Mercy Storms

There is mercy in wrath
And there's love in pain
Grace dwells in sorrow
Sunshine in rain

Is anger the opposite of love
When sent down from His throne?
True judgment only comes
When God leaves us all alone

We do not fear aright
When we shrink away from Him
His mercy rides the tempest
And sweeps away our sin



This poem (written last night at the Denton Artists Guild meeting) was inspired by the book of Jonah and by Pastor Beau Hughes, who has been walking with us through Jonah. It has been real in my life and confirmed in Jonah 1-2 that God's mercy is not often manifested in peace and happiness. Due to our blindness and pride, God will lovingly "wreck shop" in our lives to get our attention and reveal what it is that is keeping us from Him. Too often people see God's judgment and wrath in such a situation. Certainly I have heard many a teaching about how Jonah disobeyed and look out, here comes God with the big stick to punish him for his rebellion. But in reality it is the storms in my life that shake me out of apathy, bring me to my knees and get me back in God's will. Let's be brave and not wish for a placid, happy (and boring) life, but let's ask God for all the storms we need for our good and His glory.

Circle of Pain

I just returned from a prayer meeting for the people of Burma (Myanmar). I really feel the weight of their situation and the guilt of my (mostly) hard heart. Thoughts of what my life could look like, of how I could love others better and of how little the reality of this fallen world has moved my heart. But then I remember God's heart for me. How He understands that I am but dust. He has experienced my pain and sin on the cross. He knows how desperately I have cried (at times) to be more like Him. And He is aware of how my sins and the sinfulness of this world hinder me. We have collectively made this world such a painful place to live and have caused the most loving, selfless Being in the universe to experience so much pain and sorrow. As broken as my heart was for the dying, grieving, oppressed people of Burma was tonight, it pales in comparison to the broken heart of God, who sees each sin and pain in detail and feels the deepest anquish and hears every desperate cry. I am amazed anew to gaze upon the Cross of Christ and see the lengths to which He went to remedy our hopeless situation and the great depths of His love that He would take all the guilt and shame upon Himself. I share the following with you. I pray that the essence of the words would connect by God's Spirit with the depths of your heart and God would deepen your love for others and deepen your hope in His salvation. May He bless you amazingly.

Circle of Pain

Who can we trust in this life?
Our deepest secrets to lay bare
There are layers down in our souls
So buried that we are not aware
How then can we truly love
And one another’s burdens bear?
All alone amongst our nearest friends
Our empty hearts in despair

This wreckage from relationships
Who can even explain?
People will always fail us
Going around the circle of pain

We watch a chronicle of pain
On the network news each night
Hunger, sickness, persecution, strife
The weak, the helpless in their plight
Bombing innocent children each day
Terrorists and madmen flaunt their might
Rebellion, perversion in our face
No one cares what’s good or right

So upon this dreary sphere
A world where sin doth reign
We are trapped so far from hope
Within this circle of pain

Is this the world God created?
Can we put our faith in Him?
But this God that we accuse
Sent His son to die for our sin
The ways of providence are puzzling
The light of His glory oft seems dim
But when our faith has reached its end
His faithfulness and love just begin

For soon it will all be over
We’ll be washed in His healing rain
Then ‘twill be less than a memory
Our life in the circle of pain