Daniel: A Dare to Trust Fully in the LORD

Although my poems on this blog have been rather few and far between lately, I have actually been quite busy writing a series of poems on the book of Daniel for my Honors Daniel class. If you would like to get a glimpse of the beauty of this book and what it teaches about trusting God in the midst of hardship, I invite you to view the following link. May God bless you in reading them, as He blessed me in being able to write them!

https://danielthrupoetry.wordpress.com/

Grace Upon Grace

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was

with God, and the Word was God… And the Word

became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen

His glory, the glory as of the only Son of the Father,

full of grace and truth. For from His fullness we

have all received, grace upon grace.”

{John 1:1, 14, 16}

Yesterday was Christmas Day. Doubtless for most it was a time of celebrating our Savior’s birth and enjoying the blessings He gives. Yet for others the day may have been sorrowful or perhaps joyless or restless. Regardless of what your Christmas was like, we all have reason to have hope and to celebrate every day of our lives. As John writes in this passage, we have seen the glory of God in Jesus! Just think of it: This Jesus—the Word—who was God and who existed in the beginning with God “became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory.”  We have seen the glory of God! And God’s glory was full of grace and truth. Our hope is not ungrounded; at Christmas we see the shadow of the cross, for that is why Jesus came. We receive immeasurable grace in the truth that Jesus Christ accomplished our salvation through His death and resurrection and will one day dwell among us (Revelation 21:3). May you be drawn nearer to our great and glorious God as you marvel at His grace and goodness to us in Jesus!

Yahweh: the God from eternity past,

The Alpha, Omega—the First and the Last,

The Almighty Father who sits on the throne

And gave up His Son so to ransom His own;

The wellspring of joy and abundance of grace

Who poured out His life for the whole human race,

The Healer, Provider who lifts up the meek

And with His own power gives strength to the weak.

His might is unmatched, and His Word will not fail;

Against powers of darkness He soon will prevail.

In the light of His Presence, their faces they hide—

They know we will conquer with Christ on our side.

He’s too holy and righteous for us to behold—

He who laid out the heavens and earth from of old,

Who dwells in the heavens in unending light

And will one day redeem us and make all things right.

He’s the Giver of Life who Himself is our peace.

His praise in eternity never shall cease!

He’s the God of shalom who makes people whole—
I marvel at what He has done for my soul.

Who is the Lord?

“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?

    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,

    awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”

{Psalm 27:8}

How can we possible answer this question? How can we adequately describe who God is? This poem is my reflection on who God is and who I am because of who He is and what He has done.

Who am I

That the Hands that stretched out the heavens

Would reach down to touch and heal me?
That the Creator of Light at the dawn of time

Would make my darkened eyes to see?
That the Christ who took on all my sin at the cross

Would bend down to hear my cry?
That the all-knowing, perfect, everlasting King

Would desire such a sinner as I?
That the God who spoke and all things came to be

Would lovingly call out my name?
That the One who is pure, sinless, holy and just

Would take on my guilt and my shame?
That the God of shalom who made everything good

Would heal my broken, sin-stricken soul?
That the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead

Would give me life and make my heart whole?

Not—who am I?—

But—who is He?—

The God of redemption, Creator of time,

Fullness of joy and perfection divine;

All-knowing, all-powerful wisdom supreme

Far beyond what any human being could dream;

The source of all life and the essence of grace

Who through His own death saved the whole human race.

The One who made earth and will make it anew

That every tongue may sing praises to You.

Indeed—not “Who am I?” but “Who is the Lord?”—

The One whom all peoples will one day adore?
He’s abundance of joy, love and mercy divine.

The mystery of it all? This God says He is mine.

Sometimes the poems I write flow so naturally that they seem to be given to me by the Lord. This is one of them. 

Forgiven

“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she

loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

{Luke 7:47}

The following is a poetic adaptation of Luke 7:36-50. The Lord brought this story to my mind many times during the summer and, through it, convicted me of my own self-righteousness. He taught me that only those who keenly know their own brokenness can understand the depths of the grace of God given to us in Christ Jesus. What a sweet moment it is when God brings us to this point of utter guilt, shame and weakness but instead of condemning us, pronounces us forgiven. What a wonderful Savior.

My feet filled with dust as I walked about that day;

I kept my head bowed, for I had nothing to say

To crowds filled with people more righteous than I,

So I started my daily routine with a sigh.

I went about gathering food for the day—

Oh, why was the marketplace so far away?
Sweat poured from my face as I breathed the hot air,

Yet I still went about all my errands with care.

A sinner was I—this I knew all too well;

My fate at the end of my lifetime was hell.

One as sinful as I surely never should live;

My offense against God was too great to forgive.

I’d heard about Jesus and all that He’d done

And how the Jews thought that He may be the One.

He taught in the temple and made people whole—

I wondered just what He could do for my soul.

My work was near finished, so I thought I’d head home

To my humble abode where I lived all alone.

But as I prepared to go out from that place,

I caught just a glimpse of this Jesus’ kind face.

A Pharisee called to Him right at that time

And kindly invited Him over to dine.

As Simon received the answer he’d sought,

My heart jumped a step—for I had a thought.

An alabaster jar of oil then sat in my home—

The most treasured thing that I ever did own.

Perhaps while this Jesus Christ sat down to eat,

I could use my fine oil to anoint His worn feet.

I started to run down the dusty dirt road,

And soon I was back at my humble abode.

I then found my jar, and I grasped it with care.

I returned to the market and saw Jesus there.

Tears fell from my face, for I knew what I’d done;

I was a wretch—an adulteress I had become.

Guilty and sinful—my heart stained with sin,

What I’d do to be granted a new life to begin!

Ashamed of my weeping, I grasped my long hair;

I kissed both His feet and then wiped them with care.

I longed to be loved, but this never could be

For a person as wretched and sinful as me.

My guilt weighed so heavy that I scarcely did hear

An exchange ‘tween these men that was just as I’d feared:
“If only You knew, Lord, who sits here and cries,
You’d know she’s a sinner deserving to die.”

My tears then fell faster—I knew he was right;

I was wretched and filthy and stained in God’s sight.

I picked up my jar and prepared to depart,

For I looked up at Jesus who saw my dark heart.

“O Simon, you’re right—” I thought sure He would say,

And tell me right then that I must go away.

But instead of condemning, He showed me His grace--
His eyes shone with love as I looked on His face.

“This woman loves much, for so great is her sin;

Her sins, which are many, have now been forgiven.”

Christ loved me despite all the wrong I had done

And saw not who I had been, but who I had become.

My heart was in awe of the grace He’d bestowed;

I knew that my life to this King I now owed.

I would love and forgive, as had been done to me

And praise the One who had loved such a sinner as me.

Mary Poppins

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good

work in you will bring it to completion at the day of

Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about

you all, because I hold you in my heart…”

{Philippians 1:6-7}

It was a beautiful evening in mid-May. I had just returned home from college for the summer less than a week before and was relishing the time with my family. On this particular night, my mom and I were sitting outside watching my brothers play baseball in the backyard. During a lull in our conversation, my mom said, “As I watched you playing baseball with the boys earlier today, I couldn’t help but think that you reminded me of Mary Poppins.” I smiled as I told her that that sounded like a poem I would enjoy writing. This poem is a romanticized (and sometimes grossly exaggerated) account of my first week at home this summer, as well as a reminder to my family of how much I love them.

She arrived at the house in a strange sort of way

With her things in a van and her clothes packed away.

What a nuisance for the Gos, for now what would they do

With their newest addition and all her stuff, too?

The garage was soon piled from ceiling to floor

With a microwave, school stuff and clothing galore.

But that spilled to the house as she unpacked each thing.

The Gos wondered, “Oh what will the next few weeks bring?”

Her clothes soon exploded in Rebecca’s clean room;

The Gos only hoped she would pick it up soon.

The Oreo ice cream cake was now split six-way—

Why had David waited to celebrate his birthday?

On top of all this, when the boys asked her to play,

She said, “I have to unpack; maybe another day.”

So the two played alone with their bat and their ball

And wondered why she had bothered to come home at all.

But the very next day, she did not seem the same;

Even Father and Mother had noticed the change.

It began when she surprised them with a breakfast of scones

And told them how happy she was to be home.

She washed all the dishes, made the kitchen look nice,

She’d decided that just the scones didn’t suffice.

She made sausage, brought juice to suit Father’s taste

And had not forgotten to attend church in her haste.

When the brothers played ball, she was cheering them on;

She curled Becca’s hair for the Saturday prom.

She put food on the table, and before it grew dark,

She was seen playing ball with the boys at the park.

Said Mother, “It seems Mary Poppins is here!

How lovely it is that she chose to appear.

She plays with the children and cleans up the home—

No better nanny has the world ever known.”

And, like Mary Poppins, her time there would flee—

Although it’s not as long as they’d like it to be.

She brings joy to the family, and when summer is through,

She’ll depart—for elsewhere there’s much work to do.

They wished she would be there each day of the year;

Her aim while at home was always so clear:

To make sure that each day with the Gos was well spent—

To serve them and show them what Jesus’ love meant.

Mary Poppins always will be in their heart

(Although she was not so welcome at the start).

She loved them so dearly, and they always would be

Her beloved and treasured family.

The Lord is My Shepherd

“The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.”

{Psalm 23:1}

The following is a poetic paraphrase of Psalm 23. Many Christians know this psalm well, yet I think our familiarity with it can hinder our ability to see its profound beauty. I love how David begins the psalm by saying simply, “The LORD is…” Before telling of what his shepherd does, he first meditates on the truth that the LORD is—and this alone is enough to satisfy him. His needs are met and his soul finds rest solely because the LORD is his shepherd. May our hearts likewise be enthralled with our Good Shepherd and may we so walk peacefully and joyfully through this life—both now and in eternity.

The LORD is my shepherd; I’m never in need.

By pure and still waters I follow His lead.

In luscious, green pastures I often am found,

For my loving, good shepherd there makes me lie down.

When I’m with my shepherd, I always am whole,

For He ever so gently restoreth my soul.

As I walk with my shepherd, I never feel shame;

We walk paths of righteousness for the sake of His name.

Though the valley of darkness we often will see,

I never fear evil, for He is with me.

I experience comfort through His staff and His rod—

I’m held close by my shepherd, my Savior and God.

When I’m faced with my enemies, You a table prepare.

You anoint with sweet oil my head and my hair.

You’re a God of abundance—now this my soul knows;

I’m in awe as I see that my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall both follow me

In every new day of this life that I see.

And then I will dwell in the house of the Lord

With my faithful, good shepherd forevermore.

Washed

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given

all things into His hands, and that He had

come from God and was going to God, rose

from supper and laid aside His garments,

took a towel and girded Himself.”

{John 13:3-4}

I have read the account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet many times yet somehow have always overlooked this part of the story. Jesus lays aside the divine glory given Him by the Father to wash the dirty feet of His followers. Wow. And God desires merely that we allow His love and forgiveness to wash over us and purify our hearts and that we love and serve others as He has done for us. What a truly amazing God we serve.

This poem is written from the perspective of Peter; perhaps you will identify with his experience in this story. May you, too, be filled with gratitude and awe at the love of our Savior as His grace and mercy continually wash over you.

The Passover Feast was near at this time—

We disciples with Jesus had sat down to dine.

We partook of the bread as we’d all done before

And hungrily ate until there was no more.

We then kept on talking when supper was through;

I was speaking with James—as I usually do.

After a long day of walking, our feet filled with dust,

And a leisurely supper that night was a must.

But every so often I would look up and see

The Teacher, Christ Jesus, was looking at me.

I saw in a moment that His eyes shone with love

And reflected the heart of His Father above.

I thought back to Sunday when He rode into town

As people laid palm branches and coats on the ground.

“Hosanna!”—the people all praised their new King

And were certain that He would restore everything.

But now, as I looked at my Master’s worn face,

I glimpsed, not His power, but His unending grace.

For as we were talking, He arose from His seat

And took a basin and towel—to wash all our feet!

All mouths then were silent as we looked at our Lord—

The One whom the peoples had praised and adored.

He now was our Servant—O what could this mean

After all of the teaching and miracles we’d seen?

I thought finally He now would establish His reign

And put the scribes and the teachers of the Law to shame.

But a Servant? Now this I could not understand;

My feet never should be washed by my Master’s strong hand.

But I still kept on waiting, and soon I could see

That Jesus and His basin were coming toward me.

I arose and said, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”

Then Jesus allowed our eyes to meet.

“What I am doing you’ll soon understand—”

And He dunked the small towel He held in His hand.

With the tension in the room now as thick as the heat,

I said, “Lord You never will wash my feet!”

The Lord, unperturbed and as kind as could be,

Said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

I paused as I lingered on what He had said.

“Lord, not my feet only, but my hands and my head!”

And, with that, His towel was pressed to my skin

And I knew I was clean—both outside and within.

Though what He was doing I saw only in part,

I knew He had washed both my feet and my heart.

No Words

“But now, thus says the LORD, who created you,

O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel:

‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name; You are Mine.’”

{Isaiah 43:1}

Sometimes I find that I am so accustomed to being a Christian that I begin to lose my wonder at the amazing story of redemption that Abba unfolded throughout history and of which I am now a part. But when I do stop and linger on this thought, I am overcome with awe that this God would redeem me. I am reminded once again of my brokenness and desperate need for a Savior and am humbled to think that the life and forgiveness I now enjoy in Christ came at the awesome price of His death on the cross. What a wonderful, merciful God we serve—He not only created us but also redeemed us and calls us by His name. No words of mine could ever adequately describe the glory of God or render Him the praise He is due; He is so far beyond us, yet present with us and working through us. What a marvelous God we serve!

No words have I to describe who You are—

You who comprehend each person’s thoughts from afar,

Who laid out the earth at the beginning of time

And say of Your children, “This one is Mine.”

Who through Your own breath filled up Adam with life,

And promised redemption through Your Son, Jesus Christ;

Who called out a people to be known by Your Name,

Then sent Jesus to die and take on our shame.

At the beginning of time, why’d You choose to make man

When Your only Son’s death was a part of the plan?

Why cause so much pain to be brought on Your Son?

And why would You save us after what we’d become?

I have not the answers to the questions I bring,

But I know You’re a God who works everything

For the good of Your beloved and so Your glory may be
Seen by all people here and in eternity.

I cannot praise You right, for my heart wanders far

As I worship myself and forget who You are.

My pride takes control, and this world I embrace—

But praise the Lord for Your ever-present grace!

You love and forgive me each time that I fall,

Though You never forget that it cost Christ His all.

I know oh so keenly that I’m broken and weak,

So I look to my Savior, and His strength I seek.

Why You chose to redeem me, I never will know;

I only pray through my life that Your glory would show.

What a powerful God that You use vessels of clay

To tell forth Your glorious grace day by day!

I’m so blessed to be Yours—to walk with You each hour

And sing of Your mercies and tell of Your power.

Though I can’t comprehend You, what I know will suffice;

I will serve You, my Father and King, with my life.

All That I Need

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

{2 Corinthians 5:7}

I wrote this poem on my last day of college this spring. As I opened my journal, I knew I wanted to write a poem to the Lord to praise Him for who He is and how He had worked in my life during the past year; however, I was surprised at how this poem turned out to be so unlike any other I had ever written. I also thought it was strange that I wrote about being surrounded by darkness even though I was not in that place when I wrote it. But this past weekend, I re-read this poem and found that I resonated very strongly with its words and rhythm. Although the rhythm of this poem is less predictable than that of others I have written, there is a certain constancy to it. I came to realize that this is how God is—while we cannot comprehend or predict Him, He has proven to us that He is constant, faithful and worthy of our trust. He is in control, and He is good. And He is all I need.

You’re all that I need.

            In gladness and pain;

            In sunshine and rain;

            When I’m strong and when I’m weak—

You still are all I seek.

You’re the Creator of time.

            Every breath that I take,

            Every choice that I make,

            Each new chapter I begin—

I know You, my Father, have written.

Sometimes darkness is all I see.

            Earth surrounds me as the night;

            I walk by faith, not by sight,

            Yet I trust You are good—

And will do what You said you would.

What You do stands forever.

            Your Word will not fail;

            Your plans will prevail.

            You make us more like You—

            And teach us to live in what’s true.

You’re the Beginning and End.

            I will praise You each day

            And will walk in Your ways.

            Infinite Creator, Master and Lord,

            Loving, merciful Father—You’re the One I adore.