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[EpicScore]

It is said that pain and prosperity are the two great tests in life that, by the end of each trial, would either make you wiser* or leave you as an ever greater fool** than before—or, in another sense, they’re the fire that would either build up or chip away at our faith. The following is a little something I wrote as a sort-of counter-response to the latter, condensed in poetry form.
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The Lord asks, “Where are you, O Man?”
“Come into my bosom, hold onto my right hand.”
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Yet our hearts so cloaked in unbelief
So we see and hear, but not perceive
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Instead, we look and search for an excuse
That His call, His rule, we may refuse
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The groaning world, the times of deep sorrow
Him we deny, and in grief we wallow
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Through each joyless days and tears we shed
How swiftly do we declare: “God is dead!”
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And shaking fists, we cry, “Where is Your love—
O, You who sleep in Heavens above?”
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“Worship no more,” we then declare, “He doesn’t care,”
“He’s left us to perish with the tares!”
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Yet, spare a moment from anger, to look in your heart
Uncover the truth, why you would want to depart
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You of sober-mind, capture every thought
Ask and see that its countenance be as it ought.
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Do we honestly crave for His hands to intervene?
Or merely wish that certain woes had never been?
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Would we have worshiped when there is no pain?
Would we lift praises when He does give gain?
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Had we sought out first His good ordain?
Or do we come to Him to just complain?
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Should, amid our trials, God receive the blame?
He, who’d given His shoulder to carry our shame?
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Must He obey our whims, answer all our Why’s?
He’s suffered more, so that He’d relate to our cries
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Is His friendship not enough, He the eternal King of kings?
Do we not think Him more precious than ephemeral things?
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Fixated on the stains of sin, blind to the good rest
Displeased by what we have, demanding what we think best.
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Is this not the reason, why God we’d refuse to see?
That we may say, “None shall rule my life but me,”
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And for want to flee Providence’s hands
What’s left to hope for, but shifting sands?
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* Proverbs 9:10
** Psalms 14:1

 

[Quasiblogo]

argyria ~ this really speaks to the real issue, that it is the condition of our hearts before God at tall times. For me, this really soared in the last four stanzas. Thank you for sharing. God bless.

 

[EpicScore]

Thank you so much for the comment.

Just to elaborate further on the inspiration behind the poem, this is basically a summary of a reflection I had on the Beatitudes during a time of Spiritual dryness. One very striking commentary I read highlighted why "Blessed are the poor in Spirit" was placed first on the list, because the only way we can tune our spirit with God's and make that first step to entering His kingdom, is when we are honest about our spiritual barrenness/poverty and acknowledge that the only way we can be fulfilled is by humbly begging God for Him to help us.

I suppose I focused more on the trial of pain in the stanzas, because it's usually easier to morally justify our denying God when we're suffering from injustice or circumstances beyond our control, as opposed to dismissing Him out of arrogance, or pretenses that we can be powerful, wise, accomplished or prosperous without His gifts of providence. But either way, both reflects a self-centered attitude that is driven by "oughtness".


Indeed, as limited humans who live in a limited world, it is our natural tendency to put “God in a box” and impose boundaries on His power/love/wisdom/etc. Or, if you’re someone who’s actively involved in the church, have read the Bible through many times, and have done a lot of studies and reflection about theology and apologetic, it’s easy to start presuming that we’ve had God “figured out”. As a result we’d often come to worship/quiet times/church service with arrogant mindsets such as “I’ve heard/done this before,” or “This isn’t relevant to my life,” or “I have more important things to attend to than this,”

We become complacent, and begin to think that we're spiritually mature enough that we can get by without seeking God's guidance, wisdom or providence. Our worship then becomes a meaningless habit instead of a purposeful discipline, and because we expect not to get anything out of it, we end up truly receiving nothing.

After all, self-sufficiency and self-righteousness is the greatest hindrances to experiencing fulfillment in God, as a passage in Proverbs so wisely states it: “…Give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, ’Who is the Lord?’” (Proverbs 30:8-9)

Also, Jesus calls Himself the bread of life and the living water. He fulfills our deepest needs and desires when we come to Him, but just as regular bread and water, we are to come daily to Him to enjoy that satisfaction He has in store. We don’t try to gorge ourselves with a lifetime’s worth of meal and then not eat for the rest of our lives. We also tend to eat/drink the same thing over and over again, and still be able to enjoy them.

So we should constantly remind ourselves, whenever we start to close our ears to God’s word because they don’t offer us new information, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6)

 

[afishamongmany]

Hello Agryia - welcome to CF? Good quote from D.A.Carson. Sadly 'tis thus. Go well ><>

 

[EpicScore]

Dear Heavenly Father

How should I then live
When all path seem the same
When useless seem all my gifts
And all my efforts die in vain

These strivings they are all futile
For many others can do better still
But perhaps it’s the journey that makes it all worthwhile
Rather than achieving an unparalleled skill

For how can any work of man surpass
The glories of God’s creation
So give me courage to unmask
And let go these yearnings for false perfections

But let me not fall over to the other side
To a life of lethargy and slothful ease
But enable me to share Your love far and wide
And work in my life in any way You please

And remind me to see Your handiworks
Through the lives of the people around me
To appreciate Your mercies in all their quirks
That through fellowship we can be edified and set free

Though we are diverse, in You we are one
And together we can discover the future You have in store
To live a life that reflects our God the Son
That we may glorify and enjoy You forevermore

Amen.

 

[EpicScore]

Just recently finished reading The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis, and I was particularly inspires by the chapter on Philia, that I decided to dedicate a poem for it. Its formatted like a song lyric with verses, chorus and bridge, but there's no actual melody, since I can't compose music.

It's also meant to be a duet, or a conversation between two (or more) friends. The text in italics indicate a different voice.

SIDE BY SIDE
I want to rise above the clouds
I seek the land beyond the sea
I want to swim among the stars
I’ll pass the flowers of the hills
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There’s so much of this world to see
Who will come share this sight with me?
I’m going ‘round this bend, you too?
Oh, perfect! it’s decided then…
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Let’s walk together, side by side
And start a trip that never ends
We’ll cross the paths, both far and wide
Let’s do this all, because we’re friends
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My eyes can sweep a farther spread
My hands will reach the higher edge
While thorny are the roads we tread
We’ll never part, this is our pledge
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We'll walk together, side by side
And make our journey never end
We’ll cross the paths, both far and wide
Let’s do this all, because we’re friends
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We’ll face them down, the wind and tide
We’ll stride beneath the storms in ease
We’ll laugh and cry, enjoy our ride
We’ll soar like eagles in the breeze
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So come, and come, let more arrive
Let joy increase, and not divide
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Our story’s more than you and I
But we’ll be walking hand in hand
Through thick and thin, we don’t ask why
And we do this all, because we’re friends
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