Salt or Sugar?

  

If you have been through the Bible multiple times, you may think it is not necessary to still read it on a regular basis.  I have either read the Bible or had it read to me for 52 years, and when my heart is open, I still see verses from a new light   The other day, my husband and I were listening to the gospel of Luke, when chapter 14, verses 34-35, spoken by Jesus, stood out to me as never before.

"Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Luke 14:34-35

I said to my husband something like, "For some reason, I never really stopped to consider those verses before, but that is really standing out to me.  I see it as a warning not to lose our fire for God or our fire for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ."

My husband and I began talking about this and agreed it would make a good blog topic, so here I sit today to share my thoughts for whoever " hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Often when I am writing on a topic I know has been written about by many others, I intentionally do not go back and read anyone else's writings. I pray to only be influenced by the Holy Spirit.  I know there are several different angles from which I could write this blog, but I am choosing to focus on the issues most infusing my heart today.

I am a person who loves words and their meaning, so I looked up the definition of the word "savor."  I will use the definition in another version of Luke also mentioned in Matthew.

"Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour [a characteristic taste, flavor, or smell, especially a pleasant one]... it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."  Matthew 5:13

First, I want to touch on not losing our fire for the Lord. Revelation 3:16 says, "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue [spit] thee out of my mouth."  If you feel you are growing cold toward the Lord, spend more time in praise, prayer, and Bible study.  Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you anything that may be hindering a closer walk with Him and be obedient to let go of the things He brings to your heart (see Psalm 139:23-24).

 Next, lets' talk about not losing our salty fire for sharing the message of salvation.  In a world where people plug their ears to holiness messages, and make fun of/reject the True believers, it can be very discouraging to want to give up and quit speaking out for righteousness.  Let me encourage you that even if it seems no one is paying attention, God is, and His opinions matter more than anyone else's.  Stay faithful to the call, fellow Christian.  You are not alone; you have the Holy Trinity in your corner, and my husband and I as well!

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9

Now I want to explain what I mean when I say there is a difference between a salty message and a sugary one. To most people, a pleasant gospel would be one that tells them it is perfectly fine to sin as much as they like because God gives us grace for everything.  We just have to say a prayer one time to ask Jesus into our hearts and then never again worry about right or wrong because we are now eternally secure.  That, my friends, is a sugar-coated gospel!  

We are not being called to politely lead people to hell, we are called to escort them boldly to heaven's throne!  

Salt was considered very valuable in the days when Jesus walked, but if something valuable gets broken, tarnished, or damaged in any way, the value dramatically declines.  And as Jesus puts it, if that something valuable loses its potency, you could even say, if it gets watered down, it deserves to be thrown out and even trampled under people's feet.  

The same is absolutely true with the most valuable asset on the planet, the message of salvation that can show one the way to eternity in Heaven.  If it is damaged, it is useless to your soul.  

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [turns it into something inaccurate and unholy], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude, verse 4

Now I finally get to it, here is my salty message speaking out against a sugar-coated gospel:

To be clear, I believe Jesus' death on the cross, our salvation, and grace are free gifts we do not have to earn. However, a salty message will encourage you to treat these precious gifts with the utmost care and not neglect them, because they and your soul can be lost.  

But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Ezekiel 18:24 & 26

Pretty clear cut, don't you think? Ezekiel was a mighty profit who heard directly from God.  He tells us when the righteous, or the Christian, turns his back on God and intentionally chooses to sin, he will lose his salvation - die in his sins! This is not speaking of minor offenses, of course, but as Ezekiel says, "abominations," or rebelliously refusing to do what you know is right in the eyes of God.  Just as when we sincerely repent from our sins, they are blotted out by the blood of Jesus (Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. Ezekiel 18:27-28), the exact opposite is true. Righteousness is canceled out by sin until we sincerely repent again.   (These same words are repeated in Ezekiel 33 as well.) 

Now let's look at the words of Jesus:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:1-6

The definition of the word abide is "to remain; continue; stay."  Therefore, Jesus is telling us that if we leave our fellowship with Him (cease abiding with Him) we will be "cast forth... into the fire and burned."  Obviously, He is speaking of the fire in Hell. In other words, if you give your life to Christ and become a Christian, but then refuse to follow the ways of Jesus by leaving your morals behind, you are no longer bearing good fruit, and you will be cast away.  Jesus does not say that you can stay grafted into the vine no matter what, and that you will be eternally secure. No, if you make the choice to leave, you will be cast off!

The more you abide in Jesus: read the Bible, pray more than just when you are asking for a favor, and worship Him with a contrite heart, the more it will be clear what He expects of you.  The more you will understand His character and His will and you will want to do what is right (...the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. Romans 2:4).  The Holy Spirit will convict you of your sins and testify to your spirit what must be done to see the face of God for all eternity (I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Romans 12:1).

Let's go again to the words spoken by Jesus:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:21-23

This is obviously about someone who is calling himself a Christian, otherwise why would he be calling out to the Lord and prophesying, casting out demons, etc. But Jesus says that even if you call on Him and work for Him, you can still be in danger of losing your salvation if you are doing all these things while living in sin.  No, eternal life with Christ is not automatic just because you use the name of Jesus or work for Him; you must keep the sin out of your life or He will tell you to "depart from" Him.  In other words, He will send you to hell.

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.  2 Timothy 4:4; 7-8

There are many more verses I can list where it says in the Bible that all people will be judged according to their works. That Truth alone shows we are not automatically eternally secure.  If so, there would be no reason for God to judge our works.  Finishing the course and keeping the faith means the same as abiding in the vine.  In order to obtain the crown from Jesus, you must not let go of your righteous ways or give in to sin.

Here are a few more verses on obtaining crowns from God, our judge.  No where does it say the crown of righteousness will be given to every single person that says some version of the sinner's prayer.  There are conditions that must be met! In the below verse, Paul makes it very clear that even he, an extremely faithful servant of Christ, could be cast away from heaven if he falls into sin.

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. I Corinthians 9:24-27

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. Phillipans 4:1

And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. II Timothy 2:5

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12

The messages of these verses are: stand fast in the Lord, strive lawfully, endure temptation, and you will receive a crown of righteousness.  Stray away from the Lord and holiness, and you will be cast away.

The last verses below are the easiest way to point you away from sugar and to the salt of the gospel: Note the list of sinful actions does NOT say, "If you call yourself a Christian you can do all these things and still go to heaven," NO!  It says, if you commit the sins listed, you will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God.  There are no exceptions to that rule. You must daily repent of your sins, and strive to be holy as the Lord is holy, or you will not have eternity with the Father - not my words, this is scriptural as you will see below.   

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: I Peter 1:14-17

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Hebrews 12:14

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 21:7-8

Jesus will Hold you Fast and Carry you When you Cannot Walk, Written by my Husband

 

Jesus will Hold you Fast and Carry you When you Cannot Walk, Written by my Husband (Mel)

The Lord gave me a dream of his love, care, and devotion for his children. I dreamed, that when I was a young man, the Lord found me lying in a ditch all wounded and dying. The angels picked me up and carried me and nursed me back to health spiritually. The Lord spoke to me while I was awake and said, "I will hold you fast." 

We live in an imperfect world and struggle with a fallen nature; however, God has brought us hope and redemption through the cross of Christ and help through his Holy Spirit. If after we are truly saved by his grace, we stray from him down a path of false doctrine or sin, he will come after us, as well as fight for us. Jesus will leave the 99 sheep to go after and rescue the one that is lost. The Lord chastens the son he receives and brings the rod of correction to the ones he loves. The Lord will hold you tight in his hand and will do anything to bring you back to him! The Lord loves us too much to let us remain backslidden from him. However, if you refuse to allow his Holy Spirit to correct you and choose to continue living in darkness, you may fall from grace and be blotted out of the Book of Life. A dead, or lukewarm church, will be vomited out of God's mouth (Revelation 3). Christ compares an unrepentant backslider to a dog that returns to his vomit, or a sow who after being washed clean returns to the mire (mud). 

(2 Peter 2:20-22) For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

Salvation begins with repentance of sins. Repentance is a change of mind and heart in regard to the old sinful lifestyle, as well as a desire to become a new creation in Christ Jesus. To be truly saved, you must hunger and thirst for righteousness, and turn away from the old rebellious life you once knew.  When you repent and put your faith in the finished work of Christ upon the cross you are saved from perdition and have been given eternal life. We are justified by faith and saved by grace (unmerited favor). Christ will wash you clean and remove all of your sins and grant you a clean slate. Because of Christ's atonement made upon the cross you walk perfectly before him as long as you remain in the light. God gives us grace to grow in him. We come to him as babes on milk and learn to walk by taking baby steps. Through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are transformed from the inside out. 

Grace is for those who walk by faith in the light and not for those who love darkness and are apathetic toward righteousness. Cheap grace or greasy grace is a term to describe the junk food gospel being taught in many churches today. The unconditional eternal security doctrine teaches that a saved believer cannot lose their salvation. This doctrine is contrary to scripture and leads many people to Hell. Hebrews 10:38-39 states that a believer can drawback unto perdition (Hell) if they do not remain in the faith. There are Christians who have lost their faith and died as atheists, Buddhists, agnostics etc. these will not enter the Kingdom of God.

We must deny ourselves daily, take up our cross and follow after Christ. If we love him, we will obey him. Christ taught us how we should conduct ourselves in this world. The sermon on the mount, also known as the beatitudes, are instructions that we should all live by.

Christ taught us the parable of the prodigal son in (Luke 15: 11-32). The son was tired of his rebellious life for he squandered his inheritance with riotous living. He returned home and his father ran to him, held him, and kissed him, put a robe on him, and a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. They killed the fatted calf for his son and the father said, "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

(Luke 15:11-32) Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 

But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." ' 

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.

Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.' But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.' "

Seek the Kingdom of God

Seek the Kingdom of God

I dreamt that someone I know called me with a panic in her voice and plead, "I need you to call for help!  He is seeking the Kingdom of God!"  Before I could ask for any further details, I woke up.

I do not know for certain if that dream came from God, but I immediately went to prayer for an unknown person.  I prayed he would only seek God's Kingdom and no one else's.  That his eyes would be opened to anything that would confuse him from knowing the True Kingdom of God and he would capture what he was seeking. That he would not let any previous misconceptions or earthly idols get in the way of seeking God's Kingdom and living right before the Lord. That He would repent and believe in the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is also my prayer for anyone reading this, including myself. 

(Matthew 1:15) And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 

I could write several blogs about seeking the Kingdom of God, but my message today is simple and brief, but important. Remember, God is not hiding from you. In fact, He is chasing you and wants to be found by you.  Keep seeking the Kingdom of God and do not run away from anything He tries to reveal to you.  If He tells you that you need to change your ways of thinking or give up anything keeping you from obtaining His Kingdom, listen and humbly obey His voice.

Here are a few scriptures on seeking God that stood out to me most:

(Leviticus 19:31) Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God. 

(1 Chronicles 16:10-11) Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. 

(Psalm 14:2) The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 

(Isaiah 55:6-7) Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

(Matthew 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

(Acts 17:27-28) That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. 

Where will you build your house?

 

Where will you build your house?

My husband and I moved to the Pacific Northwest in April 2019; we live thirty minutes from the ocean.  We like to get in the water up to our knees and let the waves crash into us as the water gets higher and higher.  When one stands in the stand, you feel yourself sinking, and need to continually shift position to keep from losing balance.  It was that experience that inspired this blog.         

Matthew 7:24-29 (posted at the end) paints a picture of two different types of houses during a storm.  It is clear Jesus was speaking of our spiritual lives.  No one is exempt from the storms of life.  We will all face hardships.  It is during those life-changing moments when it matters most where you have chosen to build your house.  Faith in Jesus Christ, the rock, is a wonderful start.  If you are angry with God and refuse to cling to Him in your time of need, you are on shifting sand and are sure to wash away with the debris brought by the storm.  

I want to take this theme a step farther from the lessons we were taught in Sunday School. (Remember the song, "The rains came down, and the floods came up," and doing the hand motions up and down?) For starters, many only call on Jesus and claim Him as their rock when the storms come.  We need to go beyond the hard days and focus on every day! As I mentioned above, I felt the need to move and shift while standing in the waves to keep from falling.  The waves of my analogy now represent temptation. Standing in shifting sand will not do you any good, you will still keep sinking as long as you stay put.  You need to get out of the sand (move away from your sinful lifestyle) and get to Jesus the Rock!   

The last time my hubby and I waded in the waves, another angle of this theme occurred to me.  I can stand on all the rocks I want, but if I'm in the middle of the ocean when the waves hit, I will still be knocked over.  You cannot simply stand on the rock; you must abide in the house on the rock.  Does that make sense?  In other words, you must remain grafted together with Jesus, you cannot make it on your own. 

The best way we can remain in that safe house on the rock is by having a firm, solid faith and a sound doctrine.  Just as we can choose to walk out the door of any house, we can choose to walk away from Jesus.  If you do not pay your mortgage payment or rent, you could end up homeless.  You need to keep living a clean life and ask for victory over habitual sins to keep abiding in Jesus.  Do not walk away from the house on the rock and go to the house on the sand by believing you are eternally secure. That doctrine will wash you away with the incoming tide.    

The book of Jude, written by one of Jesus' brothers, warns us that the grace message will be skewed and misrepresented, verses 3-4 say, "Dear friends, I’ve dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting—begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish. What has happened is that some people have infiltrated our ranks (our Scriptures warned us this would happen), who beneath their pious skin are shameless scoundrels. Their design is to replace the sheer grace of our God with sheer license—which means doing away with Jesus Christ, our one and only Master." (the Message version) Sadly, this is too true.  People have exchanged the Truth of God's grace when we repent (the rock), for a lie that says grace is an excuse to sin without repenting (the sinking sand).  This false teaching gives people "sheer license" to do whatever they want and never worry about the consequences.  (Romans 6:1-2- What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?) 

(Revelation 20:12) And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 

Yes, the love and grace of Jesus and salvation are absolutely free gifts that we do not have to earn to receive, we just need to ask for them.  Jesus will never stop loving us (Romans 8:39).  However, we can lose our salvation when we treat it carelessly.   We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling as it states in Philippians 2:12!  We must stand on the rock of Truth to keep from toppling over when the waves hit.  

Think of it this way: When you have a job, do you just stay home, or do you go to work to earn a paycheck?  Have you ever called your boss and said, "I really don't feel like working, can you do all my work for me and still give me a paycheck?"  Of course not, you would be fired! Then why would you believe Jesus' righteousness alone is enough to join Him in Paradise? Do you really think Jesus will do all the work for you and still let you into His Kingdom? Even parents give their children jobs to do in order to earn an allowance.   Your job is to read your Bible, spend time in prayer and praise, and follow the laws of Jesus by doing your very best to keep habitual sins at bay.  Don't be lazy or rebellious but truly try to conquer and eliminate the sins you know God hates.  The Holy Spirit will enable you to get victory over sin!   

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus tells Simon that his new name will be Peter, because Peter means "rock." He says Peter is a rock because "the gates of Hades shall not prevail against" the church Peter is destined to establish. When Jesus is our rock, and we do our best to walk down paths of righteousness, we in turn become rocks for others.  We need to encourage others to live holy lives and not shy away from the popular beliefs of the world.  Sadly, the majority of Christians are falling away as predicted in 2 Timothy.  Many now support the homosexual lifestyles, abortion, have no problem going into a bar, taking drugs, support witchcraft, and the list goes on and on. Do not be surprised when friends and family members become angry with you for speaking the Truth.  You may even lose those relationships. However, now is not the time to be shy; we must stay strong and be a rock and encourage others to not only build their lives on Jesus, but to stay in that house!

(2 Timothy 4:2-4) Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 

(Matthew 10:33) But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. 

(Matthew 7:24-29) “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 

No Cure? Why Write a Poem? & Things I Will Never Know (Poems)

No Cure? Why Write a Poem? & Things I Will Never Know (Poems)

To some, poetry may not seem like a particularly profound or spiritual thing to share.  However, like the book of Psalms, I see poetry as a way to praise the Lord as well as being spiritually and emotionally healing.  

I am not a very good poet, but I recently felt the need to write these three poems. I do not believe that God gives me ideas for poems to keep to myself, so even if I only help one person, I pray my words will inspire, uplift, and encourage others.  

I plan to someday illustrate more of my poems and someday create a book of poems combined with short writings that I may or may not try to get published.  

I have included links to my other poems at the end of this writing.

(1 John 1:3) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

No Cure? (2025)

Perhaps not the worst words one can hear,

But certainly ones that elicit fear,

“There is no cure for you,

Treatments won’t help much,

And you will only get worse.”

Panic. 

Hopelessness. 

Self-pity.

Tears.  

As I lay on the floor,

In too much pain to move,

And too distressed to breathe,

My heart cries for a song,

More than my broken body needs,

My soul craves healing.

I let the music play,

Surrounded by songs I love,

Resounding in a not-so-random order,

As if God planned this play list just for me,

To remind me of all that Jesus is.

Pain taker.

Mountain mover.

Path straightener.

Joy giver.

The songs continue to bless me,

To strengthen me,

To remember that some mountains are necessary,

And that God is always with me;

May I never forget I am a child of the King!

No cure for this mortal body,

But Jesus is the remedy for my immortal soul,

His blood has healed my sin-sick spirit,

His medicine I want to take daily,

To stay clean, joyful, and whole.

Peaceful.

Forgiven.

Loved.

Royalty.

His love has cured my despair,

His mercy has inspired my actions,

I desire only to live for Him,

And though I may be crooked in body,

I can forever soar in my soul!

(Psalm 45:1 AMP) My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my psalm to the King. My tongue is like the pen of a skillful writer.

Why write a poem? (2025)

Certain things are too difficult to pen,

So why write a poem?

Why open a wound I try so hard to keep sealed?

Because scotch tape does not cure a broken heart;

After a while it loosens

And the pain seeps back out.

So why write a poem?

Will it create a permanent healing?
Will it change the past?
Can it bring back those lost,

Or fill an empty womb?

No, poetry is not a cure,

It is a process to increase my faith,

Writing words I cannot say aloud

Is a way to express,

A way to cry,

A way to scream

Without uttering a sound.

It is a way to say to God,

“I don’t understand,

But I love You anyway.”

He knows what my heart says 

In between the beats,

So why write a poem?

Because God wants to hear me,

Even when I cannot fully verbalize my heart,

He knows the way I process emotion,

He knows paper and ink are the path to closure,

He knows how to heal what I cannot.

Therefore I will praise,

I will trust,

I will tell God I love Him,

I will see beyond this life,

I will find joy and peace,

And I will write a poem.

(Psalm 56:8) Thou tellest my misery: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

Things I WIll Never Know (2025)

I will never know

The joy of a positive pregnancy test,

Never experience morning sickness,

Never thrill at a baby’s kick inside my belly;

WIll not keep track of the weeks and months

Until my baby is born.

I will never know

What is is like to feel that newborn in my arms,

And weep with joy as I become a mother

What it is like to see a tiny face

That is a beautiful blend of my husband and me,

To see dimples so like his father’s,

Or eyes just like mine;

To call him the name lovingly chosen.

I will never know 

What is is like to hold that little boy in my lap,

Reading him bedtime stories,

Praying with him and teaching him 

All about God’s love;

Will not hear him call me Mommy,

Or Mel called Daddy.

I will never know

How it feels to watch him grow,

To hear him giggle in delight,

As we take silly family selfies;

Will never see my child snuggle with a fluffy pet,

Or watch him grow up so fast I want time to slow down;

Will never see him delight in the love of God,

As he becomes more like Jesus every day.

No, this barren body will never carry a baby,

These empty arms will never snuggle with my child.

Yet I will always know

What it feels like to bask in the love of God,

To have my Heavenly Father hold me close,

To not know why He chose this path for me,

But to know Jesus calls me His own,

To feel His nail-scarred hands wipe away my tears,

To know He fills my empty heart,

And to know that His love will always be enough for me.

Links:

Poetry, Part 1: https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2021/08/julies-poetry-part-1-1991-1994.html

Part 2: https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2021/08/julies-poetry-part-2-1997-2003.html

Part 3: https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2021/08/julies-poetry-part-3-2005-2017.html

Daddy's Girls & Hallelujah (Poems):  https://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2025/05/daddys-girls-hallelujah-poems.html