Darkness | Light

Romans 1:25 — They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.

This world is

angry

corrupt

self-indulgent

prideful

and ever unyielding

in its appetite

for turning light

into darkness.

Yet

when I take my eyes

off the Lord -

just for a moment -

it appears

normal

reasonable

natural

comfortable

and ever enticing

in its allure

for turning evil

into every day.

Amen.

Heartless

Proverbs 27:19 — As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.

In all my

work

and effort,

all my

fighting

and discipline,

all my

right-doing

and works,

I lost sight

of my Father’s heart

as my own heart

became hard.

All that I want

and need

is all that You want

for me -

to have

all of my heart

and to give

all of Yours

to me.

All Things

Colossians 1:16 — For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

All that lies behind

and all that is ahead

all that has been

and all that will be

all that was given

and taken,

all that will be provided

and soon lost

all that was done

and done to,

all that will be felt

and expressed

all that was consuming

and forgotten,

all that will be chased

and left behind -

all things

are known

used

and unto

the ultimate glory of the Lord.

Amen

Again

Isaiah 55:6-7 — Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Again

I fall.

Again

I fail.

Again

I wander.

Again

I flee.

Again

and again

I do

what I said

I would never do

again.

Again

and again

You humble me

by Your grace

and I hate the thought

of straying from You

again.

Amen.

Meaning

Ecclesiastes 9:10 — Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

All that

I seek

and entertain

apart from You

is utterly

without meaning -

all

will disappear

and fade away.

What remains

is You, Lord,

and Your return

will restore total joy

to the living

and the dead

who put their hope

in You.

Amen.

Expanse

Job 11:7-9 — “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.”

Endless

is the horizon

where the sky and sea

collide.

Innumerable

is the sand

where the water and earth

embrace.

Unimaginable

is the expanse

where the stars and galaxies

multiply.

Sovereign

is the One

who created it all

with a word.

Amen.

Wilderness

Isaiah 43:19 — See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

Only in the wilderness

can I see the fullness

of my need

for food.

Only in the wilderness

can I realize the depths

of my dependence

on water.

In the wilderness

the object of my faith

is revealed,

the insulation of my self-reliance

is laid bare.

Until I am stripped

of my vices,

separated from my dependencies,

I will not know the sturdiness

of my soul.

With the sun beating down,

flesh burnt and lips parched,

alone in the wilderness,

I will worship the Lord

and be sustained by His presence.

Amen.

Sure

Psalm 90:2 — Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

As sure as

the sun that rises

You are my healer

and my deliverance.

As certain as

the sky above me

You are my provider

and my sustenance.

No matter

my ability to see

or feel it

Your promises

are true

and Your word

will accomplish.

Take my unbelief -

my doubts

and my humanity -

and create in me

an unwavering faith

in the surety,

the certainty,

of who You are, Lord.

Amen.

Why, How?

Proverbs 25:2 — It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search it out.

Father

what do You have for me

within this affliction?

Open my eyes

to what I do not see,

open my ears

to what I do not hear.

Though I do not know

how,

though I do not see

why,

I know this treacherous attack

will make me

more like You.

Perhaps I will never know

in this life.

But I know You, God,

what Your word says,

what Your promises are,

and that is enough.

Amen.

Lost

Jeremiah 17:14 — Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

I am lost

to love,

unknown

to hope,

foreign

to healing.

I hurt

and I hurt,

I worry

and I groan -

I wander

through the unknown.

I want to be

free -

what is freedom?

I want to be

loved -

what is love?

I want to be

healed -

what is healing?

My Lord,

crucified and

resurrected.

Amen.

Unchanged

Psalm 102:25-27 — Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.

The sun rose

the sun set.

The rains came

the rains went.

People woke

now people rest.

Emotions flooded

emotions subsided.

You are the only

unchanged.

This day was Yours

from the moment

I woke.

Tomorrow will be Yours

Lord willing

I wake.

You do not change,

You do not forget;

You do not sleep

nor slumber.

You are the reminder

that though today may feel

impossible

overwhelming

unnerving

unknown,

it is exactly

as You designed it.

Amen.

Loved (?)

Isaiah 54:10 — “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

I finally

realize

Your love

is infinitely more

about how much

You love me

than it is

about how

unlovable

I am.

Amen.

I Have You

Isaiah 49:16 — “See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands…”

I have You.

By Your grace

now I have You.

I will not

let You go.

You are mine

now.

By Your mercy

now You are mine.

I cannot

give You up.

I may lose everything else -

have I not already?

But I refuse

to lose You.

…

“I have you.

By My grace

I have always had you.

I will not

let you go.

You have always been

Mine.

By My mercy

you will always be Mine.

I will not

give you up.

I will give everything I have -

have I not already?

I will never

give you up.”

Amen.

Like You

2 Corinthians 3:18 — And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Give me patience

to love like You love.

Give me peace

to think like You think.

Give me wisdom

to speak like You speak.

Give me humility

to forgive like You forgive.

Give me joy

to persevere like You persevere.

Give me kindness

to wait like You wait.

Give me strength

to remain like You remain.

Give me hope

to carry on like You carried on.

Give me self-control

to listen like You listen.

Amen.

Praise

Psalm 34:1 — I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

In the morning

and the evening

I will praise You.

In the darkness

and the light

I will praise You.

In the fire

and the flood

I will praise You.

In the labor

and the rest

I will praise You.

In the depths

and the shallows

I will praise You.

You are deserving of my praise, Lord,

regardless of my place.

I will praise You

always

because You are worthy of praise

always.

Amen.

Suffering

Psalm 119:49-50 — Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

O how beautiful

is Your instruction,

Lord my Savior.

Though my afflictions persist

and thorns pierce my flesh,

Your whispers bring me comfort.

Though my enemies surround me

and troubles tear away at my flesh,

Your commands bring me peace.

There is no greater beauty in life,

no deeper wonder,

than what is born from suffering.

For Your hand, O God,

is strong planted alongside the meek,

the weary and burdened.

If my suffering left me at once

so too would my desperation for You;

if I was freed from affliction

my faith would lose its addiction to You.

Therefore,

should I not rejoice in my sorrows

and cherish my troubles?

What good would light be

without darkness?

What good would faith be

without suffering?

Your hand, O God,

is with the heavy in heart.

Your victory, O Lord,

is in the souls of those who suffer.

Your truth, O righteous Father,

is inscribed on the minds of the mourning,

the wise who resiliently rejoice

in affliction.

Amen.

Rest

Hebrews 4:10-11 — … for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.

In my rest

You multiply.

In my peace

You proceed.

In my submission

You expand.

In my trust

You work.

You are blessed

when I enter

the Sabbath

with joy.

You are honored

when my work

takes its rightful place

in Your hands.

Help me, Father,

to rest in You -

to enter the place

of earnest rest

with gratitude.

Rest

in Your promises,

in Your power,

in Your fullness,

in Your light,

in Your presence

I will rest.

Amen.

Anew

Ephesians 5:14 — Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Satisfy me, Lord,

with the bread of life,

the word of truth.

Fill me up, Father,

with the fruits of the Spirit,

the overflow of love.

I want to fall for You

anew

this day.

I want to seek You

anew

this day.

I want my eyes

to see You,

my ears

to hear You,

my mouth

to praise You

anew

this day.

O Creator,

my eternal love,

awaken my heart

to new depths of intimacy

with You.

Amen.

Dwell

Deuteronomy 7:6 — For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

The Lord is my treasure

and He treasures me.

The Lord is my protector

and He protects me.

The Lord is my joy

and He rejoices in me.

Strip away all that I have, O Lord,

all that I am

and all that I will be

if it gives me more of You.

The joy of my heart

is the loss of myself.

The fruits of my spirit

are the seeds of Your truth.

I have no rest,

no life,

no joy and no peace

apart from You, O God -

it is a wonderful thing.

I have no purpose,

no strength,

no love and no wisdom

without You, my King -

it is a glorious thing.

Dwell in me, Lord of creation,

mighty God;

I rejoice that You dwell in me.

Amen.

Reason

1 John 3:1 — See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

From the breath of Eternity

I was awakened.

From the hands of Beauty

I was made.

From the heart of Love

I was called.

From the mouth of Glory

I was named.

Out of Wonder

I was made wonderful,

out of Pleasure

I was made pleasing -

from the unknown endlessness

of the Creator

I was created.

O Father,

I confess that I fail to grasp

the magnitude

of the words I speak.

The truth about

who You are,

therefore,

who I am,

is too incredible

for me to understand.

All that I know

is that You are God

and You created me

because it pleased You

to do so.

This is more than enough reason

for me to live

without needing any other

reason.

Amen.