“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” Prov. 25:2
 
Our God’s always working to accomplish His plans,
But often we don’t see His Providential hand
In the details and disappointments that come;
Yet the depths of His wisdom nothing can plumb.
Let’s pick up binoculars and look back in time
To three Old Testament stories recapped in rhyme,
And notice three details jump out to proclaim,
“Have faith in your God, though His plan you can’t name.”
 

Genesis describes Joseph’s years that were hard,
 Enslaved to Egypt’s captain of the guard.
Later falsely accused, he landed in jail,
But, wait…chapter forty has something to tell:
Potiphar’s house is the place of the prison!
From Potiphar himself came another commission.
Though he could have been sent far off or killed,
Joseph was kept right where God willed.  
 

View Numbers 2 from a perspective that’s aerial
To see tribal arrangement around the Tabernacle,
And you’ll see the first cross in Scripture recorded
Detailed in significance - by God Himself worded.
Study the sketch that pictures it all;
The Lamb came to rescue those trapped by the Fall.
No one but the I AM knew all that would be;
In this beautiful way He foretold Calvary.

Fast-forward to the year 473 BC;
Read of Haman’s decree in Esther 3.
The day it was published was Passover Eve;
Imagine how Jewish hearts did grieve
All the more as they remembered the past.
Would they again be rescued from tyranny’s blast?
But yet, that holiday was a God-sent reminder:
He will keep His promises, no matter the danger.
  

Oh, the depth of the riches of God’s knowledge and wisdom!
Nothing that troubles us is puzzling to Him.
Nothing that weakens us depletes ought of His strength,
And He is the One Who is our life’s length.
Often in hindsight He’s most clearly seen,
So by faith we will trust as we’re in the “between”
Of Scripture’s encouragement and Heaven’s sight,
When we’ll walk with our God in His city of light.

 “But may the God of all grace, Who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”  I Peter 5:10-11

 I John 2:12-14,17
 
 
“I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake…you have known the Father.”
 
Little children hold His hand,
Whose love, by faith, they understand;
They smile and trust that all is well,
Because they with the Shepherd dwell.
To the Father’s open arms they run;
With joy’s abandon see them come,
For full forgiveness set them free
By what Christ did at Calvary.
 
 
“I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him Who is from the beginning.”
 
Fathers, too, have known Him Who
Already was when all was new.
His friendship true they’ve known for years,
His presence what they hold most dear.
Their walk is steady; He sets the pace,
And they’ll rejoice to see His face.
His promises are always sure;
With settled peace they will endure.
 

 “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.”
 
Young men made strong by God’s own Word
That lives in them and is their sword.
With fortitude and zeal they fight
And conquer evil by His might.
They dare to live by what He says;
Neither toil nor pain can them dissuade,
These ones whose Captain fought and won
And gives His victory to His sons.
 
 
“…he who does the will of God abides forever.”
 
Father, keep me as Your little child,
Smiling back to You though storms are wild.
And as I age steadiness increase;
I’ve known my God and have His peace.
And always help me wield Your sword,
For You, not sin, shall be my Lord.
More than life, You are my greatest Treasure;
To be with You my joy forever!

 “The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness can never extinguish it.” – John 1:5 (NLT)

I have hated Christmas from the first time I heard of it.

To be specific, I hate Him - that baby, that rival to where I sit.

I am king, and I will be king no matter who stands in my way.

I’ll kill anyone to ensure that I live to rule another day.

Jealous fear holds sway, ever cruel,

Over my enemies, imagined or real.

I am Herod, the Christmas villain of competition.

To be quite honest, we are apathetic regarding Christmas.

Prophecies in dusty scrolls mean nothing to us.

Holy curiosity? Humph, merely for youth.

Prestigious position has dimmed the light of truth.

When answers are demanded, we’ll rattle them off;

But at peasant dreams, our hearts will scoff.

We are the chief priests and scribes, Christmas villains of complacency.

Too busy to notice, too busy to care –

Our days were chaotic, so we didn’t share.

Some of us made money, others tried to survive

The influx of stress the decree brought to our lives.

But this is for sure, no matter our reason,

Giving less than our best was, in effect, treason.

We are Bethlehem’s villagers, Christmas villains of circumstance.

I am Jesus; I am undefeated -

The Victor of Christmas Whose plan was completed.

Those villains may echo in your world today,

Just as fierce now as when I was cradled in hay,

But of this be sure: I am the Light shining in darkness,

That nothing, no nothing, can ever extinguish.

I am Jesus; “I have overcome the world.”*

Then come now, O Christians – faithful, joyful, triumphant!

Adore Him again, the God-Man Incarnate!

Tyrants can’t crush Him, the elite can’t dismiss Him,

The busy can’t ignore Him; let us always love Him!

With steel in our souls, and a spring in our stride,

We joy in this fact: Immanuel’s by our side.

The Victor is Jesus!

*John 16:33

 “And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.” Genesis 1:31a

The color of butterscotch and just as sweet,

Is Charles A. Hamster, with his tiny feet,

Curious nose and whiskers sniffing the air,

And dark, friendly eyes that seem to say, “Hey, there!”

You can hold him in your hands, a small furry ball,

All snuggled up sleeping, and loved by Peter Hall.

He runs on his wheel, inside or on top;

Chuck A-for-Awesome Hammie’s acrobatics don’t stop.

Peter’s made toys that keep him entertained:

Swinging ladder, bridge, and treat balls – a few to name.

Taking care of Charlie never seems to be a chore

For the boy who loves all animals created by the Lord.

Our Father Who sees sparrows of this hamster surely knows;

I’m glad He gave us Charlie, another way His goodness shows.

 “Then some of the scribes answered and said, ‘Teacher, You have spoken well.’” (Luke 20:39, NKJV)

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, Who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5, HCSB)

“For a Child will be born for us,…He will be named Wonderful Counselor…” (Isaiah 9:6, HCSB)

Knots and perplexities, tangles and questions

Leave me often bewildered in tough situations.

Not just for myself, but for ones that I love;

To know what to say, I need help from above.

I come to Your word, amazed at Your wisdom -

Straight to the heart, You spoke truth that would help them.

Always the best words, excellent answers,

 Not what they expected, but just what they needed.

Now again at Your feet, dear Master, I kneel,

Searching Your face for wisdom still

To know how to pray, and what words to say

To help family and friends who face difficult days.

Wonderful Counselor and Wisdom of God,

Who can untangle knots with only a nod,

Step into our midst and breathe peace, I pray,

In love and obedience we’ll follow Your way.

I Kings 19:18 – “Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

Elijah was talking to God one day

When evil over his land held sway.

“I, I alone, am left,” he did pray,

“And they seek my life to take it away.”

The Lord replied with jobs for him to do,

Then revealed a fact that only He knew:

“Yet I have reserved seven thousand who

Haven’t bowed or kissed Baal;” He wasn’t through.

Those seven thousand, less than one percent,

Wouldn’t give in no matter how culture went.

Belief in Yahweh they did not relent;

His one sentence applauded lives well spent.

And the eyes of the Lord still run to and fro

Throughout the whole earth, His strength to show

In behalf of those who truly yearn to Him know.

In the night He sees their faith’s steady glow.

Today once again, sin seems to be winning,

But yet there are some who like you are standing

For Jesus, His Word, and His way of living;

All steadfast allegiance our God is counting.

Pockets of people scattered here and there,

Brothers and sisters who for holiness care;

Though we know not our number, His name we share.  

Rise up then encouraged to meet the world’s dare!

“For the Father Himself loves* you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.” – John 16:27

The nail scarred hand holds mine                            

As we walk up to Your throne,                         

And there a smile of welcome I find                         

From You whose holiness has always shone.       

The Spirit in me echoes Scripture                   

That says You love me as Your friend.          

And there at last my searching ends.             

And there at last my searching ends.

Perfectionism’s struggles I leave undone;     

You see me as You see Your Son –              

That’s good enough for me.                            

Anxiety over future loss                                    

No more controls my thoughts;                       

You love me and You’ll never leave –            

That’s good enough for me.                            

That’s good enough for me.

Again and again we make that walk,                                 

The nail scarred Son and I,                                                 

And every time Your kind reply                                           

Is that I’m Yours and all is well.                                           

There is no joy that’s quite like this:                                   

To stand there loved by Trinity,                                          

And know that it shall always be.                                       

And know that it shall always be.

Then Father…my Father…thank You                               

For loving me the way You do,                                           

For Your Book that breathes life in my soul,                     

For Your patience in all of my wrestling,                                     

For Your Spirit and Son – ever prevailing.                        

Please let me never lose this wonder:                               

My Father phileosme!                                                                  

My Father phileosme!

*The Greek word Jesus uses for love in this verse is phileo, the warm friendship kind of love.