A Hand Along the Journey: Poems for the King from One Pilgrim to Another

“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”  – John 20:31   Wise Solomon wrote eloquently: “The thing that hath been, is that which shall be.”* People today are, as in Bible days, Desperate for help in identical ways. John’s gospel records key miracles that give Courage to trust as our lives we live. There’s something for all, for all have a need He can take every problem, and solve it indeed. This poem is for those who are already saved; Their bridge to heaven is already paved. So start there if you’ve never His gift received; John 14:6 tells what must be believed. After that’s settled, read on then below, There’s truth in these miracles that we ought to know!   John 2:1-11 – Financial Distresses In what should have been a gala affair, Shortage and lack caused worrisome care. But behind the scenes a miracle He’d do; Servants and disciples His glory knew. Then let us seek Him as M...

  “But may the God of all grace, Who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. ”   I Peter 5:10-11   What a tapestry of beauty Peter’s verses show to me, From the Giver of favor (Yes, this is my Father!). His glory will last, past the eons to shine In contrast to suffering’s small, little time. Suffering’s heavy emotions Can’t shake His dominion; See now then His glory As four verbs tell the story…   Katartizo (Perfect) This word can also mean “restore,” For those who’ve been wounded while serving their Lord. Translated “mending” in Matthew 4, When James and John fixed broken nets on the shore, It reminds me that God is not through with me yet; His children He’ll never set aside to forget.   Sterizo (Establish) It’s used in Luke 9 when Jesus’ face was steadfast; His unflinc...

  I John 2:12-14,17     “I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake…you have known the Father.”   Little children hold His hand, Whose love, by faith, they understand; They smile and trust that all is well, Because they with the Shepherd dwell. To the Father’s open arms they run; With joy’s abandon see them come, For full forgiveness set them free By what Christ did at Calvary.     “I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him Who is from the beginning.”   Fathers, too, have known Him Who Already was when all was new. His friendship true they’ve known for years, His presence what they hold most dear. Their walk is steady; He sets the pace, And they’ll rejoice to see His face. His promises are always sure; With settled peace, they will endure.     “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.”   Young men made...

  “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” – John 1:5 (NLT)   I have hated Christmas from the first time I heard of it. To be specific, I hate Him - that baby, that rival to where I sit. I am king, and I will be king no matter who stands in my way. I’ll kill anyone to ensure that I live to rule another day. Jealous fear holds sway, ever cruel, Over my enemies, imagined or real. I am Herod, the Christmas villain of competition.   To be quite honest, we are apathetic regarding Christmas. Prophecies in dusty scrolls mean nothing to us. Holy curiosity? Humph, merely for youth. Prestigious position has dimmed the light of truth. When answers are demanded, we’ll rattle them off; But at peasant dreams, our hearts will scoff. We are the chief priests and scribes, Christmas villains of complacency.   Too busy to notice, too busy to care – Our days were chaotic, so we didn’t share. Some of us made m...

  “And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Genesis 1:31a The color of butterscotch and just as sweet, Is Charles A. Hamster, with his tiny feet, Curious nose and whiskers sniffing the air, And dark, friendly eyes that seem to say, “Hey, there!” You can hold him in your hands, a small furry ball, All snuggled up sleeping, and loved by Peter Hall. He runs on his wheel, inside or on top; Chuck A-for-Awesome Hammie’s acrobatics don’t stop. Peter’s made toys that keep him entertained: Swinging ladder, bridge, and treat balls – a few to name. Taking care of Charlie never seems to be a chore For the boy who loves all animals created by the Lord. Our Father Who sees sparrows of this hamster surely knows; I’m glad He gave us Charlie, another way His goodness shows.

  “Then some of the scribes answered and said, ‘Teacher, You have spoken well.’” (Luke 20:39, NKJV) “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, Who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5, HCSB) “For a Child will be born for us,…He will be named Wonderful Counselor…” (Isaiah 9:6, HCSB)   Knots and perplexities, tangles and questions Leave me often bewildered in tough situations. Not just for myself, but for ones that I love; To know what to say, I need help from above. I come to Your Word, amazed at Your wisdom - Straight to the heart, You spoke truth that would help them. Always the best words, excellent answers,   Not what they expected, but just what they needed.   Now again at Your feet, dear Master, I kneel, Searching Your face for wisdom still To know how to pray, and what words to say To help family and friends who face difficult days. Wonderful Counselor and Wisdom of ...

          Last year was my husband’s and my fifteenth anniversary. To celebrate, we enjoyed a rare trip away from home, to the beautiful hills of North Carolina. The first day we spent in Charlotte, helping out at the Samaritan’s Purse warehouse. Because of covid, Christmas of 2020 saw a huge increase of Operation Christmas Child shoebox donations built online (as opposed to people donating physical boxes). The warehouse was set up for volunteers to pack shoeboxes according to each donor’s specifications.         Besides the obvious enjoyment of preparing boxes for children in restricted access countries, and the excitement of being involved in a hands-on way in reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ, there was also an unexpected take-away from the day for me. Bill and I were able to work side by side with Christians we had never met before, people who were there because they love Jesus just like we do...