Lasting Help Comes From God

Ominous cloud formation last Fall, 2014

True help cannot come from our own strength.  It does not come through devices of our making, nor originate from ideas of our initiation.  It comes from a power source not our own.

Real and lasting help in a battle comes only from God.

This is especially true, when the storms we face are dark and ominous.  Onslaughts brought on by unseen dominions and principalities, at work against us because we belong to Christ.

Hallelujah, our God is greater! 

He is a very present help for any need.  His is the kind of help that is more than a mere temporary fix, because the Lord’s help goes beyond our finite understanding of what is really needed or wrong.  He understands the battle for what it is.  He sees to the root source: the real enemy we face.

Are you up against an overwhelming situation?  Is the battle raging?

*Admit that you need God’s help.
*Cry out to the Lord and then trust in the power of His name.

Through God alone, we shall prevail, beloved.  He will not fail us, but will deliver in our time of need.

Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one besides You to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength; so help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You, and in Your name have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; let not man prevail against You.
2 Chronicles‬ ‭14‬:‭11 NASB

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Waiting For Eternity ~ Christian Poetry

Ticking Time

Waiting For Eternity

I’ve a ticking anticipation
Waiting for eternity;
A longing for heaven,
With all of its fresh discoveries.

Yet, waiting births frustration,
Tainting the here and now,
Clouding present joys,
Forgetting current blessings somehow.

Like the blessings of a beating heart,
And the wonders of creation,
Or God’s unending love
And His remarkable salvation.

I’ve still a ticking anticipation.
Awaiting eternity;
Dreaming of what will be,
While cherishing moments now given me.

****

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. ”
Titus 2:13

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This is the second time I have used this photo of a Railroad Engineer’s watch, one that originally belonged to my husband’s grandfather.  If you would like to see that post, from a couple of years ago, see Tick Tock.  It’s a poem about not putting off a readiness for the rapture.

Sue Nash/2015

Weekly Photo Challenge: Serenity ~ God’s Perfect Peace

Serenity at Sea ~ Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

True serenity is not happenstance, as if found in some random place or elusive state of mind; rather, it is constant, emanating from an abiding landscape within, of a soul kept in perfect peace through Christ.
Sue Nash

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Last Fall, Jim and I were in Cabo San Lucas for his son’s destination wedding.  The tranquil setting above was lovely, especially at dusk.  This photo is one of my favorites and almost makes me want to take up sailing.

We both needed a break from all the medical drama last year.  Thankfully, God protected and enabled both of us to attend, and we had an enjoyable time.  We could not have done so, without His help.

Christ alone calms the storms we face and brings us an inner peace and serenity that nothing else can.

“You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You.”
Isaiah 26:3 ESV

“By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭13-15‬ NASB

Close up at dusk

For similar posts of mine, see Weekly Photo Challenge, or go to The Daily Post.

Captured by Pain ~ Captivated by God’s Love

Ominous ~ a recent storm approaching

Captured by pain
Yet captivated by grace sublime
Devastated in every way
Yet drenched in love Divine

God sometimes allows circumstances to capture us, in order to captivate us with His immeasurable love. 

He will even use pain to stop the busyness and speak into our lives.  To hold us in His arms and drench us with His love.

My recovery from neck surgery has been rife with ups and downs.  With periods of strengths and setbacks. 

Although I prefer the days without pain, it is during those weakened interludes that God grabs my full attention.  He is then able to remind me of His all-consuming love.

You may have noticed my infrequent blogging.  It is because of continued difficulties with computer usage.  Since I love writing and working with photos, my inability to do so has brought much discouragement.

The enemy wants us to focus on the ominous possibilities of our circumstances and dwell in devastated defeat.  To convince us that the life we once enjoyed has ended.  To permanently capture us with pain.

At its worst, though, discouragement cannot overtake God’s love.  Physical pain cannot extinguish it.  Hardship cannot prevent it.

No matter the difficulty, God’s love abounds higher, wider and deeper still.  Trials don’t have to destroy us; they can instead strip out the trivial and bring us closer to God.  We can discover afresh and anew that His word is true:

Nothing can separate us from God’s love.

I wish that things in life made sense.  The good news is that they don’t have to for me to know and experience a contentment found only in God. 

When trials capture us, we can rest in God’s embrace, knowing that He is in control. 

God wants us to focus on the magnificent certainty of His promises and dwell in contented rest.  To believe that the purposes He intends are yet realized.  To forever captivate us with His love.

God will use anything to drench us with an awareness of His everlasting love and His grace, so sublime.

“I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever!”
Psalm 89:1
NLT

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.”
Genesis 50:20a
NLT

 

Stony Conclusions ~ Merciful Loving

Stony and cold ~ taken last winter

I have stony places in my heart.
Because of my love for truth and its implications,
I justify these pride-filled inclinations.

God’s truth deserves allegiance.
It is absolute and unbending.
Truth, written in stone, is never ending.

But truth warmed by love is best.
Hardness impairs truth’s gentle out flowing.
Its embrace, annihilated by stones stacked for throwing.

Christ, the Truth, is our loving example.
Willingly, He brought light unto chaos.
The Rock, struck so that living water could reach us.

****

Out of adoration and allegiance to God’s word, it is all too easy to look down on those who don’t.  To walk in a hardened self-righteousness toward others. 

I accumulate grievances and conclusions
I judge and criticize
I demand perfection in others, when I’m not perfect myself

****

Stony conclusions vs Merciful Loving

God does not tolerate sin, but lest we forget, that includes our sin, too.  I am all too quick to make stony, judgmental conclusions about the shortcomings of others.  By doing so, I refuse to let mercy guide my willingness to love.  My stony heart runs the risk of growing cold.

Out of displeasure over their sins, stony hearts repel and reject others. 

Soft hearts, however, invite and embrace others, despite their flaws, remembering that we are all sinners in need of God’s grace.

Mercy requires that we love and believe the best for others.  We never condone or compromise on truth, but by recognizing our own sin, are able to reach out in love.  Mercy causes us to refrain from focusing on the flaws of others and instead take it all to the throne of God. 

Mercy lovingly draws near, then waits on the Lord for opportunities to share His uncompromising truth.

The law was given on stone.  It demanded perfection.  Through Christ, though, the veil was torn, splitting asunder the barriers of imperfection and making the living of the law possible.  Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf broke through the unattainable requirements of the law, thereby offering grace to the lost and rejected.

Christ died for all of our sins.  He is no respecter of persons, but wants everyone to come to the saving knowledge of His truth.

We all have areas in our hearts that are prone to hardness.  However, stones block our nearness to God.  They prevent His love from flowing forth, because stony places cluster as rocks; rocks that are all too easy to pick up and throw at one another.

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ”
Ephesians 4: 14, 15

My prayer:
Lord, don’t let me become a vessel so hardened that I am closed off from loving others.  Break apart my stoniness.  Use the broken shards to collect and pour out living water. 

Keep my heart pliable.  Don’t let me remain in stony condemnation of others.  Remind me that I too am a sinner, ever in need of Your grace.

Joy Realized ~ Prized Heritage: Poems For Karina

A bouquet for Karina

I no longer do, but for nearly twenty years, I worked as a baby nurse. I’ve attended many deliveries, held hundreds of newborns and seen countless tears by overjoyed parents.  No matter how often I witnessed the birth of a newborn, though, it never diminished my awe of the event.

Babies are a miracle from God.  Their arrival into this world brings a joy like nothing else.

It was an honor for me to write the following poems on behalf of Karina (Karina’s Thought) and her husband Kevin, in celebration of the birth of their first child, a son. 

One, Two, Three ~ Joy Realized

One cry from a newborn babe,
Our lives, now completely changed.
One glimpse at a tiny face,
Our plans, now rearranged.

Two eyes gazing back at us,
Our pride, now overflows.
Two hands, reaching out in trust,
Our love, now ever grows.

Three lives making family,
Our hearts, now intertwined.
Three souls meeting finally,
Our joy, now realized.

Although newborns typically bring much joy, there is also an inherent responsibility for the parents.  God forms a child in the mother’s womb, and then delegates the upbringing to mere humans.  The good news for parents, especially first time ones, is that He does not leave them to flounder, trying to figure out what to do in trying to raise their precious little one.

Contained within the pages of God’s Word are numerous passages and illustrations, teaching us how to raise our children.  To do it right, we must use Scripture as our sole authority.  Adding in the godly wisdom of Christian mentors and prayer supporters provides the path to successful parenting, especially in these troubled times.

Prized Heritage

Precious angels,
Blessed miracles;
Entrusted to us,
  Their hearts pliable.

Priceless treasures,
Needing to know;
Dependent on us,
So, Truth we must show.

Purposed offspring,
God’s own reward;
Expected from us,
To train in the Lord.

Prized heritage,
Gifts to raise right;
Requires that by us
On God we rely.

****

“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.”
Psalm 127:3
NKJV

Many blessings Karina and Kevin!
With love, Sue
09/2014

God’s Love Invading

Invading ~ the surroundings

I look around
And see God’s love
Invading
Every aspect of my life
And that’s a good thing

It’s flame
Igniting every fiber of my soul

I look behind
And see God’s mercy
Covering
Every sin-stained part of me
And that’s a saving thing

It’s benefits
Blessing every step of my eternity

I look ahead
And see God’s faithfulness
Fulfilling
Every one of His promises
And that’s a wondrous thing

It’s encouragement
Conquering every doubt in my being

I look above
And see God’s handiwork
Amazing
Every crevice of my heart
And that’s a glorious thing

It’s majesty
  Rising up as praise in my spirit

****

“Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.”
Psalm 40:16

I took the photo above, while on a trip with my husband to the Gulf earlier this year.  This was just one of the stunningly beautiful sunsets we saw.  It was as if the hues of orange and red invaded our surroundings, rendering permanent change to the landscape. 

God invaded the landscape of our world with love, when He sent us the Son. Through Jesus, the Father’s love drew near, and dwelt among us. However, God never intended that love simply to come near and just surround us. He longs for Christ’s sacrificial love to invade us, in a good way.

*If you let God, His love will invade your depravity, erase your past, and rearrange your destiny.  He will interrupt your plans and ignite your spirit with a song of praise.

Have you merely heard of God’s love?  Will you allow His love instead to invade your life, for good?

For more of my poetry, see Poetry Corner

God’s Opinion is What Matters ~ Snippets of Rain

Overlooked ~ clematis seed pod

People may dismiss you, do I?
People may overlook you, do I?

I made you.
I understand you.
I listen to your every word.
It doesn’t matter whether others think about you.

 When you connect with Me, I hear.
I’m Who matters.

****

Pour yourself into Me;
I receive you.

Take your eyes off the opinions of others;
I understand you.

Focus only on Me;
I complete you.

Dismiss the lies of the enemy;
I adore you.

Adored ~ my clematis this year

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!”
Psalm 139:17

****

At times, I struggle with caring more about the opinions of others than what God thinks.  I have a hard time separating out their responses to me and focusing on His instead.
Yet, we answer to God, not man.
The Bible is clear that the fear of man brings a snare. (Prov. 29:25)  It traps us and stifles our progress.  We must never allow what others think to stop us from stepping into who God called us to be.

For similar posts, see Snippets of Rain

Tiny Rosebud ~ Significant in God’s Eyes

Rosebud ~ was scarcely an inch in length

Tiny rosebud
Open up please
Share your fragrant beauty
With desperate souls in need

One need not measure a rose to discover its beauty.  An insignificant rosebud is as capable of producing loveliness and a pleasing aroma, as is a lofty hybrid.  All needed is for it to open up and share.   

Do you feel like all you have left is a tiny fragment of usefulness in God’s kingdom? 

It is enough. 

When given in sincerity, God accepts the fragments of our lives.

He uses leftover pieces.  Seemingly insignificant people.  Tiny rosebuds.

All God requires is that we open our hearts to receive Him and then surrender to share His love.  The offering is not measured by the size of the gift; rather, our willingness to obey and to share Christ with others. 

It doesn’t matter if you feel insignificant.  As you faithfully spread the aroma of Christ to those around you, His beauty is what comes forth and is pleasing to the Father.  

As His child, you are significant in God’s eyes.

I love that about God, don’t you?  How much we matter to Him.

“For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ”
2 Corinthians 2:15a

Blessings Like Rain ~ Farewell Until I Mend

A cluster of raindrops on one of my iris leaves ~ it almost forms the shape of a treble clef

Thanks very much for the outpouring of well wishes after yesterday’s announcement about my surgery.  My recovery will require that I stay off computers for about two months, but since I want this to work, I will fully comply with doctor’s orders!

This last post, before I temporarily retire from blogging, is for you.  Until we meet up again in Blog-Land, receive this simple blessing of farewell and the special photo above just for you.

Blessings Like Rain

May God’s blessings pour like rain
On everything you do
May God’s melodies sustain
In all life puts you through

****

“For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God”
Hebrews 6:7

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*I will miss ‘you all’ very much.  Thanks for your friendship, encouragement and prayers.

Farewell until I mend!

Blessings, always

Sue

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*I will continue to read your posts and respond to comments through the weekend only, but as I stated yesterday, will have much time while I am off to pray for any of your needs.

Poem and photo by Sue Nash/ © 2014