still waiting in the wake
Until death’s lowered curtain unveils what is at stake
Until the holy thunder of Last Breath sails the sea
Twixt Shores of Want and Wonder and Vast Eternity

Through doors of Divine Mercy, to shores of you and me
New morning shines with berths of fresh opportunity
Where the grace of the Giver holds Judgment’s bar at bay
He strums the strings that quiver with hope’s/love's hymn of Today

© Janet Martin

Eph.3:14-21
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, 
to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; 
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints 
what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
 that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly
 above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus 
throughout all ages, world without end.
 Amen.

This song premiered on YouTube half an hour ago!
How unbelievably fitting!! 
I weep and leap for joy!
Oh God, I praise you again!




Thursday, August 18, 2022

Have Pity on Us, Father


He remembers that we are dust.
 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
 For the wind passes over it, and it is [b]gone,
And its place remembers it no more...

Soon all this flourishing flower and field will disappear...
and the plant with all its beauty and vitality will be as it never was!
So too it will be with our bodies, but never the Soul!




Psalm 103:13-18 (NKJV)

As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He [a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is [b]gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
18 To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

So much sorrow in this broken world to
author anguished cries to our Heavenly Daddy...
who remembers we are dust💔

Have pity on us, Daddy
(Thou knowest we are dust)
When we cry to Thee, ‘Abba’
Restore, renew our trust
In Thee, for Thou art able
To do what man cannot
Instill in us a table
Laden with feasts, joy-wrought

For even in our groaning
The joy of Thee abides
Through faith in the atoning
That Calvary provides
The hope of our salvation
Transcends life’s bitter blows
The thorn of tribulation
Cannot defeat The Rose

Thy mercies are eternal
Our numbered days of bloom
May draw from springs supernal
Carved in an empty tomb
Thus, though our frame will perish
As flowers of the field
The Soul with Thee will flourish
When heaven is revealed

Have pity on us, Daddy
Doubt’s dark despair forbid
As we cry to Thee, Abba
Like once dear Jesus did
Kindle in us a vision
When dust its due reclaims
Of hope's tear-stained transition
Instilling faith’s dust-frames

Our Father, (who art) in heaven
Bend Thine ear to our plea
That all may be forgiven
That all humbly fear Thee
And find in Thy compassion
Thy kind comfort to cheer
The Soul, clad in frail fashion
Of dust-knitted veneer 

Ignite in us Thy Presence
 Thou, Friend above all friends
Behold faith's smoking incense
As prayer on prayer ascends 
Until the mortal flower
Fulfills its ordained must
Have pity on us, Father
Remember, we are dust

In Thy name we pray
Amen

© Janet Martin

Hebrews 4:15-16 (BSB)
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin.
 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence,
 so that we may receive mercy and find grace 
to help us in our time of need.







Saturday, August 13, 2022

Much More Than Words Flung to Thin Air


Psalm 34:17, ESV
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears 
and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Isaiah 65:24, ESV 
Before they call I will answer; 
while they are yet speaking I will hear.

Psalm 18:6, ESV 
In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help.
 From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.

1 Peter 5:7, NIV 
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Psalm 54:4
Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.

You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble;
You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear,

Rom.8:26-27
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
We do not know what we ought to pray for,
but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit,
because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people
in accordance with the will of God.

1 Kings 6:16-17
Do not be afraid,” Elisha answered, “for those who are with us 
are more than those who are with them.”
17Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.”
And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man,
and he saw that the hills were full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha...

We are currently praying for a lost little boy!
(he wandered away from his family's campsite
and has been missing since 3:00 p.m. yesterday)
Will you pray too, for him and his family? 

Update 4:45p.m. He has been found.
He is with Jesus.


How oft we pour our broken cries before Thy mercy-seat
The Author and Perfecter of faith that oft groans and weeps
We plead for thy sufficient grace to succour and defend
To help us run with endurance life’s race; true to the end
To help us trust in Thee who never leaves us or forsakes
Us. Who keeps all Thy promises; who never makes mistakes
Whose eye is on the sparrow, then much more on me and you
As we pour out our cries, You hear, and know just what to do
How much more than words flung into thin air, the humble plea
As we cast our every care, dear gracious Lord, on Thee
Amen

© Janet Martin


Psalm 91
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Thursday, June 2, 2022

Eager/Earnest Expectation...


You hem me in behind and before;
You have laid Your hand upon me.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
and he delivers them.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forevermore.

The gleaming scepter of new day stretches across the land...

A symbol of God’s sovereignty;


Beauty survives/thrives...

The gleaming scepter of new day stretches across the land
A symbol of God’s sovereignty; all beneath His command
Beauty survives where destruction and death’s heartache abounds
Above trouble and rebellion, God’s faithfulness resounds
Where ’blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth’
Then turn the other cheek and speak of He who gives life worth
Do not despair; it is not cares that hem us in but He
Who works for our good, who watches over you and me
Such knowledge is too wonderful for mortal to attain
Nothing can separate us from God’s sovereign love, amen

Creation's gilt-edged grandeur grants a glimpse of what yet waits
On highways not yet paved with gold, on this side of Hope's Gates 
Where what we bear is temporal; the cross precedes the crown
The test precedes the triumph; when we lay our burdens down
When prayer no longer wends its way from man to Mercy's Door
When sorrow's wounds and broken hearts are healed forevermore 
When what faith cannot understand or comprehend unveils
The glory of God's face, His hands scarred with imprints of nails
When our present suffering will ever fade away
Creation waits in eager/earnest expectation for that day

© Janet Martin

Rom.8:18-19
*I consider that our present sufferings 
are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.
 19The creation waits in eager expectation for
 the revelation of the sons of God. 

Yester-dusk...

Creation's gilt-edged grandeur grants a glimpse of what yet waits

On highways not yet paved with gold, on this side of Hope's Gates 



Friday, May 27, 2022

Poem of Comfort When We Mourn the Death of a Child



But Jesus said, 
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me:
for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Matt.19:14

Keith and Kristyn Getty

 


Safe from earth’s pain and grief
Safe from its fear and fraud
Safe from its snares of unbelief
Safe in the arms of God

Safe from man’s violence
Safe from horrors of war
Safe from corruption’s consequence
Safe, safe forevermore

Safe from hunger’s distress
Safe from time’s trouble-trove
Safe from hatred’s unhappiness
Safe in the arms of love

© Janet Martin

Friday, February 18, 2022

Never, For One Wayward Wink...


A special treat for you and me today!
Sunrise photo with a different skyline!
Jim (truckdriver-husband) sent this photo
 from somewhere in the very chill hills of
very Northern Ontario
(no phone reception when I tried to call and find out where)
(update: Schreiber, Ont.)


'Surely the morning gold and pink
Is the hem of His gown'


 Because I have yet to walk the mile
of those who mourn the loss of a parent, sibling,
son, daughter, spouse, etc. I cannot pen
the places that those losses must lead Love through
and I do not pretend to know what they know
but I can imagine, 
and hurt
and pray
and weep with those who weep
and plead to God 
to
bless those who mourn (Matt.5:4)
💔

What comfort to know
that never for a single, wayward wink
does The Lord, our Shepherd 
shift His gaze from His beloved Sheep...
🙏

Between miles yet to live and love
And miles that we have trod
Pray, where we are we find enough
In the kind love of God

Through wildernesses of today
Of mortal want and woe
Our Sovereign God still leads the way
Love's manna falls like snow

Enough, always enough, to feed
The cries of you and I
Exactly when, how much we need
His mercy will supply

The Pillar of His Promises
Will never shift or fade
But leads in paths of righteousness
In this day He has made

Toward the Promised Land we face
And run life’s race with joy
And lean on Him and trust His grace
That nothing can destroy

For, never for one wayward wink
Does He forsake His own
Surely the morning gold and pink
Is the hem of His gown

Surely goodness and mercy shall
Follow us all our days
Until forever we will dwell
In the house of His praise

© Janet Martin

 Familiar and forever precious...

Psalm 23 KJV

 The Lord is my shepherd; 
I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
 he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
 he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
 I will fear no evil: 
for thou art with me; 
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
 thou anointest my head with oil; 
my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: 
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Translation below...



Translation of lyrics...

So take my hands
So nimm denn meine Hände
and lead me
Und führe mich
Until my happy end
Bis an mein selig Ende
And forever.
Und ewiglich.
I don't like to go alone
Ich mag allein nicht gehen,
Not a step;
Nicht einen Schritt;
where you will go and stand
Wo du wirst gehn und stehen,
Then take me with you.
Da nimm mich mit.
wrapped in our mercy
In dein Erbarmen hülle
my weak heart
Mein schwaches Herz
And do it completely still
Und mach es gänzlich stille
In joy and pain;
In Freud und Schmerz;
Let rest at your feet
Laß ruhn zu deinen Füßen
your poor child;
Dein armes Kind;
It wants to close its eyes
Es will die Augen schließen
And believe blindly.
Und glauben blind.
Even if I don't feel anything
Wenn ich auch gleich nichts fühle
of your power
Von deiner Macht,
You lead me to my goal
Du führst mich doch zum Ziele,
Even through the night.
Auch durch die Nacht.
So take my hands
So nimm denn meine Hände
and lead me
Und führe mich
Until my happy end
Bis an mein selig Ende
And forever.
Und ewiglich.