Weeping: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

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Jeremiah 31:9, “With weeping they shall come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they shall not stumble; For I am a father to Israel, And Ephraim is My first-born.”

“With weeping they shall come.”

Tears of grief, tears of loss, tears of astonishment, tears of mercy, and tears of hope, are often all mixed up when we come to the Lord. Confused—disoriented—wary and yet clinging to His promises.

Especially when our paths become muddled.

Yet, He waits for each of us to accept His direction. He will carry us as a beloved child. He replaces our fears with trust, our failures with His faithfulness. We have the opportunity to look to new plans with curiosity and hope instead of fretting.

He gives us clarity on His straight road. He closes false routes. He leads with love.

Thank you Lord for Your ongoing multiple streams. Not just one flow that if we miss we are lost, but ongoing streams for every moment of our lives.

Please keep our hearts turned towards Your words and listening to Your Spirit’s guidance. Help us to be as willing to bring our weeping and failures as well as our joys and successes.

Your Thoughts,

Bring: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

                       Bring

                        Going to bring them

                        broken, blind, confused,

                        weary and weakened

                        gathered regardless of distance

                        brought together

                        wrapped in community

                        grace bound protection

                        bearing new life

                        woven in restoration.

Romans 8:8 “And those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Reflection: New Life: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection:

1.     How far away do you feel you have wandered?

2.     In what ways are you experiencing blindness or deafness or immobility?

3.     What are you holding that is fragile?

4.     How has this fatigue worn you down both physically and emotionally?

New Life: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

Jeremiah 31: 8 “See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here.”

Going to bring. He will. From wherever each one is, and in every condition possible. None will be left behind. Especially not those in weakness.

Whether blind or lame: physically, emotionally, or spiritually. He already knows.

Lift up our hands. He is our strength and will lead us to the place of His choosing internally and externally despite the geography of our present soul. He leads us into new places.

He restores us to life.

Lord, please enable us to return to You from wherever we have wandered or become lost.

Your Thoughts,

Sing: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

Sing

                        Sing aloud

                        with gladness

                        raise shouts

                        proclaim, give praise,

                        not an easy request

                        when a remnant

                        huddles in exhaustion

                        weakened by loss

                        rescue surrounds unseen

                        protected by grace

                        never leaves, continues to

                        save His people

                        with gladness.

                       

Romans 8:7 “For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot.”

Reflection: Claim: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection

1.     In what ways has the Lord’s song, cut into your despair or depression?

2.     How did the hope give you courage to keep going when it seemed nothing would change?

3.     Will this prepare you for another season of battle? How?

4.     What word of hope do you now give to another who is struggling?

Claim: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

Jeremiah 31: 7 “For thus says the Lord; Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob, and raise shouts for the chief of the nations; proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘Save, O Lord, your people, the remnant of Israel.’”

Sing aloud with gladness.

Have you found that some days are just too difficult to sing God’s grace despite the fact that you have no doubts of faith? Your trust in His Presence is solid. Your belief in His word is unshakeable.

And yet still a tiredness beyond fatigue can suddenly wrap us in a grip that pulls deeper and deeper into a sense of separation and loss.

A sense of helplessness to own what we believe. Instead of song—silence.

However even if our voice is muted we can still praise. When we turn to unfailing truths—unchangeable promises—unfathomable mercy, we choose to sing. Even when no one else hears us.

And that will sustain us through any lingering defeat until we can lift our voices once more in gladness and witness out loud. The praise and the song continue to be our foundation—our choice in all situations.

Lord, please keep our hearts and our souls singing Your word with gladness and claim Your song.

Your Thoughts,

Watch: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

Watch

Shall be a day

Watching, listening, waiting

in hope, in trust, in faith

for the promise long ago given

in grace, in mercy, in love.

Will we be as committed

to each day’s possibilities

for words that change lives

to listen in obedience.

With our vision steadfast

in anticipation

for guidance, clarity, support

in expectancy.

Will we go

when the Spirits calls

whispers or shouts

walk now.

Romans 8:6, “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”

Reflection: Day: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

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Reflection

1.     Are we ready to listen for the call daily or has weariness silenced us?

2.     Are we ready to follow together or has fragmentation divided us?

3.     Where do our hesitations lie?

4.     What will engage our hearts to commit wholly?

Day: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

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Jeremiah 31:6, “For there shall be a day when watchmen On the hills of Ephraim shall call out, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To the Lord our God.’”

Shall be a day.

Will there come a day Lord when we look to Your word first before wallowing in our own needs and struggles. When we will look up first in hope before down at the chains we are entangled in—both of our own failures and of life trials.

We pray to come to You first in all situations and possibilities and for a heart ready to obey in love and gratitude. For hearts set on You.

Set on trust.

Your Thoughts,

Plant: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

Plant

Again will come

a time to plant

a time to seed

again to cultivate.

Put behind the loss

plant with expectation

plant with courage

put  away the fear.

Expect a harvest

enjoy the labor

enjoy the growth

expect to nurture.

Again in trust

a deliberate choice

a step of faith

again by grace.

Romans 8: 5, “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”

Reflection: Shall Plant: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

Reflection

1.     Have you experienced or seen the devastation left from nature’s dark side: fire, tornado, hurricanes, earthquake, tsunami? What was your first thought?

2.     How did you, or would you, face the task of rebuilding?

3.     What loss might keep you from giving up completely at any restoration?

4.     What hope would give you the courage to begin again?

Shall Plant: Grace in the Wilderness: Prayers and Poetry

Jeremiah 31: 5, “Again you shall plant vineyards On the hills of Samaria; The planters shall plant and shall enjoy them.”

Again you shall plant.

The promise is for a plentiful harvest spreading over the hills.

And it requires a vision. Vineyards don’t grow in a few weeks but take years of labor. A new commitment. A willingness to trust.  Whatever we are being asked to reseed. Restore.

How do we grasp on to that measure of hope from a place of devastation and despair? Especially when in reality we may never see a whole recovery in our lifetime.

A daily heart decision. “Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness;” Hosea 10:12 We are each given seeds to sow for the work the Lord calls us to—even when we cannot recognize or imagine the outcome.

To remember that the Spirit is present now, and the one guiding us into the future. His vision in His time. “The sower sows the word.” Mark 14:20

An ongoing promise.

Hallowed purpose that we are invited to participate in every day. Included in all the stages of growth. Given a glimpse of the final celebration when everyone has been invited to the banquet.

Again and again.

Your Thoughts,