Showing posts with label Living in the Land of the Shadow of Death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Living in the Land of the Shadow of Death. Show all posts

Friday, July 27, 2012

Friday's Faith - Come, Sweet Comforter







Friday's Faith

Come, Sweet Comforter





Could it be Your will as it was for Your Son...
"To crush (me) and cause (me) to suffer"
Under the weight of this burden of grief
After losing my child, my little one?

And though not the death, but the number of days,
That were set for my child, my precious one~
Could these be a part of Your Heavenly ways?
If this be Your path, if t'were Your path, then I dare not shun...

But God, how to live with this heavy heart
That grieves every day since she did depart~
How do I live, even though I die
When the life was cut down of "the apple of my eye"?

Only You ~Divine Creator~ can create a path
Through these ruins that lie beneath Death's crater;
For it seems this darkness threatens to overtake,
Living in this, The Shadow, of the Vile One's wrath.

"Even the darkness is not dark to You
As the night will shine like the day
For darkness is as light to You."

I look to You Lord, to light up my way,
Sprinkled with Grace as though refined by fire
As I walk everyday in the muck of Death's mire,
For it's only in the crucible that You meet us in the fire,
And in the crucible of the Crucifix, only You can show the way...

Come to me Lord; hold me close to Your heart,
For my heart forever breaks since my baby did part...

Come, sweet Comforter, come ~Please come~
Hold me in Your arms; take me safely through the Shadow,
Guide me all the way Home.



~~~~~



Isaiah 53:10 NIV
Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in His hand.

Psalm 139:15-16 NIV
My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in Your book
before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:11-12 NIV
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to You;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to You.

Zechariah 2:8 Douay-Rheims Bible
For thus saith the Lord of hosts: After the glory he hath sent me to the nations that have robbed you: for he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of my eye:

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings...

Isaiah 40:11b NIV
He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to his heart;











Poem - Come, Sweet Comforter - Angie Bennett Prince - 7/22/2012


Thursday, December 23, 2010

Friday's Faith - Jesus Comes to Us Grievers... Living in the Land of the Shadow of Death / O Little Town of Bethlehem ~Connie Talbot




Friday's Faith

Jesus Comes to Us Grievers...

Living in the Land of the Shadow of Death

~

O Little Town of Bethlehem

~Connie Talbot


...(T)he people living in darkness
have seen a great light;

On those living in the land of the shadow of death
a Light has dawned...

~Matthew 4:14a,16



Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress...

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before You
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of defeat,
You have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a Child is born,
to us a Son is given,
and the government will be on His shoulders.
And He will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of His government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

~Isaiah 9:1a-7


*****


"O little town of Bethlehem,

How still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep

The silent stars go by.

Yet in the dark streets shineth

The Everlasting Light;

The hopes and fears of all the years

Are met in thee tonight."


~Phillips Brooks, 1867




Jesus Comes to Us Grievers...

Living in the Land of the Shadow of Death


"On those living in the land of the shadow of death
a Light has dawned..."


The yoke that burdens me ~

Jesus came so that He

Could shatter th' Oppressor...


Carry on His shoulder

The new reign of His Light

That conquers Death's Dark Night

That threw us into Shadow

From once light-filled meadow

(When our child was with us,

Delighting, thrilling us).



We, living in darkness,

Living in Death's oppress,

Watch Him destroy Death's yoke

(Which did Deep Grief evoke

Which threw us to the ground...

Sounds of mourning abound).



But God sent us His Son

Squelching Darkness with th' Son,

And with this dawn of Light,

Turned Dark Death into Life!



Prince of Peace saved Mourning's plight,

Gives Eternal Morning's Light ~


Restores to us a Glorious sight:

Love's embrace restores Delight!

Bless You, Savior, Our True Light...

Born this Heavenly Christmas night!



*****




Mary's Prayer


Sleep well... Sleep well,
for the heat of anger simmers nearby...

Enjoy the silence of the crib, for the noise of confusion
rumbles in Your future.

Savor the sweet safety of my arms,
for a day is soon coming when I cannot protect you.


Rest well, tiny hands.

For though you belong to a king,
You will touch no satin, own no gold.
You will grasp no pen, guide no brush.


No, Your tiny hands are reserved
for works more precious:

to touch a leper's open wound,

to wipe a widow's weary tear,

to claw the ground of Gethsemane.


Your hands, so tiny, so tender...
~clutched tonight in an infant's fist.

They aren't destined to hold a scepter
nor wave from a palace balcony.

They are reserved instead for a Roman spike
that will staple them to a Roman cross.


...O eyes that will see Hell's darkest pit
and witness her ugly prince...

sleep, please sleep;

sleep while You can.



~Max Lucado, God Comes Near,
also "Mary's Prayer" from One Incredible Moment



*****



What came into existence was Life,

and the Life was Light to live by.


The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;

the darkness couldn't put it out..


~John 1:5



*****



If your heart has been shadowed by the darkness of loneliness or grief
or disappointment, look for the light only He can give.

~Max Lucado, Just Like Jesus


*****


I am the light of the world.
The person who follows Me
will never live in darkness
but will have the light that gives life.

~Jesus (John 8:12)


*****







O Little Town of Bethlehem

~Connie Talbot


O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie;

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by;

Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light;

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Thee tonight.


For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,

While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth,

And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth.


How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heaven

No ear may hear His coming; but in this world of sin,

Where meek souls will receive Him still the dear Christ enters in.


O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray

Cast out our sin, and enter in; be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;

O Come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel.











Pictures: Photobucket.com, also http://www.sallysjourney.typepad.com/
Poem - Jesus Comes to Us Grievers... Living in the Land of the Shadow of Death - Angie Bennett Prince - 12/14/10
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQoEwiOttYo