A Poem Based On Psalm 13

Because this poem is based on Psalm 13, I decided to post the Psalm first:

 

Psalm 13

 

¹ How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

³ Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
⁴ my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord,
for he has been good to me.

The first part of verse two really hit me.

 

"How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

and every day have sorrow in my heart?"

 

          I've pretty much asked that exact question of God often recently. Some days life hurts and I can't help but ask God, "How long?!". But I am trusting in His unfailing love and His promises to me. God isn't going to leave me alone to fight. He will always hold me.

How Long, Oh LORD? 11/18/12

How long must I wrestle with tear filled eyes?

How long will You hide Your face from my cries?

How long, from a distance, will you watch my tears?

How long shall I be waiting? Moments seem like years.

 

How long, Oh LORD, will You let me weep?

How long, Oh LORD, will Your justice sleep?

How long, how long, will the enemies laugh?

How long, how long, will You withhold Your wrath?

 

On unfailing love my hope is held.

With unfailing love my fears are quelled.

Before mercy's throne my plea is heard.

My comfort is this- Your promised Word.

~ZA


This song was in my head when I was writing that poem. :)

 

 

Copyright © 2012 Ophelia M. Flowers

I am blessed. :)

   This doesn't have anything to do with writing, but I think it's obvious by now that sometimes I just post things randomly that aren't poetry or excerpts. *Shrugs*  It's my blog. ;)

   Anyway, this is something I wanted to say and I decided to say it here.

   When I was younger I knew the world had hurts but they never really effected me. I was in my safe bubble of Christian family, homeschooling and church. I interacted with people, but I didn't really see.

    As I got older I more and more understood the hurts. My bubble got smaller and smaller. But even when I saw the hurts, they didn't really impact me. I prayed and meant it- but I don't think I understood. It didn't as often break my heart into pieces.

    Now my heart breaks. Why? I got to know people. I started listening to the pains and hurts of others- the confusion they were dealing with and the uncertainties of their families. Prayer became a lot more to me – a way to pour out my heart for people when I felt at a total loss for words. And as I more and more see the hurts of the world, I finally understand something, if only just a little:

    I have it really good. I have Christian parents who have raised me to love and fear God, to be a hard worker, and to have respect for others. I have a dad who is a pastor and a mom who home schooled me all my years of school. I'm the (admittedly bossy) older sister to three younger siblings who (though we have our squabbles) I'm blessed to have. Most importantly, I'm loved by God and I know for certain that I am His. He has blessed me in so many ways and I don't deserve any of it.

    I've been shaken a lot this year, cried for a lot of people, questioned God about His reasons for things, and done a lot of pondering. No matter what happens in my life or the lives of the ones I love, I can say with confidence that God is good. I don't always understand what He is doing and many times I cry out to Him in questioning but He always comes through. He's not constrained to my time limits and He doesn't need my permission to work in my life. He's God. He's in charge. And oh, He is so good.

 

~ZA

Still Will He Hold

 

Still Will He Hold 11/4/12

All alone within the corner

Too ashamed to even pray.

The tears fall warm and heavy-

I long to simply run away.

 

How could I have done that?

Will He love me even still?

I turn, now harmed and broken.

Oh I've fallen from His will.

 

The pain within my anguish

Curls inside me as I cry.

Now truly I have failed Him,

Mocking words. I long to die.

 

The figure of my Master,

I know His presence very well.

We have walked through paths of laughter.

I'm ashamed how far I fell.

 

I try to hide within my corner.

Steadily He's drawing near.

In the midst of tears so many,

I can't even see Him clear.

 

Then a hand falls to my shoulder.

I wait for words of angry scorn.

But instead I hear the words,

“Child draw nearer and get warm.”

 

He leads me to the fire.

I shy away from the light.

Now He can fully see it.

I want to hide within the night.

 

I linger for His judgment,

Believing now He'll cast me down.

How can He forgive me

When I've muddied my white gown?

 

His eyes meet mine gently;

Kind hands wipes tears away.

“Oh little one, I love you.

Let me take the burden away.”

 

“But why would You take it?

Can't You see what I have done?

You used to call me friend,

But I've spit upon Your Son.”

 

There's pain within His look now.

“Oh child, do you still not know?”

He pulls me to His chest.

“For you I've bled and been made low.”

 

“How then do You love me?

If I'm the cause of Your pain?”

I do not understand this.

My look falls to my new stain.

 

“Child once You've been forgiven,

I will never let you go.

Turn to me within your sorrow,

Or your burden will yet grow.”

 

I give to Him the darkness,

His touch turns it white.

The burden I had carried

Is now blessedly light.

 

“I know that you stumble,

I've seen the things you do.

But no matter how you've fallen,

My blood has made you new.”

 

He's seen me as I've faltered,

He knows the doubts so bold,

But He reminds that I am growing-

Though I sin, still will He hold.

 

~ZA

 

Copyright © 2012 Ophelia M. Flowers