God, heaps of lessons you want me to learn -
this I now see, and mostly know, from times
you've held my hands and led me, in my turn,
but often 'coz of season's, reasons, rhymes,
or things that seemed irrelevant, though real.
You motivate, and get us moving, here
at times through what might be just things we feel,
yet may connect to needs, as things appear.
My biggest is to simply trust your Way:
creative love, that seems so pow'rless and
so simple and naive (as many say),
from habits of relating, not demands
on others, but emerges from within,
so slow to anger, also slow to speak
[though you made tongues, voice-box, nose, mouth & chin,
& speech that's borne of words, on breath, so weak.
But we as foetal gods, reflect yourself.
And we know how important speech is to
us as communal beings (our great wealth),
& what a gift that we might speak with you].
But speech you use, not to express yourself,
except it be in making worlds like ours,
with jobs, and food, and rest, maintaining health,
for others here, your children, with your pow'rs
of speech, that we have gotten, as "offspring"
from you yourself our parent (Dad & Mum),
who is so quick to listen, and to sing.
And may we truly grow like you, not numb.
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. … the Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger for ever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. … But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children – with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. Psalms 103:4-6, 8-14, 17-18 NIVUK
God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. Exodus 2:24 NIVUK
The Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. Exodus 3:7 NIVUK
Yet he took note of their distress when he heard their cry; Psalms 106:44 NIVUK
… You have kept your promise because you are righteous. ‘You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. Nehemiah 9:6-9 NIVUK
I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.” Acts 7:34 NIVUK
Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. Psalms 6:8 NIVUK
Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. Psalms 28:6 NIVUK
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. … He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. Psalms 40:1,3 NIVUK
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Hebrews 5:7 NIVUK
Ears that hear and eyes that see – the Lord has made them both. Proverbs 20:12 NIVUK
But to this day the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. Deuteronomy 29:4 NIVUK
as it is written: ‘God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.’ Romans 11:8 NIVUK
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. Matthew 13:16 NIVUK
And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, John 5:37 NIVUK
Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13 NIVUK
I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul. Jeremiah 32:41 NIVUK
The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.’ Zephaniah 3:17 NIVUK
Evildoers are snared by their own sin, but the righteous shout for joy and are glad. Proverbs 29:6 NIVUK
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Psalms 126:5 NIVUK
Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. Psalms 115:3 NIVUK
Take me away with you – let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers. We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. How right they are to adore you! Song of Songs 1:4 NIVUK
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8 NIVUK
This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 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. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: in this world we are like Jesus. 1 John 4:13-18 NIVUK
‘All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. ‘You heard me say, “I am going away and I am coming back to you.” If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. ‘Come now; let us leave. John 14:25-28, 30-31 NIVUK
‘A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. ‘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 16:32-33 NIVUK
When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Mark 14:26 NIVUK
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5 NIVUK
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