The More We Have Of God...

"The more we have of God, the more of Him we need!"

 This was a line in the first e-mail I opened this morning 

from someone geographically far, far away but prayerfully near!

The other day I posted a poem Heart’s Content naming things that make the heart content…

Hopefully the fullness of all small contentment does not dull but stirs hunger for More of The Giver...

May this song bless and challenge each of us!

Imagine if our want and thought

Would ever kindly lead

To where the more we have of God

The more and more we need

Imagine if, when life is kind

We lingered long with He

Who we call on when faith is blind

And filled with agony

Imagine if our love for More

Would satisfy our greed

Yet rouse a howling hunger for

The more and more we need

Imagine if when Want is filled

It drilled a gaping hole

That craves the love of God until

The body is the soul

© Janet Martin

Ps. 107:8-9

 Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, 

And for His wonders to the sons of men! 

For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,  

And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.

 Psalm 34:10
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; 

But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.

Luke 1:53
He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

 Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

 Matt 19:16-22
 And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?”  And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.”  He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  
 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?”   
Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, 
and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”  
 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Heart's Content

Some simple-king things that make this heart glad!

(I'm having a 'to-my-heart's-content-writing-day while Victoria plays the piano...

simple things for common kings:)

Tell me, how much is ‘heart’s content’?

It seems the heart is wish-whim bent

It begs, it prays, it pleads and bleeds

And often wants more than it needs

Yet somehow feels as rich as kings

With life’s simple everyday things

A mail-box with a Christmas card

A lone leaf etched on winter’s yard

A baby’s smile, no any smile

Makes us feel richer by a mile

With all the things a heart can hold

Dearer by far than hordes of gold

Red woolly hats, warm, fuzzy mitts
Chubby-cheeked 'bubbas' soft as kitts
Feet walking with nowhere to be
 With one-and-only-you with me
Snow-sugared welkin overhead
And every hill a feather-bed

The heart, though it is prone to wish

Is like an overflowing dish

When it begins to recognize

How simple things are living’s prize

And nothing in the whole world brings

True happiness like simple things

A mug of steaming ‘second cup’

A family with which to sup

A hand to hold and lips to kiss

Tell me, what is better than this?

A whole head full of words to use

In poetry or love; you choose

A heaven wild with pinkest pink

A laughing child, a book to drink

Piano-plink, Bing Crosby’s voice

A plate of tasty sweet-treat choice

A morning, still smooth and unmarred

A teenage face with eyes dream-starred

A winter woodland paradise

A sudden steal-my-breath surprise

Because the love I have for you

Feels like a bike shiny and new

And then I sing and sing and sing

Spurred by the happiness you bring

And to my heart’s content I grin

Glad for this weathered bag of skin

That houses more than blood and bones

It is a vault of precious stones

That tames the beast of wish and whim

And pours joy right up to the brim

A nook of vine-wisped look-at-me

A brook of sun-kissed poetry

A fenceless field of azure sky

Above a grove where dreamers lie

To soak in moments mercy-spilt

Where childish voices waft and lilt

…and satisfy the heart’s content

No greedy gain, no money spent

Just one wide open afternoon

Where it is always middle-June

And everyone is rich as kings

In a heart glad with simple things

© Janet Martin

A Little Child Shall Lead Them...

This morning Little Girl arrived, expressing, in most unattractive sounds, 

her disapproval of a certain situation concerning a present, no less!!!

Strange, how chatting with a child can make one almost choke on one's own words;
 reminding her that we should be thankful with what we have,

and lots of 'boys and girls' don't,

and we name blessings and talk about how sad it must make God 

when we grumble instead of being happy with what He gives us,

and how we all sometimes forget and think someone else's 'gift'

is nicer than the one we got!
...and how we are often greedy instead of sharing.

Gives us soft hearts for the little one's just beginning their journeys 

of appreciation and contentment, doesn't it?!

Surely we deserve

A chastening rod

While we, juggling presents

Grumble at God

How often we act

Like an 'I-want-theirs' tot

Forgetting the fact

In the Matter we've got

...how God, rich in mercy

Condemns selfish greed

But promises always

To fulfill need

...how we should be thankful

and we would be cursed

But God, rich in mercy

Loved us first

Forgive us, blind gluttons
That seek to indulge
With 'wine, crepes and mutton'
Unflattering bulge

...and help us to hunger
For righteousness
And through it, find the secret
To happiness

~Janet~

Anchor

Want’s taunts can haunt the heart and mind

With fantasies touch cannot find

It torment man's terrestrial bark

And even day is night-like, dark

Contentment; healer of want’s ache

Can calm want’s wind and storm-tossed lake

It sets at ease desires that bind

And frees the wrought and captive mind

Want’s base and howling vertigo

Raids thought to find hope for its woe

There is but one redemptive cure

The love of God, faithful and sure

God is gracious to those who heed

His precepts; He fulfills true need

And stills want’s wearying despair

With mercy’s everlasting care

© Janet

O taste and see that the LORD is good;

 How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! 

 Psalm 34:8

 Good and upright is the Lord;

therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

He guides the humble in what is right

and teaches them his way.

All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful

toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

For the sake of your name, Lord,

forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Psalm 25:8-11

Until Want Is Filled

 I know I've shared this song before but its worth a second listen:)

If you want to be filled with awe and admonition, page through the Psalms and count how many chapters begin with the reminder to us to sing and praise God!

When wish leaves love’s laughter spent

It is time to be content

Wishing drains the heart of hymn

Wastes the hour waned of vim

When we mistake want for need

And the voice of envy heed

We will miss Blessing’s buffet

Blinded by want’s wishing way

When the happiness we crave

Seems lacking in what we have

We should look with longer glance

Until want is stilled

And filled with humble thanks

© Janet Martin

Inspired, in part by this;
Contentment is Knowing the Difference...