Be Strong and Take Heart

“Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.”

{Psalm 27:14}

This poem flowed out of a heart that was hurting from the pain of rejection and closed doors. It seemed as if God was withholding something from me and others that was so good; how could this possibly be His will? In His grace, He brought Psalm 27:14 to my mind and gave me the choice to obey what its words.

Will you be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord?

“Be strong”—this You say, yet how can it be

When my flesh and my heart are so desperately weak?

Like one learning to walk, it is so hard to stand

When I look far and wide but cannot see Your hand.

When Satan attacks and I’m about to despair,

I must lean on You to be my strength there.

When my labor is hard and I feel it’s in vain,

I need You to remind me that You faithful remain.

“Take heart”—in myself, I cannot do this at all

For I am wounded and broken and destined to fall.

To whom my eyes look changes everything;

I must look not to me but my heavenly King.

He gives me the grace to trust Him with each day

And, out of love for my Savior, to faithfully obey.

Even when it is hard and I know not what to do,

I’ll continually pour out my praises to You.

So today when I feel like You’re closing these doors,

I’ll continue to trust You and wait on my Lord.

Your plans stand forever, for You reign over all

Yet You ever give ear to my prayer when I call.

“Be strong and take heart”—this I know I can do

For it depends not on me and my strength but on You!

You fill me with courage to keep running this race

Until the day when I see Jesus Christ face-to-face.

Lord, I long to be holy—for Your will set apart,

So today I will choose to be strong and take heart.

A Prayer to Yahweh in Suffering

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

    which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

    so the Lord surrounds his people,

    from this time forth and forevermore.”

{Psalm 125:1-2}

I wrote this prayer for a couple who recently buried their one-year-old daughter. This child had numerous health issues and it was a miracle that she made it as long as she did, yet I cannot imagine the anguish my brother and sister are experiencing during this dark season. It was incredible to hear them proclaim at the funeral that Yahweh is still good, and they still trust Him and look forward to when they will see their precious little girl again.

As I wrote this poem, God brought to mind several other people I know who have recently experienced significant loss. If you ever grieve the loss of someone you love and dearly miss, this prayer is for you. May you turn to Yahweh—the God of all comfort—in your suffering and may your consolation “abound through Christ” as you wait on Him (2 Cor. 1:3-5).

Those who trust in the LORD—this we read in Your Word—

Will find You to be faithful; this truly we’ve heard.

They shall not be moved though the mountains give way,

For Yahweh is sovereign over every day.

When the floods overwhelm us and darkness surrounds,

You alone are the refuge and solace we’ve found.

You comfort us, guide us by Your staff and Your rod,

For You are our Father, our King, and our God.

We have seen You be faithful; we know You are still,

Yet we question why death is a part of Your will.

Why a child so sweet and so young yet so frail?

Why over her sickness did You not prevail?

LORD, You see our deep pain; though we can’t understand,

We know You’re upholding us with Your strong right hand.

There’s no tear You don’t see, no grief You don’t feel,

No cry You don’t hear and no pain You can’t heal.

For although we grieve now, there will come a day

When all the tears we cry now will be washed away,

When sickness and heartache and death are no more,

When all that is wrong here on earth You restore.

So now in the tempest, LORD, please be our guide,

And our every need, God, would You provide?

Our faith is so feeble; our hearts cannot stand.

O would You uphold us with Your righteous right hand?

We need You to surround us; we’re weary and weak,

Yet in our deep anguish, Your Presence we seek,

For You are still God and Your ways are still good

Even when things don’t turn out as we think they should.

So, LORD, give us faith to trust what You say,

To believe You are sovereign over every day,

To trust that You care and You feel all our pain

And that even in darkness You faithful remain.

LORD, our souls fall on You; be our Refuge, we pray.

Would You be our strong rock as we walk through each day.

Our grief and deep sorrow and anguish we bring—

May Your will be done, Abba Father, our King.