Beyond the 'But In Part' We See

Below, a photo of a handmade card from a friend,

given almost a year ago...

(the above verse one of my favs)

On Sunday morning one of my students asked me if I have a favorite Bible verse.

 I replied that favourite verses vary, depending on what is happening, etc! 

On that particular morning I had meditated on Ps.119:165.

(because, I asked, 'who doesn't want 'great peace' ?

and that verse tells us who has it and how) 

Today I turned to this familiar and beloved Psalm, 

also an enduring favorite, 

filled with consolation and worship 

as we weather a world filled with sin and it's consequences

 such as sickness and sorrow!

Some sorrows are very public

and others very private!

But God knows them all!

Ps. 46

God is our refuge and strength,

A[a] very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear,

Even though the earth be removed,

And though the mountains be carried into the [b]midst of the sea;

3 Though its waters roar and be troubled,

Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,

The holy place of the [c]tabernacle of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be [d]moved;

God shall help her, just [e]at the break of dawn.

6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved;

He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,

Who has made desolations in the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;

He burns the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

***

Take up Thy cross and follow He who grants sufficient grace

Beyond the ‘but in part’ we see before ‘then, face to face’

He helps us bear the suffering that faith must first endure

Beneath the shadow of His wing joy and peace are secure

Do not despair though dark may seem the valley of the hour

The trying of our faith will gleam with God’s sustaining pow’r

Here morning breaks and disappears; all is change and decay

But God remains the same; His years shall never pass away

Then, trust in God with all your heart; He is all-wise and good

From earth we know Him ‘but in part’; love oft misunderstood

So, fix your eyes upon the Prize of ‘someday, face to face’

And do not dread the test that tries the perfecting of faith

Be still and know that He is God; He is faithful and true

Take courage, for His staff and rod protect and guide us through

The valley of the shadow of the part He overcame

At Calvary, for all who love and believe in His Name

Janet Martin

1 Cor.13:12 NKJV

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.

Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

God Will Take Care of You

Heb.12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 

let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, 

and let us run with endurance the race set out for us.

  2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the authora and perfecter of our faith, 

who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,

 scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

3Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners,

 so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

We All Have Much In Common (or, We All Need God)

Rom.8:35-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

 Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,

 or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

 36 As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” (Ps.44:22)

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors

 through Him who loved us.

 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, 

nor angels nor principalities nor powers,

 nor things present nor things to come, 

39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing,

 shall be able to separate us from the love of God 

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Cor.4:7-9

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, 

to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 

8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; 

perplexed, but not driven to despair; 

9 persecuted, but not forsaken; 

struck down, but not destroyed;

Read full chapter

O God, Our Help in Ages Past

Selah - There Is A Redeemer

We all have discouragements, doubts and wants and wishes, still withheld

And worlds within, where those without cannot behold dream-castles felled

Where we are often soundly taught by age-old laws of live-and-learn

Because wisdom cannot be bought, but is something we all must earn

We all have reason to lament when love is buffeted and kicked

We all need God to heal and mend the wounds life is bound to inflict

Thus, we should all call upon Him; before the silence of the grave

Because there is no other Name under Heaven able to save

Nothing is greater than God’s love, though sometimes hate appears to be

Because it is the servant of pride and deceit’s barbarity

Evil is handicapped by Time; but because God is love, love IS

His truth endures: He IS Sublime; greater IS He than all of This

We all have holy hurts and hopes, and long for happiness made whole

Where, without God the spirit gropes but cannot find rest for the soul

Therefore, we all should purpose to be kinder to our fellowman

Because we are all part of who God knew would need salvation’s plan

We all need hope; invalid, save through the power of Christ’s shed blood

But what a wondrous hope we have in the redeeming love of God

(He IS the Way, the Truth, The Life) His everlasting love prevails

No matter what trial or strife may test our faith, Love never fails

We have treasure in jars of clay, no worldly avenger can seize

We know that come whatever may God’s pow’r transcends all enemies

His truth endures forevermore; His is judgement and mercy’s seat

Then lift your voice and praise Him for His love no rival can defeat

We all have much in common in this very broken human race

But most of all the love of One who saves us through His Son, by grace

We all need God; without Him every earthly gain is utter loss

But with Him every grief and pain reflects the glory of the cross

Janet Martin

Matt.5:3-12

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the [a]earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

'Moment'ous Composition

Eph.5:15-16

15See then that you walk [e]circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

16redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

With moments we compose, 

not only what we will be remembered for,

but what we will give account to God for!

Already the previous hour's moments are sealed

in a Ledger above!

Ps.90:12

Teach us to number our days, 

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Below excerpt from Making the Most of Life by J. R. Miller

 

We hold within creature-facades, an invisible cup

Filled with moments and countless odds, of how we use them up

Where what we do with the divine allotment of each breath

And the free will that runs it through, follows us, after death

How often in the heat of fond hopes and dreams, dearly prized

We lose sight of what lies beyond utopias, fantasized

Where a cup overflowing with momentous glints of grace

Grants in its brief bestowing that which transcends Time and Place

This cup, with copious amounts of moment-stars unfurled

Spills and fills personal accounts that wait beyond this world

Goodness and mercy-molded, each fleeting moment becomes

Eternally enfolded in a Book of Sacred Sums

We hold a cup rife with replies to moments yet to be

This ought to bid us scrutinize potentiality

Of what may seem so very small, but gathers in its wake

Our answer to God’s loving call; Eternity at stake

With moments we compose more than fodder for eulogies/memories

Lifetimes are achieved in the span of moments such as these

Right here, right now; what we will account for spills from a cup

While we choose from options galore, how we will use them up

Janet Martin

Who we live our moments for

is a Very Crucial Investment! 

Thanksgiving's Hymn (for silver linings)

“The world catechizes us to worship an unholy trinity:

 the lust of the eyes,

 the lust of the flesh, 

and the pride of life. 

But Jesus shows us another way.”

 —Greg Morse

Below, stunning bouquet from Lucy's daughter-in-law...

purchased at...

This past week my sister Lucy's daughter-in-law,  

eager to have some hands on lessons in canning,

spent a day at my house...

I commented to her how bittersweet it is to be 

doing the things Lucy would have loved to do.

She replied how it truly is the silver lining in the cloud;

how, in all likelihood we would not be enjoying

this beautiful connection otherwise. 

And as I pondered her reminder of silver linings

I was awakened to a multitude of silver,

lining my valley/storm cloud of sorrow

with the light of God's loving-kindness! 

Ps.92:1-2

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,

These beauties from...

 ...were dropped off by a beautiful lady

who has experienced firsthand, the bitter deeps of grief,

and heeded the prompt to drop by with flowers and a hug

and I am still in awe at her thoughtfulness,

as the one year mark, of the loss of Lucy draws near.

Just now one of Lucy's friends, (now one of my friends),

dropped by for some dill and we had a quick and awesome chat.

 I mentioned how I just read

'His truth shall be thy shield and buckler' in my devotions,

and she replied 'oh!! Psalm 91!' and quoted part of the chapter!

as joy unspeakable and full of glory glowed

like the golden September morning that bathed us.

Ps.91:4

He shall cover thee with his feathers,

 and under his wings shalt thou trust: 

his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

We give God thanks, for love expressed in favours undefined

His thoughts and ways surpass the best logic can mastermind

The debt of gratitude we owe for more than tongue can tell

Rushes rationale's ebb and flow like oceans in a shell

To count the frames God's goodness fills transcends thought's meager hold

Each storm cloud, He kindly instills with linings, silver-gold

God always meets us where we are to satisfy our needs

Beyond human standards, sub-par, His kindness intercedes

To overflow our gaping souls with worship, wonder-awed

As through faith's battered bearing rolls thanksgiving's hymn to God

Janet Martin

We sang this hymn at the wedding of Lucy's son and daughter-in-law

on Oct.5, 2024

Goodness Of God (Lyrics) 

Of Records Still in the Writing or Harvests Still in the Planting

Harvest: the fruition of seeds planted!

We cannot reap what we did not plant

both literally and spiritually!

Yesterday's harvest included onions!

Gal.6:7-8

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; 

for whatever a man sows,

 that he will also reap. 

8 For he who sows to his flesh 

will of the flesh reap corruption, 

but he who sows to the Spirit 

will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

Below excerpt by J.R.Miller

I cannot bear your weight of care

Nor you, mine; we must each

Shoulder lessons in trust and prayer

That God alone can teach

Our sacred share in live-and-learn

Holds more than meets the eye

 The rich reward of faith's return

Not now, but by and by

You cannot love on my behalf

Nor I on yours; no one

Can weep my tears or taste my laugh

-ter for a fight, well-won/task well done

When life is through then I will stand

To answer for the seeds

  Not strewn by someone else's hand

But for my words and deeds

I will not give account for you

Nor you for me; each one

When this God-granted life is through

Will answer God alone

No one to point a finger at

 When each life is laid bare

As God opens the record that

Reaches from here to there

Janet Martin

Ps.86:5, 9&11

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,

And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;

Nor are there any works like Your works.

All nations whom You have made

Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,

And shall glorify Your name.

For You are great, and do wondrous things;

You alone are God.

Teach me Your way, O Lord;

I will walk in Your truth;

[c]Unite my heart to fear Your name.

The Glad, Sad Glance/Dance of Season-Song

Hello September, 

month of Burnished Beauty

and Bittersweet Bliss! 

"The only things to truly get sad about" 

philosophized my husband this morning,

"are those things you deeply loved and lose forever!"

This in reply to my 'I'm kinda sad but not totally sad...

(because it's September and in a sense the end of summer

 as school starts again etc. in Canada), 

...because I'm glad every season has wonders I utterly love!"

That said, 

as the Harbinger to Autumn 

strews undeniable hints 

of summer's end,

a rush of glad-sad,

 bursts like a bittersweet ballad

as I steep my soul 

in the cheeping of crickets!

Season-song...

A rush of innocence and dreams

Where laughter in the glad of it

And lament, in the sad of it

Slips through the spring of life like streams

...that sparkle in summer sunshine

A glance of gold-glossed green and blue

Where children heedlessly splash through

The prime of life's care freest time

‘ere waltzes from yon Piper’s flute

Startles dancers with Beckoning

Of ballads, rife with reckoning

From subtle scales, imbued with fruit

Where none can faze autumnal rote

That rolls through green-leaf canopies

With molten, auburn melodies

Fading with every falling note

…to settle with the silenced throng

Beneath a blanket of snow stars

And muffled footfalls, brushed o'er bars

Bearing the dance/glance of Season-song

Begun in innocence, but soon

Tuned to a twirling Carousel

Unfurling hello and farewell

To trampled footpaths, petal-strewn  

Janet Martin

Eccles.3:1-2

To everything there is a season,

and a time for every purpose under heaven:

2a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot, ...