The Poorest of the Poor or Beggars by Choice

It's one thing to read the beginning of Romans 12,

but quite another to live it! Don't you agree? 

Therefore I urge you, brothers, (meaning every believer)

 on account of God’s mercy,

 to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, 

which is your spiritual service of worship.

 2Do not be conformed to this world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

 Then you will be able to test and approve 

what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: 

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, 

but think of yourself with sober judgment,

 according to the measure of faith God has given you...

Oh, so many perfectly, good reasons can tempt us to

dwell more on the temporal than the eternal!

If we could see for a moment what lies beyond the bit we see...

...not one of us would hesitate to prepare today for eternity; 

one glimpse (of either Heaven or hell)

would be enough to convince us completely!

The Gate of Final Breath (unlike the gates in the picture below) 

leaves no loop holes or gaps through which one might escape/return

 

To ignore or decline or disregard God’s still small voice

Turns us, often quite unawares, into beggars by choice

The poorest of the poor; no joy, hope or peace for the soul

No one to trust with all our hearts, no faith to make us whole

No touch to heal our blindness, no Comforter for our grief

No Father to reply when we cry ‘help my unbelief’

No all-sufficient grace to be our strength when we are weak

No fear of He who keeps account of idle words we speak

As destitute in spirit as blind beggars on the street

Without a Friend to bind Want’s wounds and help us to our feet

Knowing that He is able to do far more than we think

No anchor in life’s storms, no Living Water we can drink

No assurance of everlasting life after we die

No confidence or courage when we look death in the eye

No humble gratitude to He who paid the debt we owed

No gladness (other than what favor’s circumstance bestowed)

No power greater than the shadow of might man may boast

No sweet hour of prayer to cheer us when we need it most

No whisper of encouragement to combat dark despair

No Word to light our path, no one on whom to cast our care

No reason for love’s sacrifices, beyond what we can see

No joy still set before us when we shed mortality

No glory at the Finish Line, no Victor’s sweet reward

No crown to lay before God’s throne, no ‘Worthy are You, Lord’

No promise that defeats the grave, no treasure, Heavenly

No doubtless proclamation of ‘Greater is He in me’

No armor to equip us so we can fight the Good Fight

No happiness that transcends trouble with holy delight

No self-denying, death-defying purpose-passion-plea

No pleasure at the right hand of God for eternity

No one to do through us what we on our own, cannot do

No chosen, precious Cornerstone unshakeable and true

To build upon; no refuge in the shadow of His wing

No higher call to satisfy our present suffering

No Salvation’s deliverance from wrath to come, for sin

No escape from the poverty we chose, in place of Him

When we ignore, decline or disregard God’s still, small Voice

We turn ourselves, oft unawares, to doomed beggars, by choice

© Janet Martin

sometimes we refer to beauty here as 'glimpses of paradise' ...

...but God tells us differently: 

1 Cor.2:9

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, 

Nor have entered into the heart of man 

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Wishing you blessed encouragement at the beginning of a new week

on account of God's mercies,..

a life holy and pleasing to God

A few more Sunday evening drive show/car-stoppers!!

The air was dense with purple fragrance!