God’s Ears, My Throat, and the Best and Worst Case Scenario

Like never before prayer is/must be the power we choose and turn to!

 Most crises bring people together.
COVID-19 will persist unless we stay apart to fight it, 

making the longing for human interaction a hunger
we have never experienced to this degree!!

So many things I think of to do for people to cheer them
I realize include some sort of physical touch!
Since we don’t really know how potent the virus is
even food-prep for others is iffy! 

(my personal comfort-language)

But God’s Ear, the most powerful bulwark of all is always accessible.

My friend, who is on mat-leave with a DARLING new baby
that no one can come and see or cuddle
sent me this when I told her I’m stressing over every throat-scratch!
Laughter really is a wonderful medicine!

 I read the excerpt below on one of my favorite blogs

 on today's post; God Himself Scraped and Torn

In a daring and beautiful creative reversal, 
God takes the worse we can do to Him
and turns it into the very best He can do for us.
~Malcolm Guite from The Word in the Wilderness

The best that we can ever have

Came through the Worst love bore for us

When God gave Heaven’s Best to brave

The Worst (Man’s sin) on cruel cross

The Worst that we must brave is small

Compared to what the Best will be

For God so loved us, one and all

He paid sin’s debt on Calvary

…so that the worst may taste the Best

Because the Best suffered the worst

Our prayer and supplication blessed

Because we are no longer cursed

Therefore to turn away from He

Who gave His best to save mankind

Deserves the worst that there can be

When little life is left behind

© Janet Martin

Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry. 

But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,

 to sever their memory from the earth.…

Psalm 34:14-16

John 9:31

We know that God does not listen to sinners, 

but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.

1 Peter 3:12

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer.

 But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

When What We Have Is Taken...

 Whatever the scale of the losses we suffer

 may it be the means to opening our eyes/faith to what/Who remains!

When what we had is taken it may make us feel bereft

Or cause us to awaken to how much we still have left

Matters of fact seem harsh sometimes in worlds subject to change

We grapple with what dawn unwinds and twilight will estrange

When what we had is taken we begin to realize

That until faith is shaken who can tell its honest size

Shall we accept only the good from Whom all blessings flow

If so, I am afraid we would forget how much we owe

…to He who gave His best to save us from eternal Worst

And sent His Son to brave the cross to rescue souls, death-cursed

Ah, faith is not for feeble-minded fortune-hunting clods

It tests we, prone to flawed, sight-blinded love of lesser gods

Each good and perfect gift is from above, its mercies spill

From He who does not shift or change, like shadows on the hill

Where we, never forsaken sometimes let our love grow dim

Till what we have is taken to awaken us to Him

© Janet Martin

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial;

 for once he has been approved, 

he will receive the crown of life which 

the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

James 1:12 

 Every good and perfect gift is from above, 

coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, 

who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17 

Where Hope Is...Not

Happy Leap-day!
Especially to those celebrating their birthdays today!

 "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD.

 "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; 

though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

Isa.1:18

Pink flares and fades beyond plush grades of freshly fallen snow

Soon the whole sky is like a sigh of pastel overflow

The heath above earth’s pristine glove rouses a tender rhyme

Before the air becomes the stair the sun begins to climb

Where hope is not some routine jot tendered to to-do's chase

But God's abiding rod and staff; the autograph of grace

See how dawn’s glow ignites the snow; gold gilds white through and through

As mercy wields, o'er hills and fields, morn's olden orb anew

The showcase of faith, hope and love beams with Time’s practiced grin

The crepuscule of neb’lous wool withdrawn; Dawn wins again

Where hope is not Positive Thought derived by mortal breath

Hope is redemption; the exemption from eternal death

Then with the voice of earth rejoice and praise mankind’s Best Friend

No matter what, the love of God is faithful without end

The beauty we behold unfolds a glimpse of what hope grants

If we believe and then receive Mercy’s inheritance

Where hope is not circumstance-wrought, but purchased at great cost

For God so loved the world He gave His Son to save the lost

Pink flares and fades; care's escapades fuel what prayers become

For none of us can know the Thus ensconced in moment-sum

But we are clean as the pure sheen of freshly fallen snow

If we confess our sinfulness (for God’s word tells us so)

Where hope is not karma’s mascot that lucky stars achieve

Hope is the love that secures us the moment we believe

© Janet Martin

Utterly Awed...

Looking unto the author of

Our joy and peace, faith, hope and love

Compels us to consider more

The who or what we’re living for

This gracious gift wherein we stand

Runs rife with mercies from a hand

Scarred with the evidence of grace

Where none was fit to take His place

The cross, ah, who can comprehend

A God whose grief and love would send

His only beloved Son, Jesus

To be the sacrifice for us

Thus in return we ought to be

Role models of humility

And follow the example of

The One who taught us how to love

(Forgive us Lord, when we forget

For we are all just learning yet

And my, oh my, so oft we prove

How much we need your grace and love)

Then, looking to the author of

Redemption’s prize; faith, hope and love

Peace and joy overflows its banks

With worship’s utter, awestruck thanks

© Janet Martin

Heb.12:1-2
  ...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, 
 and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; 
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
 despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Once Upon Truth, Not Make-Believe

Jesus! so much more than a baby in a manger on that first Christmas Day!  

 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,

 “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:29

Once upon truth, not make-believe

Sin cursed man through Adam and Eve

And birthed the madness of a race

That would be doomed but for God’s grace

Where long many prophets foretold

What many never saw unfold

That God would send a Lamb to be

The scapegoat for sin’s penalty

So long and strong the nations kept

The law with sacrifice inept

Because the blood of bulls, you see

Could not redeem eternally

Faithful God always keeps His Word

His thoughts and ways are undeterred

Thus, Father set beneath Love’s rod

His Son to be the Lamb of God

...and on that first fair Christmas morn

The Saviour of the world was born

Jesus, God of living and dead

Laid in a manger for His bed

(Where being God, He could have used

This as just cause to be excused

From the cost of salvation's plan)

But, He put on likeness of man

Not any man, but servant heart

So none would envy any part

His company the sick, cast down

Throngs followed him from town to town

Until that awful, glorious day

When death would have life’s perfect say

As ‘it is finished’ set man free

And stripped the grave of victory

And gave to all, once and for all

A way to be saved from the Fall

To grant to human race the joy

And hope that nothing can destroy

Through love and truth, not make-believe

That all of mankind may receive

For we are all part of a race

That would be doomed but for God’s grace

© Janet Martin