JOY IN THE HOLLOW

Joy, that blissful state to keep,

is met in a winter hollow,

where tracks lead in, both wide and deep,

by the edge of the firs on landscape steep,

and where I, with wonder, follow.

Over head, the sun shines perfect light

on the snowy altered tree,

and the downy bridesmaid’s hearty flight

is joined by grouse in peaceful sight,

where the woods are hushed for me.

You, Maker of my spirit’s smile

by the marriage you impart,

declare a goodness for my while.

With a skip, I’ll go another mile,

having joy within my heart.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David 

a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

And this shall be a sign unto you: 

Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 

lying in a manger.

Luke 2:11-12

JOY IN THE HOLLOW 

And an highway shall be there, and a way,

and it shall be called The way of holiness;

the unclean shall not pass over it;

but it shall be for those:

the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast

shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there;

but the redeemed shall walk there:

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,

and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy

upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35: 8-10

Only the Spirit of the Living God can satisfy the empty space in the hollow of the heart. God’s Spirit communes with the human spirit of the believer, assisting and instructing, and rooting joy. Once wayfaring and foolish, no continuation of such persons will walk the highways in Heaven.

The redeemed sing songs expressing joy! Their hearts know redemption, the result of repentance, which is remission of sin, being made white as snow. Because of Jesus, there is joy now. “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart!”

In my last post, we looked at the king of Nineveh who had declared to the people that if they would repent, God might relent and not destroy them. They mourned from real heartfelt sorrow at wrongs committed, wore sackcloth, and sat in ashes. This outward sign demonstrated a change within their hearts, like baptism is an outward sign of an inward decision for Christ. God was moved and chose not to destroy them.

Sackcloth is rough. I imagine it's rougher than coarse wool, uncomfortable to wear. It's sack feed material. Shepherds in the days of Jesus often wore it. And sitting in ashes is, of course, dirty and humbling, showing ruin.

Mordecai, Queen Esther's cousin, wore sackcloth and sat in ashes by the king's gate, displaying his sorrow for hearing about the plight of his people at the hands of the evil Haman. Mordecai would not accept clothes that Esther sent but kept wearing the sackcloth. When she found out the evil plan for her people to be killed, she prayed and fasted and then approached the king. He would let her live and speak, and the Jews were saved.

We continue to live in a fallen world.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Isaiah 5:20

The look of their countenance witnesses against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves.

Isaiah 3:9

We are all sinners, as the Bible states. Forgiveness is for those who believe and accept the payment made on the cross by innocent Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But those who do not, who parade their sin, who seek an audience for the evil they display that is contrary to God's clear Word, woe to them!

Scoffers of God's Word place no emphasis on repentance. No sorrow for sin shows no evidence of change. Condoning sin places no need for turning away from it. Without the removal of sin, sin remains.

The Man of Sorrow, Jesus, took on the coarseness of our sins when He died on the cruel cross. God's way for the removal of sin is through His precious Son, which was costly. Forgiveness is remission of sin. Forgiveness is pardon, exoneration, absolution, mercy, and amazing grace! Only Jesus can cancel our sin debt and take away our penalty.

So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Hebrews 9:28

Likewise, I say unto you,

there is joy in the presence of the angels of God

over one sinner that repenteth.

Luke 15:10

Remember the uplifting passage of Isaiah 35 about the joy of the redeemed. Heaven’s joy has been bought and paid for by Jesus Christ, the Living Word, the Son of God. 

Give joy to the angels from true repentance. 

Give joy to God from the decision to repent.

SNOW ON THE EVERGREEN

Jesus, Jehovah, Immanuel.

Abundant joy rich to tell.

There is a love that fills my heart,

like snow in the deepest part.

El, Creator, Merciful, Love.

Blessed assurance from above.

There is a peace from Heaven’s crown,

like snow gently falling down.

Savior, Messiah, Adonai.

Blood outpoured to sanctify.

There is a grace from only Him,

like snow coating every limb.

Unspeakable Gift, Redeemer, King.

Sing the song the ransomed sing!

There is a life made wholly right,

like snow turning woodlands white.

Spirit, Counselor, Author, Friend.

Kingdom wonders never end.

There is a seal forever clean,

like snow on the evergreen.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power

to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:12-13

SNOW ON THE EVERGREEN

In the woods, here in Veery Glade, snow comes straight down and gently coats an evergreen. As I continue to think about this year's word, which is repent, I am drawn to the words sackcloth and ashes. I remember reading and learning about this but let us take a closer look, my fellow forest dweller.

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me."

Jonah 1:1-2

Jonah had been sent to Nineveh to proclaim that God was going to destroy them for their wickedness and we know Jonah went running the other way. But his three days in the belly of a great fish caused Jonah to change his mind and do what God told him to do in the first place. The Nineveh people might not have believed that God was about to destroy them due to their wayward ways but they did believe. They expressed repentance and humility by wearing sackcloth and sitting in ashes, which signified desolation and ruin. Their outward sign demonstrated change within their heart and a desire to do right. God saw the genuine change in the people's hearts.

So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.

Jonah 3:5-6

Expression of repentance from true repentance made God change His mind and not destroy Nineveh. Mourning from real heartfelt sorrow at wrongs committed moved Almighty God. Covered faces with hands of true remorse before Creator God for sinful life impacted His decision to be merciful.

Here, the psalmist declares his happiness in the morning after spending time in the night weeping:

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

Psalm 30:11-12

The psalmist gives praise to the One who removed the sackcloth and clothed him with joy. That would be God! Forgiveness in response to genuine repentance lifts the heart and restores the soul. Today, any time is the time to confess before the Lord, to turn from wicked ways, to resolve to change, obey and honor God. His work through His Son, Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins, has been done. Know His work. Trust His work. Let His work help you.

Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

Acts 2:38-39

Belief in prayer can bring about change. Prayer can avail much. Pray believing. Praying while not believing is useless.

To receive the promise, the gift of the Holy Spirit, like snow of the evergreen, repent.

THE ICY GNARLY ELM

The icy, gnarly elm alone
in the dell, just beyond the spruces,
has taken on to moan and groan
and wonder of her uses;
to worry in the winter scene
where none but harshness grows—
and the cold wind blows.
 
Yet even so, the elm stands firm,
though the weighted ice is building.
And there lies at core a diseasing worm,
as the branches soon are breaking.
Forbidding is the winter scene
in which all things are made weak—
where the plight looks bleak.
 
But there is remembrance of who one is,
as the sun shines on and sparkles.
Even through the strain and brittleness,
there is reason yet for marvels.
Hostile may the winter scene become
and the stressful toll long—
but her trust is strong.

 

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

 

THE ICY GNARLY ELM

Winter has arrived, here in Veery Glade. Ice and snow covers the branches of maple, beech, and old gnarly elm trees. Only evergreens provide a dash of green color against the white backdrop of land and sky. We are locked in the grips of winter.

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Psalm 51:9

The battle with sin involves true repentance, which is turning away from sin. When there is no regret or remorse for one's wrongdoing, a submissive heart and mind to the Lord is not happening. When life continues in a sin-bent way and there is no sorrow for it, the opportunity for a change to a clean heart and renewed mind won't occur. The old has not gone away but remains. Nothing has been blotted out but is seen.

But there is hope. Remember the words Paul spoke as revealed to him by God?

Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1 Corinthians 5:17

Change. That, my dear forest reader, is what being saved is all about! Like a butterfly becoming a fluttering flowery figure from a gravelly ground-crawling caterpillar, a change occurred.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

The heading of Psalm 51 is a Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him after he had sinned with Bathsheba. David expressed sincere confession before the LORD. He defined his sin and appealed to God's mercy. He acknowledged that God was right and he had been wrong. (Trying to justify a wrong is not the thing to do.) Looking to the Author of his faith, he asked for healing. He was comforted by God and rejoiced and announced truth. And then, he resolved to obey. Obedience would be David's way instead of making the same mistake again.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Psalm 51:17

Here's a reaching analogy but it makes sense to me: in physical training and wanting to become stronger, exercise breaks down muscle. In recovery, the muscle has a chance to rebuild. To lose that proud heart and the heart who thinks no sin is in them, a breaking point must be reached, which includes an admittance of error. We cannot enter Heaven on our own merit. Honor God with a contrite heart. He will not despise it.

I encourage you to read all of Psalm 51! It is a Psalm of repentance. With no heart change because of what Jesus, the Son of God, did on the cross, the unchanged heart will go to where unchanged hearts go. And that is hell. 

 

An elm tree holds up in the winter landscape. So we endure trials. We trust through prayer and lean not on our own understanding. Even when others scoff at us, we keep on praying. We know it is written that maintained confidence in the Lord will be richly rewarded. God is the Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him—who pray believing.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

 

God waits/suffers long for as many as will willingly choose to repent.

Here is a book trailer for The Long Skip Home.

TRACKS IN THE SNOW

A glistening dell,
white-clad and temple-like,
a line of fresh-made tracks
beneath a spruce’s spike,
where winds have not come in
to shake the boughs of snow,
and in a winter’s blue,
the sunlight shimmers low.

It’s here we see a pattern,
while breathing crispy air,
the prints of whitetail deer
preserved in snowy care.
The pointed toes had followed
the ones before them made,
and dainty ones, too,
had crossed the frozen glade.
 
The wisest and the learned
trust in established ways
through cold and drifted trials
to kinder, warmer days;
So, let us raise a prayer
and speak our human need—
to step within the footsteps
of Sovereign-made lead.

 

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25

 

TRACKS IN THE SNOW 

Happy New Year to You, Forest-Dwelling Reader!

May the Lord richly bless you in the year 2025! May God’s mighty hand be at work in our lives as we pray throughout the year! Jesus said He will be with us to the end of the world and we know He keeps His promises.

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20

With this new year comes a new word at the end of every blog post, here on my Poems and Prayer blog. I completed all the beautiful attributes of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit in the past years and, after thought and prayer, I have chosen this year's highlighted word. It is: REPENT. This word is mentioned many times in the Bible and is crucial for eternal life. What does it mean? Does the church preach it? I hope you will join me in delving into this essential condition more fully over the course of our new year.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 8:12

Jesus promises the ‘light of life’ to those who follow Him. Following in Jesus' footsteps involves turning away from darkness, turning from wicked ways. 

Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

Acts 19:4

And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the scriptures. Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Luke 24:45-47

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 13:5

Jesus gave a warning that all who do not repent will die. Repentance is of extreme importance. So, what does the word 'repent' mean? To repent is to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about a wrongdoing or sin. It is to feel sorry for something bad you've done, to be ashamed of a type of life you've lived. Repentance is to turn away from sin and turn to God for forgiveness. Repentance involves a commitment to not sin again, a resolve to be obedient to God's commands, motivated by love for them because they came from God.

If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Turn from their wicked ways. Wicked ways still exist today. I'm sure that's not new info for you! But in the church, is repentance taught? Jesus, the Son of God, came to die for our sins. Remember the words Simeon declared when the baby Jesus was placed in his arms? The devil wants to lessen any need for repentance, to deceive, to make people think they are not in need of saving. People and even vile "pastors" who live and showcase their sexually immoral lives to attentive audiences place no emphasis on repenting. They make Jesus out to be a liar, both by their words and by the way they continue sinful living.

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Jeremiah 6:16

Thank God for good pastors who humbly preach repentance and remind us to stand in the crossroads and pick the better way. Saved people envision because the vision of spiritual eyes is connected with a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Without faith, the walk is void of the light of life. Without repentance, there is only death. Without the remission of sins, sins remain. Cling to the work Jesus has done and submit to His authority in your heart and mind.

Like most animals, deer take the path of least resistance. They follow a path already broken from the one who went first. Creation reminds us to trust God’s lead. Ask to see His tracks into 2025 and then follow.

Order my steps in thy word; and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Psalm 119:133

Remember that GOD LOVES YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE! He, alone, gives out-of-this-world help at any time, including to turn from wicked ways and repent.

BOUGHS OF HEMLOCK

Boughs of hemlock, full, adorning,

blessed to greet the chilly morning;

as when Magi came afar,

from the east, beneath the Star,

and gave sweet gifts to the King of kings,

Creator of created things,

who became a man—a babe to carry—

and trusted the goodness of Joseph and Mary.

Boughs of hemlock, rich and stately,

by the roadside waving greatly;

likened to the branches’ way

in Jerusalem that day,

when our Savior Jesus Christ wept,

and on the road to the cross, kept,

to atone for us eternal peace,

from sin’s sure hold, a sure release.

Boughs of hemlock sprinkled snow,

delicate grace on branches show;

like the change from winter time to spring.

A new life planted, faith will bring

fruit and life from a spirit clean,

and fine harvest of an evergreen.

Truth and honor in scripture well

will be honored, as time will tell.

And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.

Leviticus 23:40

BOUGHS OF HEMLOCK

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. 

Isaiah 9:2

God gave His Word through the prophet Isaiah. Light changes a dark scene. Hope alleviates trouble. Joy lifts turmoil. And being self-controlled keeps you alert.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Peter 5:8

Isaiah tells us God’s plan with remembrance of a past event. It was deliberate in the day of Midian when the odds looked ridiculous for Gideon who led a few men blowing trumpets and breaking jars against their enemy.

For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, and the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. 

Isaiah 9:4

It was also deliberate when Sarah gave birth at the age of 90. It was deliberate when King Hezekiah saw an angel standing in the battlefield after it killed 185,000 men of the king’s enemy because he had prayed for help.

Let there be light. I think God’s first words in Genesis were deliberate too. Jesus is the Great Light seen by the people walking in darkness. Only Jesus Christ can break the yoke of sin and swipe the staff of the task-master, the rod of Satan, the prince of darkness, the roaring lion who devours.

For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. 

Isaiah 9:5

What are the results of losing the battle of salvation? Hell. We will not all be blessed in the end and some have said. Jesus will divide the grain from the chaff, the believer from the non-believer. The grain will go into His good barn while the chaff will be tossed into the fire.

Now is the time to be saved by the only one who can save.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Jesus Christ is God’s Son given to us through the Virgin Mary. God became what He created—a human being! Jesus is God incarnate. Emmanuel, God with us. God came to us in the form of a baby boy. Jesus is the exact representation of Almighty God and is the Savior.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:7

There is ongoing just government and perpetual peace in the kingdom of the King of kings because of zeal. God’s enthusiasm has brought about His Word. Christ is able to accomplish great things! All power is given unto Jesus by Almighty God the Father. Jesus’ name is exalted above all names. He is the only one who is worthy to break the seals and begin the end times.

Keep asking God for the help needed to endure any hardship. He is able to hear us in prayer. Sometimes, we have to keep at it like the persistent widow. But in faith, be diligent, be controlled. The devil cannot stop God from answering prayer. But, being a deceiver, he is able to stop prayer from happening.

This is my last post for the year 2024. I'll have a new word for the end of each blog post in 2025. I've already picked it, but you'll have to read it next year to find out! :-)

We have snow on the ground here in Veery Glade. Sunshine on the snow crystals reminds us of the verse about our sin becoming as white as snow. Live a life trusting Jesus and look for that day of waving boughs upon entering the Heavenly realm as promised.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

With green boughs in hand, submit to the Spirit's call to maintain your self-control.

THE SAPLING’S STAR

The night is cold, it is bitter cold,
and the trees are moving, creaking,
screeching in the cold, dark, winter night,
as the stars begin their peeking.

They can see the patch where the maples grow,
nestled in for winter, napping,
and beneath the trunk of a mighty red,
they can see the smallest sapling.
 
They are shown a strength in its tiny limbs,
of a promise building, keeping,
of a hope to give unsparingly,
of love for the woodland sleeping.

And they wonder who is showing this,

in whose light a-basking, savoring?

High above the sapling is its Star,

shining brightly, ever favoring!

 

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah,
yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me
that is to be ruler in Israel;
whose goings forth have been from of old,
from everlasting.
Micah 5:2

 

THE SAPLING’S STAR

For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
John 3:16

I am confident that... The Designer of the Bethlehem Star loves us!

God wonderfully shone a light on the giving of His most precious gift—His Son, Jesus Christ. From the beginning of time, this birth was carefully orchestrated, knitted together, fearfully and wonderfully made in a mother’s womb.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Psalm 139:13-14

That mother was Mary, as we read in the New Testament, who waited for the birth of her baby.

And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Luke 1:45

Through the prophet Micah 700 years before the birth of Christ, God tells us that from the tribe of Judah, in the town of Bethlehem, He would call to Himself a ruler from everlasting. Micah prophesied of a restored kingship in a kingdom that will last forever. He was talking about Jesus Christ even though he never got to see the Messiah (on earth).

And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.

Micah 4:8

May we know this... God accomplishes what He does, what He sets forth to do.

So shall my word be
that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing
whereto I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

Do you see the sovereignty of the Designer who proclaimed the very first words, ‘Let there be Light’? Do you hear the authority of our Creator who created each star? Do you sense the presence of the One who sent the one-of-a-kind Bethlehem Star?

Who being the brightness of his glory
and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down
on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Hebrews 1: 3

How fortunate we are to know the prophecies written in the Bible and see their fulfillment! And, like Micah and Mary, we wait for something too— for Christ’s second coming. Now, it’s our turn to wait. Those who wait on the Lord will renew their wings. They will see that restored kingship so richly talked about.

For it pleased the Father that in him
should all fullness dwell.
Colossians 1:19

Prayer is a privilege and lets us know God is working specifically in our life because of specific prayer. Bring what weighs heavy on your heart to the Everlasting Father in Jesus’ name and see what light He sheds on it. Prayer is a great step of faith that can be made every day.

But the LORD said unto Samuel,
Look not on his countenance,
or on the height of his stature;
because I have refused him:
for the LORD seeth not as man seeth;
for man looketh on the outward appearance,
but the LORD looketh on the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

As we look to the Christmas season coming before us, remember the events of that special night beneath the Bethlehem Star. Jesus, God’s Word made flesh and the mighty ruler who establishes a bright kingdom that will last forever for those who put their trust in Him accomplishes because:

Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Acts 4:12

Therefore I will look unto the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation:
my God will hear me.
Micah 7:7

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

When there is a full moon here in Veery Glade, moon shadows streak across a snow-covered woodland floor. A maple sapling in starlight stands beside the trunk of its parent. In time, the young tree will grow in height and majesty.

May starlight shine on God’s Gift to us—forgiveness of all our sins and eternal life through faith in His Son.

May God's Word to you help you keep walking in your self-control.