If We Believe

If we believe then this life’s moments plead

With passion, purpose, peace and holy fire

The boastings of this world are things of greed

Belief transcends its covetous desire

It lifts our eyes beyond the hills of grief  

As we behold a hope not formed with hand

And hidden from the heart of unbelief

For sight alone can never understand

The meaning of it all; life’s what and why

Is not revealed in flesh but when we die

Beware then lest some weaker ploy deceive

And we forget the Who which we believe

Ah, who of us can bid the sun to shine,

Or probe the deep to force a drop of rain?

Our every boast is hinged on Love Divine

To deny Him is to live each day in vain

But if we seek to trust Him we will find

Hope is not baseless serendipity

But heaven’s well-spring feeding heart and mind

As faith perceives the veiled with clarity

For then it is enough to simply know

Not by ourselves, but grace of God we go

Futile to weep and wildly shake the fist

At He who sends each morning mercy-kissed

Oh, what is man that God remembers us?

We, who hunger for carnal bread and meat,

Yet it pleased Him to send His Son Jesus

Suff’ring even to death, death to defeat

For earth could not contain His holiness

Nor could hatred impose its sorry seal

Love rose victorious and glorious

Dare we ignore its heavenly appeal?

‘Come unto me’, ‘no one will I cast out’

Will we believe or blindly cling to doubt?

Whoever comes to Him He will receive

And emptiness is filled if we believe

© Janet Martin

So many things spawned this poem…a verse I read yesterday, watching the full movie Ben Hur, realizing how easy it is to fixate on what we see instead of what we know…