Everything is pitch black
I can’t see in front of me
I pause and wait for Your light
Blinded, I trust in Your sight.
“for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13
Author: Jodi Eyman
I am a Texas native living in Arizona, raising my 3 boys and enjoying the sunshine. My passions are writing, analyzing and building relationships.
Faith or Works? Yes
Oh faith,
Will you crumble when put to the test?
Will you run and hide when you’re not approved by the rest?
Or will you put into practice all you’ve been shown
Speak boldly, stand strong even when all alone?
Faith without works is dead
Works without faith is misled
Demonstrate your faith by your works instead.
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” James 2:14-17
Prodigals
Please carry the heavy load of our pasts
So we’d be free to walk along
Your predestined paths
Please cleanse us from our regret and shame
So our mouths would be confident
To share Your good name
“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.” Isaiah 1:18
Not I but Christ
Disappointments and heartaches
We can give these to You
And attempt to align how we think
to Your Word and Your truths
So what do You say
About moments that don’t go our way
To remember You are Sovereign
And there are grander purposes at play
“Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” Ephesians 1:11
Loving Kindness
You keep on knocking
Testing and trying
Until the lesson is learned
You keep on blessing
Loving and giving
More than this heart deserves
Perfect Love
Your love does not sway
It can’t be altered or taken away
It doesn’t change with each passing season
It knows no limits, it surpasses all reason
Your love is better than life
More than our finite minds can possess
Your ultimate gift to us and reassurance
That in Your perfect love, we may breathe and rest.
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:3).
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them” (1 John 4:16)
Step by Step
Return our gaze to You
After whiplash has struck
And our mind’s all a muck
Focus our efforts on each step
You’ve shown is right
Work hard, love hard
Pray in faith day and night
Submit to Your plan
Trust You to see it through
Surrender answers we don’t have
Choose to trust in You
Gift of Sight
Is this a distraction or Your plan of action
A promise fulfilled or my tainted will
A gift so wise or a clever disguise
Oh, wash these corroded scales
from my eyes
So I would see, I would decipher
How to choose wisely for my ever after
“And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;” Acts 9:18
Sacrifice – The Essence of His Love
May I never grow complacent
Toward You or Your love
May my eyes never wonder
Lest I forget that You’re enough
Your love is pure
Your thoughts are gold
Your intentions holy
Your passion, bold
You sent Your Son as the greatest sacrifice
Your unequivocal love on display
You saw our debt and You paid the price
Revealing Your love in the costliest of ways.
“Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.”
Psalm 63:3
Intercession
I cry out to You in my brokenness
With no other place to turn
I’ll rely on my utterances
Since my heart can’t find the words
“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
Romans 8:26
No
Letting go of what you fought to embrace
Discovering oft “no” is a gift of grace.
Doubting Thomas
I did everything the Bible told me to
I forsook all others
And followed after You
You said when I confessed all my sin
That You cleansed, You forgave
When I believed with all my heart
You had washed all my sin away
You said my weakness was my strength
Because where I am weak You are strong
You said I could trust in Your grace
But this now appears all wrong
You have not kept Your promises
Your Word has not proven to be true
You have forsaken and abandoned me
Unless there never really was a You.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.
Isaiah 55:8
My God! My God! Why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far from delivering me— from my groaning words?
My God, I cry out to you throughout the day, but you do not answer;
and throughout the night, but I have no rest.
Psalm 22:1-2
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 14:18
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Psalm 30:5
If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
2 Timothy 2:13
Blind Faith
You know what’s truth and what is false
You know how and where to direct our feet
You know why the sun rises each day
You know what gives our hearts their beat
You know the reasons disappointments come
You separate the land from the sea
When the sun doesn’t rise or a heart is lost
You still call us to trust in Your Sovereignty
Trust
Do you trust me, He asked
Yes, I replied.
Then put your fears aside
Do you still trust me, He asked
You know that I do
Then stop worrying about my plan for you.
A Prayer
Protect my mind from being blinded
My heart from growing cold
My feet from running toward evil
My hands from casting stones.
Whisper
Where do I go to renew my spirit
When everything runs dry?
I come back to You, I give You the pieces
And wait for Your whisper inside
Away With You
When I get away from all my distractions,
There You are
Waiting to take my hand.
When I stop chasing what I think I need,
You gently show me
A far better plan.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21
Just This Day
Summer is here, let the classes and camps begin! This year the summer activities we signed our boys up for all happen to fall on the same two weeks. Coordinating all of the pick ups and drop offs has taken quite a bit of concentration and effort. Band for one kid at 10:20, Basketball for another at 1, basketball for the other at 2:20, Ninja training at 4 and carpooling a group of kids to drama rehearsal at 5 and 10 pm, and a partridge in a pear tree.
As I was preparing to let the boy’s dad know which pick ups and drop offs he could help with on Wednesday, my mind jumped to thinking about the details of Thursday. That thought felt quite overwhelming as each day this week has it’s own specific minute details. So, I decided we would just go over the details one day at a time. Let us get through the details of Wednesday and help that run as smooth as possible before we start working out and discussing the details for Thursday. Otherwise, our minds may explode.
And it dawned on me that God probably has that same desire for us when giving direction. Each day has it’s own challenges, it’s own details, it’s own decisions to be made and acted on. Yet, when seeking direction from Him, we tend to want to know our entire future. “Can’t You just give us the entire picture now?!” I know for me, I rarely stop and ask for just the directions He has that one day. No, I want to know exactly what the directions will be for the next and the next and the next instead of trusting Him for the big picture and walking with Him one day at a time.
Lord, You know the details and needs of this day. You know the challenges and decisions we will face. You see down the road and know what direction You would have us take today. When we turn to the left or the right, let us hear You say “this is the way, now walk in it”.
“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:34
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21
Pursuit
The song in my heart
keeps calling for freedom
It’s beating to a different tune
This melody inside of me
Keeps chasing after You
Deep Roots
We excuse sin, we allow it
We think we know what’s best
We minimize it’s consequences
We trivialize it’s effects
We defend sin
We excuse it based on needs
We fail to see participating
Only plants new seeds
Turn away! Eradicate it!
Before it’s roots take hold
Turn away, even run!
Before more sin’s conceived.
“The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.” Proverbs 5:22
In the Lion’s Den
I went in with the lions
And yet came out alive
Unscathed to tell the story
Of how and by Whom I survived
Clearly not by strength
Not by my wit nor guile
But because the Lord, He fought for me
And always wins the battle
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14
19At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel 6:19-20
Battles – and their End
The wounds inflicted
have reached their end
The nightmare had purpose
Before it began
The darkness there
I may not comprehend
But yesterday is gone
And will not come again.
Eternal
Rejoice in that which can’t be taken away
His promises for each new day
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Our Source of Hope
Still it’s there
One glimmer of hope
That comes to me when I sing
No matter what surrounds
My joy is found
When I offer praise
To my King
What a Joy
Shout for joy
You speak to me
You answer my prayers
Sing it out loud
You, my Savior, are my friend
You carry me and teach me
Leading me home til the end
Beyond comprehension
Too great for words
Your love is amazing
What a joy to know you, my Lord
On a cross
You died for me
With my life
May I bring glory to Thee
May I sing You a song
With all of my heart
Praising You tenderly
I bow before Your throne
Beyond comprehension
Too great for words
Your love is amazing
What a joy to know you, my Lord
You are my Creator
Creator of all things
You hold me in Your arms
And bless me beyond measure
You are intimate and Holy
And You know my name
You’ve made me Your child
And I’m forever Yours
Beyond comprehension
Too great for words
Your love is amazing
What a joy to know you, my Lord
March 2003
The Difference
Religion says I have the answers
But You say I have your heart
Religion tries to simplify
You continue to mystify
And set Your love apart
Faith
I’m walking on invisible ground
Unseen by those around
But it’s proven sturdy
A faithful friend
So tomorrow
I’ll choose it again
Faith
https://todancewithyou.wordpress.com/2017/05/05/my-choice/
— Read on todancewithyou.com/2017/05/05/my-choice/
Answers
I can’t tell you what to do
or what direction to go
Only Who will be there along the way
I can’t tell you
how to atone for your sin
The price has already been paid.
1 John 2:2 “And He is the propitiation for our sings; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Press On
The troubles of this day may never cease
The heartache of this loss may not find peace
But Your love remains the same
So, I press on.
Full Coverage
No matter how diligent
No matter how sincere
Our attempts are
at cleansing our own hearts
We still will fall short
But if His grace covers one,
It covers all.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. James 2:10
Drifting Away
The current carried me away
Until I could no longer see the shore
Drifting about without enough strength
To fight the sea’s pull anymore
In This World
Reach for Him
When the sky begins to fall
When you can’t understand His hand
Trust His heart
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Lowly King
Broken and defeated
Crumbling to the ground
My hands reached out
And felt His feet
…….
My tears streamed down
Succumbing to pain’s sting
But anguish turned to praise
As I trusted this lowly King
“As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.” Luke 7:38
Sifted
He sifted me until I was no more
Every ounce of rebellion gone
He tested me and closed every door
Until despair chased away all my wrong
Forging Our Faith
He brings us face to face
with our depravity
To understand our humanity
Until we learn to declare
It is for His purpose we are here
And we confess and believe
It is by His grace we live and breathe
Matthew 16:15
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Above
Elevating my beliefs to your truths requires turning away from lies
Lies that say life’s goal is reaching self satisfaction
That all must be well around me before following through with godly action
Earthly troubles are my perimeter, the plain I clearly see.
Looking beyond to the heavenly is what You are asking of me.
But God
Don’t forget the Lord
When you face hopelessness
Don’t forget the Lord
When you lose sight of the light
Don’t forget the Lord
When you look at probability
Don’t forget the Lord
When you feel you’re losing the fight.
Have you ever noticed the phrase ‘But God’ in your Bible? Chances are: you have – and skated right past it. Take a closer look. From Genesis to 1 Samuel and Acts to Ephesians, almost every time the phrase occurs, it is to signal a change of scene. And each time, it is God stepping into the picture to powerfully upend a messed-up world again.
https://butgod.net
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4-5
Poor in Spirit
Lord, I don’t have much
but what I have is Yours
I’ll give You all I have
How could I give more?
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
Divine Guidance
You will make a way through this uncertain road
You’ll clear a path and illuminate my stepping stones.
Where will you take me? You will not say.
Only that you love me and you know the way.
Along the path my Lord leads me, whispering as we go.
Invisible safety embraces me disguised as a “not now” or a “no”.
Holding me to say “wait”, releasing me when it’s time to go.
Where he is leading me, I don’t yet need to know.
In All Things
May Your will be done
Whether it leaves me
wanting or satisfied
May Your will be done
Whether it finds me alone
or with loved ones by my side
May Your will be done
Whether full of pain or jubilee
May Your will be done
As I draw near to Thee
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Phillipians 4: 11-13)
Humbled
No human device suffices
nor heals my pride
No dark corner provides
a safe place to hide
By Your hand, I will not
overcome this suffering
Until bowing my knee
is the only place left for me
And I learn to live
humbly at Your throne
As Your presence surpasses
all other known.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16
Don’t Miss the Blessing
May the blessings You place
right in front of me
Not be dimmed by the sorrow
of unmet dreams
Nor disregarded or ignored
because I was searching for another door.
In Your will, there is hope of a future
Apart from my own thoughts or plans
May I not miss Your blessing or calling
Because “No” my heart would not understand.
Self Control
I can forgive every wrong to keep my heart clean.
I can evaluate my failures to make changes I need.
I can not let the things around me make me bitter or lose my sense of peace.
I can keep writing about it all and hope that someone who needs a new perspective sees.
I can only control me.
“If you learn self-control, you can master anything.” – Anonymous
Galatians 5:23
Gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
“He who angers you conquers you.” – Elizabeth Kenny
“The first and best victory is to conquer self. To be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and objectionable.” – Plato
Word Apothecary
Let me use words to entice, teach and show.
Let me use words to express, heal and grow.
Let me use words to paint pictures
Of the places in life I have known.
Tempest Sea
I have been a wild and tempest rage
Unstable as the sea
Letting the waves of my emotions carry me.
This is not the way to be.
Emotions not founded on truth
Nor evidence of a lie
Just reactions on which I shouldn’t rely.
Emotions are blind, foolish guides.
You are
You are the warmth I feel
when driving at night
The hope I find
when nothing is right
The melody in my song
When I don’t have a tune
The vision in my head
When I don’t know what to do
It’s Yours
My reservoir is empty
All I can do is pray
Coming to you humbled
Lord have your way
My shield is broken
My defenses fallen down
I’ve given up fighting
Its Yours to win or lose now
“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14
Hearts
When my feelings are blinding me
And I can’t see the truth
I’ll choose to trust in You
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
-Jeremiah 17:9
Whispers of Truth
You calm me and bring hope
You are steady and sturdy
You are larger than what I see
You whisper truth to me
Still Waters
I see this is by Your hand.
Though not all will understand
How You’ve led me into
Your promised land
The pasture is green
The waters so wide
A land flowing with honey
You there by my side
My soul is refreshed
My heart so content
Each labored step led
By divine Providence
Years in the storm
Now worth the wait
The desires that were born
The mistakes that were made
The changes that occurred
All through grace
Ushering me here
To this moment, this place
Psalm 23:1-6
1The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk
through the darkest valley, a
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Christian Poetry, Thoughts & Analogies 