The Lord has been weeding out discontent from my life and in the process, (which is still ongoing,) I wrote two poems. I had intended to post these around Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is long past, yet, every day is a day of thanksgiving for the Christian so I thought it fitting to share them this week. As it says in Philippians 4:4, let us “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”
Over the years, I have been immensely
encouraged by the testimony of persecuted saints who bless the Lord amidst
horrific circumstances. Lately, God has humbled and encouraged me by the example
of my brother, Pastor Wang Yi, who is currently imprisoned for his faith in
Christ.
God’s power is on display when time after
time, a persecuted saint mirrors the grace God has set in his or heart, even on
the brink of execution. In Acts
20:59-60, God gives us this account of Stephens’s final moments on earth:
And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
I wrote the following poem as I reflected on the persecution of my brothers and sisters and God’s grace to them. The poem exemplifies the testimony of persecuted saints. Scripture referenced in the poem includes Matthew 6:26 and John 6:22-59.
Sings the man in a jail cell,
His crime: being saved by grace
“Lord have you forgotten me?”
It cannot be, you feed the sparrows
Surely you feedeth me
The bread I eat and water I drink
Indeed sustaineth me
And far richer, I feast dear Lord on
thee
How can I thank thee Lord?”
With feeble song, he lifts his voice
Praising the High eternal King
In sleepless fits, the man cries out:
“I suffer Lord. My body aches
Bleariness besets me
In my labyrinth of grief
Tender mercies woo me
What did you suffer on the tree?
I know not what my sin cost thee
O spotless Lamb of God
Into bitter darkness plunged
You conquered death to set me free
What wondrous grace is this!”
Although, not all believers are called to suffer severe
persecution, in God's providence, we all are allotted our share of suffering. The Lord tells us in Ecclesiastes 7:14, “In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.”
It is hard to see good in our suffering. It is hard to trust God’s promise that he works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28.) But he graciously leads us to the comfort that is found in Him alone. The Heidelberg Catechism, Question One wonderfully sums up this comfort:
What is your only comfort in life and in death?
That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and
in death— to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my
sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together
for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures
me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to
live for him.
If you are interested, about a year ago, I wrote a poem based
on this Catechism question. https://ponderingsofclay.blogspot.com/2019/03/my-only-comfort.html
On a side note, I am reading through Trusting
God by Jerry Bridges. I would highly recommend this book. I began reading
this book on a prideful note, as it is on a reading list for some material I am
studying but I didn’t consider my own need of it. Thankfully, God has used this
book along with Scripture to help me understand his sovereignty more and rest
in his love.
In closing I would like to share a
poem I wrote shortly after I read Ecclesiastes 7:14.
Two merry girls
Danced along
A path of golden leaves
Kissed by the sparkling sun
Hand in hand
Singing “thank you Lord
For this splendid day”
Two sullen girls
Trod along
A river of rain
Bitten by the wind
As bitter as the weather
Were their hearts
Of discontent
Their father
A man as wise
As his hair was gray
Said “children dear
Let us praise the Lord
Did he only make the sun?
Is not the rain his too?”
But
godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought
nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have
food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Timothy 6:6-11
