The Devil wants to date me!

(this poem was inspired from a conversation I had with a friend some months ago.)

The devil wants to date me
He’s always at my door
He desires to romance me
To lead me from my Lord

The devil is my stalker
He studies all my moves
His degree is in me
He’s obsessed with me
He must think I’m a fool

He’s got my number
He knows my name
He’s there at every turn
The devil wants to date me
But I know I’ll get burned.

The devil wants to date me
He knows just what to say
He’s always working at his goal:
To steal my heart away.

I cannot date you devil
My heart’s already taken
Move off my step, leave me alone
And get behind me satan!

-cjb

A Wild Field

A wild field of flowers
Overgrown and unkempt
Sweetness lingers in the air
After the spring rains went

There is life within the field
An assortment of insects abound
Air is buzzing with activity
And crawling across the ground

How long will the wild field prosper
and sweet smells of her flowers be found?
How long till the more distinguished
Come and overturn her with the plow?

Do the insects grieve the loss of her nectar?
Do the rodents suffer their homes?
Does the air remember her sweet scents?
Now thick with dung of the cow?

Who can argue the need to plow?
To use the land to its fullest,
To plant some seed in an ordered way
And reap a good rich harvest?

and yet, my soul grieves...
Whether right or wrong
The loss of the wild field.
To look and see what once was lush
Now ripped, overturned and gone

I know the promise of the seed
I know the scarred land is pregnant with a harvest
But it will come in rows too straight for this artist.

cjb


" Why should I be frightened and surprised by the plow of the Lord, which makes deep furrows in my soul? I know He is not some arbitrary or irrational farmer- His purpose is to yeild a harvest." Samuel Rutherford

"When a farmer plows for planting, does he plow continually?" Isaiah 28:24

Poem based on 2Corinthians 5:2-9

It’s uncomfortable
being vulnerable
laid bare
an open book
for all to see
and read
Adam and Eve
hid behind a tree
in their vulnerability.

God had mercy
he covered them
hid their nakedness
with clothes of skin.
Now we,
who are found in Him,
wait and groan-
This body, this world
is not our home!

Our heavenly dwelling
is what we want.
no longer covered
or living in skin
but new bodies
that look
more like Him.

cjb

Pentecost Sunday

Catch the wind of the Spirit,
breathe it in, come alive in him.

Wait for the fire of God to desend,
ingnited souls, burn within.

Share the power with those around,
live for others, let his love abound!

We have a goal to cast our crowns...
come alive in him, burn within
this Pentecost Sunday

cjb

Made for the pleasure of the wind

Made for the pleasure of the wind
Open the window let the Spirit in
The Spirit blows and no one knows
Where it comes from or where it goes

Catch the current of His will
Let him lift you higher still
Tossed about but in his plan
Higher than the thoughts of man

Can we rest and trust in him
When the streams of air collide?
Can we see the breath of God
Lifting us on every side?

Made for the pleasure of the wind
Providential flights we resign to him
Carried not by fate nor a whim
Whirled in a Gilgal diadem.

cjb


" Thou didst not know, who tottered, wandering high, that fate had made thee for the pleasure of the wind, with those great careless wings, Nor yet did I." - Robert Frost

John 3:8 “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

We are the Temple of His Spirit

Look into my heart
See what you can see
Be careful not to judge harshly.
On first or last glance…
There may be more than meets the eye.
The outer shell hides too well
As the goatskin of the wilderness tabernacle
Covered and hid the Holy of Holies.
Plain, rough, average…
Common to the eye.
Yet, all along the temple of His Glory.

What about you?
Do you know Him too?
Does He reside in you and you in Him?
Let His Glory in!
We are the temple of His Spirit.


cjb

Drawing by Mary Ann Parks

Thus Far The Lord Has Brought Me

After every night comes the morning light
Winter will pass! Spring comes at last!
So don’t give up the fight.
Don’t give up the fight.

You’re closer than you’ve ever been
His word is true; he’ll follow thru on everything he’s said.
The Lord has brought you here.

You may not see what lies ahead
But don’t give in to doom and dread, the fog will lift real soon
The Lord has brought you here.

Sing a new song as the morning dawns
Trust that he is with you, he’ll see you thru, rejoice in him
The Lord has brought you here.

On this day- mark the way
Guard your Ebenezer!
Thus far the Lord has brought me,
I testify to this…..
Winter has past, spring comes at last
This is where my Lord has brought me.

-cjb

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far has the LORD helped us."
1 Samuel 7:12

Grace for me

There is enough water for the smallest fish.
Does he know? Does he worry the seas may run dry?
as he swims, as he drinks in the ocean wide.

There is enough grain in Joseph’s barns for the tiniest of mice.
Does she know? Does she worry he’ll run out?
as she consumes, as she has her fill of his provision.

There is enough air for the newest life to breathe
Does the infant worry? Is there oxygen for me?

As he rest in his mother’s arms, takes each breathe, safe and warm.

Is there enough grace for me, grace for me?
Tell me again of its great expanse; let me swim its depth
Fill me with its all consuming provision – Grace for me!
Let me breathe it in and know- Your grace never will run dry.
Till my final breath and even then- It’s on your grace that I rely

Grace for me- grace for me.

cjb

This concept is adapted from the devotional book STREAMS IN THE DESERT by L.B.Cowman- Feb. 26th entry “My grace is sufficient for you.” 2 Corinthians 12:9