Momentarily Distracted

 

 

When he learnt it was the master

His confidence began to grow

So out of the boat he stepped

And to the Master started to go.

 

He dared to prove the Master

When instructed to do just that

And so, putting fear aside

His assumption became the fact.

 

For he had rightly assumed

That if it were the Lord

He could go on the water to him

By just stepping out on his word.

 

What absurdity implied!

Stepping out on a word,

Who had ever seen such before?

This was really absurd.

 

That is the expressed opinion

The anticipation of the skeptic

Who after all that he has seen

Is still the doubting critic.

 

So let us put him aside

And deal with the matter at hand

As Peter makes his way to the Master

Guided by the Master’s plan.

 

 

He walks on the water to Jesus

Upon the raging sea,

It is no different from when he started

But he is distracted momentarily.

 

It is like the learner rider

Thinking that daddy is still there

But glancing back loses her balance

And wobbles because of fear.

 

O, she was doing quite well

Unaware she was actually riding,

Though he no longer held the saddle

In him she was still confiding.

 

However, she did not fall

Since daddy was still nearby

And his reassuring hand stuck out

And her falling he denied.

 

Such too was Peter’s case

When he became distracted

And momentarily looking at the wind

Peter fearfully reacted.

 

 

But Jesus was on the spot

And stretched out a reassuring hand,

Peter was rescued from the deep

And soon they were on the land.

 

Such too, is our daily walk

And often times we are distracted

But our faithful guide is ever present

And through him we are protected.

 

Like his Father, he is faithful

And the Holy Spirit is faithful too,

And when we are momentarily distracted

They are there for me and you.

 

Stewart Russell © September 2019

 

What a Wretched Typo!

 

 

I was responding to a message

When out jumped a contrast,

It gripped my mind so powerfully

That I could not let it pass.

 

I meant to write God’s faithfulness

But wrote God’s ‘faithfulmess’

Typing an ‘m’ instead of an 'n'

Caused me severe stress.

 

I instantly abhorred my mistake

For that is so unlike my God,

God’s faithfulness is never ending

Though our faithful mess He abhors.

 

The Old Testament is replete

With the unbelief of the chosen Jews

And their consistent unfaithful mess

Is also expressed in the New.

 

And today, as born-again believers,

We are oft guilty of the same

Though beneficiaries of God’s faithfulness

Again, and again, and again.

 

 

I am using the word ‘faithful’

As I would use its synonym ‘consistent’:

God’s faithfulness and our faithful mess

As is undeniably evident.

 

For we are consistent in our mess

Yet God remains faithful to us,

And the one we have to thank for this

Is none other than His Son, Jesus.

 

Out of this world’s colossal mess

There are lessons that we can learn

Regarding the benefits from Almighty God

That we can never earn.

 

 

And while we might be improving

There is still that consistent mess:

The regular typos of our daily living

That contaminates our faithfulness.

 

But God knows the yearning heart

In spite of our faithful mess,

And the times when we act as babes

He still shows forth His faithfulness.

 

He doesn’t condone our faithful mess

And, as believers, neither should we,

But in love He reaches down and says,

“My child, come back to me.”

 

For often in our messy situations

We would try to run away and hide

But God faithfully comes after us

And draws us to His side.

 

 

For He knows our weakness

And our natural inclination to sin

So that when in life these typos occur

He invites us to come to Him.

 

Our fore-parents hid from God

When in Eden they first sinned,

They tried to cover up that wretched typo

By running away from Him.

 

But God in His great faithfulness

Implemented His redemptive plan

And His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Came and died for fallen man.

 

This outpouring of God’s faithfulness

Trumped His children’s consistent mess

And as we follow after Him,

Our typos should become even less.

 

Stewart Russell © March 16, 2021

 

Choosing to Give Thanks

 

I just want to give God thanks

For having lived this long.

For family and friends

And for still being somewhat strong.

There is a pain right here

And every day an ache somewhere

But I am assured of the fact

That I am in God’s care.

I thank Him for his faithfulness

Each and every day

And how He keeps on keeping me

When I let Him lead the way.

I am His very special sheep

As a matter of fact, still a lamb,

For one day I am frisky

Though the next I’m like a ram.

I thank Him for understanding

All of my frailties

And I credit Him above all else

For my every capability.

He wakes me every morning

And gives to me His breath

And I am assured He will do this

Until the time of my death.

I thank Him for the fact

That I am in His hand,

Not because I deserve it

But because it is His plan.

And yet another day

He has caused me to see,

I am in my right mind

And seeing quite clearly.

There are many consolations

Too many to fully mention

And in my every difficulty

He is on top of the problem.

I thank Him for the water

Which is back on again

And wish I could make a promise

That when it’s off I won’t complain.

For the electricity too

That is now up and going well

And on the fact it will happen again

I choose not to dwell.

 

Yes, I choose to give God thanks

Not simply fret and complain,

For every problem we’ve had before

We are likely to encounter it again.

Giving God thanks is a choice

It is a decision we should make,

It doesn’t happen automatically

It's a course we all should take.

I choose to give God thanks

There is nothing better I can do,

With Him, life here is much easier

And in the life to come, too.

Stewart Russell © December 2019

Lest We Forget

Lest we forget the blood sweat and tears

Lest we forget the prayers

Lest we forget the back-breaking toil

That brought us through the years.

Lest we forget the moral underpinnings

Which have served our country well

Or the faithfulness of Almighty God

Which the second verse of our anthem spells.

Lest we forget the message of the book

Regarding the treatment of our neighbour

Or the nurturing of our children

And the modelling of good behaviour.

Lest we forget the “pride and industry”

That our national motto demands

And that righteousness is the way forward

If we are to benefit from God’s plan.

Lest we forget that crime doesn’t pay

And that retribution is still a reality today,

Lest we forget we don’t have the last word

But God has the final say.

Let us now turn our hearts heavenward

In cognition of God’s faithfulness

And give Him thanks and praise

For we are a people truly blessed.

Fifty-two years of Independence and before

God has been our guide,

Faithful to us through thick and thin

Though we oft wandered from His side.

Spared the ravages of many a storm

And protected so far from political upheaval

While seamlessly changing administrations

We should never be a forgetful people.

So less we forget the goodness of God

Let’s take a few precious moments right now

And in acknowledgement of His benevolence

With grateful hearts before Him bow.

  

Give us grateful hearts, we pray

Heavenly Father, lest we forget your love

And remind us in the good times and bad

Every single blessing comes from above.

As we celebrate 52 years of Independence

We pray that you will be our principal object

And that our eye of faith will be on you

The one that has never failed; lest we forget.

Remind us that righteousness exalts a nation

But with an evil bent a reproach we can expect,

That you deserve our reverence and respect:

Remind us of these things Lord, lest we forget.

Stewart Russell © November 2018

 

Is Praying a Waste of Time?

Is praying a waste of time?

I would think not.

It’s a command from God’s Word

It is the believer’s lot.

Can we change the future?

I would think not.

The future is already written

That is history’s lot.

By the way history is written

And I mean all of it,

It’s in the memory bank of God

And this is no trick.

So why do we pray

Regarding what has happened?

Can we change the past

Which is already fashioned?

I guess based on these facts

One would be inclined to say

We are wasting time and effort

Every time we pray.

If it doesn’t change anything

Why bother to pray?

Prayer is never about outcome

It is following God’s way.

Jesus prayed in the garden

“Let this cup pass from me.”

But he was resigned to God’s will

And that most assuredly.

He knew before he prayed

That nothing would be changed

So why did he pray

If he knew all was prearranged?

Jesus connected with the Father

And he did this in his prayer

This communication is important

As we live out each and every day.

It is about thanking the Lord

For all his benefits to us,

It is about acknowledging God

That sent our Saviour, Jesus.

It is thanking Him for salvation

And for the life everlasting

And knowing he is with us

Through whatever we are passing.

It is about saying to Him

“God what a wonder you are!”

And unceasingly adoring Him

For the bright and morning star.

Jesus is that Light

That faithfully shows the way,

We should thank God for him

Each and every day.

Our requests have already been met

But God wants to hear from us

He regards us as His dear children

Like he regards His Son, Jesus.

But He wants our communication

To be straight from the heart,

To be a token of our love

From which we will never depart.

Not based on the outcomes

As is the case with the World

But because we truly love Him

And trust Him at His Word.

What is there I must ask God for?

The answer to that is nothing.

But there is much to thank Him for

For everything comes from Him.

His care of His children

Is not dependent on their prayers

But is premised on His faithfulness

As a loving Father that cares.

So pray because you love God,

Pray because He cares,

Pray because you like talking to Him

And because He answers prayer.

Pray because He commands it,

Pray because you are on line,

Pray because prayer is a vital link

That God answers every time.

Stewart Russell © July 2018