A Poem About the Tempter and God's Everlasting Arms

Today's post kinda evolved as the morning dissolved...

It began with the passage below- today's Our Daily Bread Scripture reading...

12 For the word of God is living and powerful,

and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing

even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow,

and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight,

but all things are naked and open to the eyes

of Him to whom we must give account.

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest

who has passed through the heavens,

Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,

but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Heb.4:12-16

This morning my waking thoughts turned to today's young parents.

Sometimes my heart/prayer groans for those

who are training up future generations;

Teaching us(them) that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,

 we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Titus 2:12

Mankind's enemy since the beginning is the Tempter.

Gen.3:1

Now the serpenta was more crafty than any beast of the field

that the LORD God had made.

 And he said to the woman, “Did God really say,...?

He succeeded in deceiving Eve, and Adam also,

and sin entered into the previously perfect world.

where only a perfect sacrifice could wholly redeem sinful humanity, 

And so God, eternally perfect sent His Son/Himself!

'For when we were still without strength,

in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom.5:6

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

12But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name,

He gave the right to become children of God—

John 1:11-12

***

I'm in a season of life where children no longer

climb into my lap in the morning, or snuggle up beside me.

In that season, young mothers often find morning devotion-time interrupted! 

I am in a season of life where I can be the child, in a sense,

climbing into my Heavenly Father's lap or snuggling at His side

as I wake up, for reassurance, attention, love and kind affection

 that every child needs!

But ho!! The Tempter is there as well, so it seems!

trying to draw me away from being still

 to ever present distractions and tasks!!

I sat down with a coffee to begin my 'devotions'

then decided I should start the fire first,

then I noticed I should rotate the dry laundry on wooden clothes dryer

with a wet load still waiting...

...then I thought I should fold the dry laundry immediately

 to avoid more wrinkles...

...then, I decided to start another load of laundry

then, I noticed my house plants in the laundry room

were infested with little white gnats that seemed

to be feasting on the insecticidal soap spray 

I treated the plants with a few days ago...

So I snipped off the heavily infested sprigs

 and sprayed the plants and covered them with bags 

to contain things

then I returned to 'my devotions'... 

only to realize as I sat down that

the bird feeders are empty again!!

so I waded through the snow to fill them 

because the hungry birds are fluttering 

in unceasing flocks these snowy days...

...now, back to devotions. oops!

I need to add a log to the fire before it gets too low!!

While downstairs I remember I should take some food out of the freezer

to thaw for tomorrow night's family dinner...

The washer has stopped.

I should switch loads!

'get thee behind me, Satan,' 

My coffee is cold...😑

The tempter still roams earth's summits; young and old, potential prey

Daring us to test truth's limits, taunting 'did God really say...?'

He, an unscrupulous charmer dared to tempt the Son of God

We, without God's word and armour cannot recognize a fraud

...cannot overthrow the liar, cannot discern right from wrong

Cannot purify desire, cannot be holy or strong 

But, greater is He within us who believe God hears our prayer

All who trust the name of Jesus can conquer the Tempter's dare

Can, when doubt and despair cower lean on God's eternal arms

Knowing none can overpower He who frees us from sin's charms  

How commonplace the appearance of love's sacred battlefield

Where God increases assurance/endurance the more that we trust and yield

How comforting is faith's solace; cradled in the arms of He

Who never leaves or forsakes us. What sweeter bliss can there be? 

© Janet Martin 

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Lyrics

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Leaning, leaning,

Safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

2

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

O how bright the path grows from day to day,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

3

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

I have peace complete with my Lord so near,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Author: E. A. Hoffman

Elisha Hoffman (1839-1929) after graduating from Union Seminary in Pennsylvania was ordained in 1868. As a minister he was appointed to the circuit in Napoleon, Ohio in 1872. He worked with the Evangelical Association's publishing arm in Cleveland for eleven years. He served in many chapels and churches in Cleveland and in Grafton in the 1880s, among them Bethel Home for Sailors and Seamen, Chestnut Ridge Union Chapel, Grace Congregational Church and Rockport Congregational Church. In his lifetime he wrote more than 2,000 gospel songs including"Leaning on the everlasting arms" (1894). The fifty song books he edited include Pentecostal Hymns No. 1 and The Evergreen, 1873.