No Easy Street ...But God, Faithful and True

Psalm 16:11

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Today I am helping at the funeral of a dear sister in our church family

who lived ninety-nine and a half years on this earth

with many, many joys and trials,

but the moment she closed her eyes the shroud of Time fell away,

the glass she peered through darkly disappeared;

in the twinkle of an eye the corruptible put on incorruption, 

mortality put on immortality!

Thinking about this makes us re-evaluate what really matters, doesn't it?!

In the Sweet By and By

Johnny Cash

(would love to link each line to the scripture but

There is a funeral meal waiting to be prepared💗👑😊🙏)

This is no Easy Street; this ‘fighting the good fight’

This ‘making every effort to Shine forth, a blameless light

To walk as wise, not fools; to be careful to keep

God’s commandments and laws, lest idly, we fall asleep

This is no Easy Street; this walk by faith, not sight’

This ‘renouncing ungodliness’, this ‘suffering for Christ’

This ‘walking worthy of the calling we received

Worthy of the gospel of Christ we confessed and believed

This is no Easy Street; to ‘therefore watch and pray’

To take up our cross to follow Jesus every day

To make faith’s sacred calling and election very sure

To be strong in the Lord through the hardship we must endure

This is no Easy Street; obedience and trust

To follow what is good and to deny all worldly lust

To be rich in good works; to walk humbly and kind

To love the Lord our God will all our heart, soul, strength and mind

This is no Easy Street; to take captive each thought

And not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought

To offer our bodies as a living sacrifice

And to shun profane babbling that leads to ungodly vice

This is no Easy Street; to repay good for ill

To surrender as Jesus did and utter ‘not my will’

To know the Scriptures so that we are thoroughly equipped

To abound in love and good works like our Example did

And give more earnest heed to that which we have heard

To grow in the knowledge and grace of Jesus through His word

To commit to stand firm; to take heed, lest we fall

He who saved us has called us to the greatest work of all

This is no Easy Street; but God, faithful and true

Is rich and grace and mercy and He cares for me and you

Who, through his risen Son, births in us living hope

The Father of compassion and comfort who helps us cope

…and makes us strong in Him; the power of His might

When we put on His full armor, will fit us for the fight

For God resists the proud but gives the humble grace

His eyes are on the righteous who long to behold His face

…who strain toward the goal; with holy zeal press on

To win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in His Son

Who lay up heavenly store; who have ‘beautiful feet’

Whose joy is in the Lord and not in quests for Easy Street

This is no Easy Street; the strait that few will find

That leads to life when soon we leave this world of strife behind

Where the fulness of joy and pleasures evermore 

Make worth the little while and mile that we suffer before

© Janet Martin