Mount Up With Eagles

When life seems so dreary and burdened with care,

As clouds of dread darkness breathe out black despair,

Dear soul, take fresh courage, look up, and behold:

For Jesus has planned you a future untold.

Wait now on the Lord and your strength He’ll renew,

As on eagle wings you shall mount and take view

Of ev’ry bright promise which through the clouds beam,

As sunbeams of hope on your sordid life gleam.

He hears you above all your pain and dark past,

As each painful heartache on Him you now cast:

For He is the Healer of sad, broken hearts-

It’s here that His infinite plan for you starts!

So as with the eagles you mount up so high,

Give Christ ev’ry anguish that makes your heart cry:

For as you are borne near the Savior’s own breast,

He works within you to bring healing and rest.

He brings you a freedom and healing complete,

As all you surrender and lay at His feet;

The tatters of heart-break and strands of dark pain

He blends with bright gold of most infinite gain.

And then He equips you by His grace divine,

To soar still with eagles and says “Child, you’re Mine;

You shall not grow faint when I walk by your side:

For I’ll light your path and so near will abide!”

-Keturah

Abolish Slavery

To be a slave I cannot dare, and must avoid its deadly snare-

An Abolitionist I’ll be, and do away with slavery.

And I can never dare to stoop to hatred, or its bitter soup:

For then I’m choosing readily, another man’s own slave to be.

And I must always cast aside the bread of bitterness that’s dried:

For just a crumb could poison me, and chain me as a slave, not free.

That tantalizing malice spread must not be buttered on my bread:

For that too seals my binding fate- enslaved in bondage none can rate.

The pastry that may look so nice, but binds one fast, as cold as ice

Is clanking unforgiveness chains, which makes real slaves and has no gains.

The slave owner just stalks around and preys on those which could be bound;

The overseers capture all who in their cruel clutches fall.

The bloodhounds sniff out every scent- ferocious frenzy oft will vent

When some poor soul from slavery flees through Jesus Christ escapes so free!

Old Satan owns the slaves (he thinks), but he’s defeated – on death’s brink;

And we can choose his slavery, or else a life in Jesus, free!

For Jesus bought us by His blood, so He could free us through that flood;

Let’s not succumb to slavery, but choose forgiveness, love so free!

Forgiveness choices free us up, despite what pain is in our cup;

It places All within God’s hand, Who in this choice by us will stand!

Bringing Abuse's Aftermath to Jesus

While God and I were addressing the life-long lie that “I am ‘too bad’ to be loved, helped or understood,” Jesus brought an answer to my cry which set so much of it straight, despite the need to look at some deeper things further….

“I planned you before the world began, and have loved you with an everlasting love. I have understood you since the time I was forming you in the womb; and it is because of My Presence, sustenance and divine aid that you survived everything adversely painful throughout your life. Though man has not always understood, or known how to love and help you, yet I the Lord can never fail you!”

 “Lord, why in all these years did Your people not love, help or understand my shatters and agony, but rather judged and condemned me?”

His reply… “Because My people are human they have often misrepresented Me and My love, relying on their own understanding instead of Mine. Only I, the Lord, have seen your bruised and bleeding heart so ripped and torn by the experiences of abuse and rejection, and only I have understood. I have walked the road before you, but none of these others have come close.”

 “Lord, I choose to renounce the lie that ‘I am too bad to be helped, loved or understood, and I acknowledge that You have done all these things for me. Lord, will You break this lie by the blood of Jesus and take back all the ground given to Satan through it; and Jesus, will You break all the effects this may have had on my children and husband, and retrieve that ground also? Please will You forgive me, Jesus?”

“My child, I will forgive, receive you and reclaim all the ground that the enemy stole. I will also exchange the lie for My divine truth which is: I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with the cords of love, and I will keep thee as the apple of My eye. Though weeping has endured many nights and years, My joy comes in the morning."

My Jesus Was Always There

Sometimes it is hard to at all understand,

Just what in dark trial my Lord may have planned:

How could He allow all the suff’ring and pain?

Why did He not stop all the anguish that rained?

So often I’ve stared within death’s darkest face,

Not knowing if morning my breath would still trace;

And one could well wonder, “Was God really there?

Did He even help in the midst of despair?”

My friend let me tell you in tones full of trust,

That “Jesus was there despite rubble and dust-

When dark death was lurking midst pain none can rate,

The power of God I cannot estimate!”

For it was my Jesus Who always was there-

He salvaged my life from the depth of despair;

Had He not have been there all hope would have fled:

For I would have perished - been found only dead!

He tenderly held me within His embrace-

Though crushed, bruised and bleeding, He offered His grace;

Although when in anguish one can’t understand-

Assured we can be that God has each life planned.

Christ picked up the ruins of agony, dark-

In love’s tender care He preserved my torn bark;

The tatters of agony, mixed He with gold,

Producing a vessel to use and to hold.

I praise my dear Savior that He understands-

For using torn pieces in His divine plans-

For salvaging life midst the ruins of pain-

For using the anguish for infinite gain!

For pain I do thank Him, and praise Him anew

For each darkened trial that He’s called me through;

I thank Him for using abuse so untold

To teach me His love as His purpose unfolds!

-Keturah