I have a clock that stopped working long ago and ever since it has been collecting dust on the floor of a closet in my house. About a year ago I pulled it out of the closet and tried to get it working again, but to no avail. I was going to throw it away,… Continue reading Psalm 39: Watching Life’s Clock
Month: October 2016
Chained Hope: Psalm 38
This poem is taken from my book A New Song, (Westbow Press, 2016) and can be found online HERE.
Psalm 38: Praying the Psalm
O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! Lord, is it right to ask you not to be angry and hold back your wrath when I am worthy of judgment? For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. Do I realize all… Continue reading Psalm 38: Praying the Psalm
Psalm 37: The Green Grass of the Wicked
My first reading of Psalm 37 quickly left me confused. I don’t mean to say the words were incomprehensible, rather, I found the structure to be elusive. Being somewhat persistent, I studied and consulted commentaries to find some insight, but most of them said that other than it being an acrostic Psalm 37 has no… Continue reading Psalm 37: The Green Grass of the Wicked
The Light to See: Psalm 36
This poem is taken from my book A New Song, (Westbow Press, 2016) and can be found online HERE.
Psalm 36: The Arrogant Light of the Wicked
One of the great literary turns in scripture is found in Romans chapter 1 and chapter 2. In Romans 1 Paul describes the consequences of sin, using the word “they” or forms of that word, nearly 30 times referring to sinners. But in chapter 2 Paul begins speaking of sinners in the second person saying,… Continue reading Psalm 36: The Arrogant Light of the Wicked
Psalm 35: Difficult Prayers
Of all the prayers I am asked to offer God, the most difficult one, I think, is when I’m asked to pray for those who mistreat me. Actually, now that I think about it, those might be the easiest prayers to offer. What I mean is, it’s easy to ask God to strike my enemies… Continue reading Psalm 35: Difficult Prayers
Joy’s Rocky Road: Psalm 33
This poem is taken from my book A New Song, (Westbow Press, 2016) and can be found online HERE.
Psalm 34: I Wonder What Would Happen to this World?
I was talking with a friend the other day about many of today’s problems and how Christians should respond. At some point in the conversation she said something like “I’m tired of all the people who say ‘Jesus is the answer’ and then do nothing about it on their own.” I didn’t respond at the… Continue reading Psalm 34: I Wonder What Would Happen to this World?
The Lost Children (version 1)
I was reading Matthew 2:16-18 and wondered what life might have been like for one of those families who had their child killed by Herod when he was seeking to put baby Jesus to death. How would they have lived afterward? How would this event have shaped their future? Would they be angry and become jaded? If so, would there be any reconciliation for them in this lifetime? This story is a bit long (about 5,000 words) but it is one of the favorite ones I have written. I would love to hear your thoughts should you take the time to read it.
Painting by Leon Cogniet, Massacre of the Innocents, 1824.