4/28/24 Through 5/4/24

 4/28/24 Through 5/4/24

Sunday

How wicked man can grow to be

When love of Christ is gone from thee

When children taught to seek for gain

In selfishness and other's pain.

Revenge for wrongs the remedy

And nay the chance for clemency

A withered branch of death and sin

Is all we are apart from Him.

But even those so steeped in sin

Can new and loving life begin,

If they be grafted to the Vine

And follow well the will of Thine.

For there is peace and tranquil joy

When Christian teaching we employ.

When self is given up we show

How true the love of Christ we know.

Monday

Great wisdom is to love the Lord

This gift the poorest poor afford

For those who see and understand

Will join this apostolic band.

No man is God, no man is Lord

There's only One to be adored

Yet man can be His dwelling place,

Be filled with mercy, love, and grace.

Become a saint and follow Him

Not ways of evil, dark, and dim.

For one who's docile everyday

Will shelter gold within the clay.

Tuesday

In suffering the gold made pure,

The way is wrought with pain for sure

But over pain, the joy shall reign

And faithful servants, heaven gain.

The Father's will, the surest way

To find the path to trod today

For love will lead to sacrifice

But joy will come from His advice.

Wednesday

Lord, within my life's pursuit

Prune whatever bears no fruit

So, make my will align with Yours

And grant me grace that long endures.

Make this weakly heart of mine

Firmly grafted to Your Vine

Apart from You I wither, fade

Without the Vine, no progress made.

Thursday

It takes a meeting of the minds

For Christ has come for many kinds

The tent must be one wide and deep

With practices that all can keep.

The simple rules our Lord expressed

To love our God and neighbor best

Admit all men of favored will

And yet present a challenge still.

For love requires giving all

And listening for every call

So, when our will is one with His

We'll understand what Heaven is.

Friday

Many have seen, and many have heard

Many have also studied His word

Far fewer have known Him and seen eye to eye,

But those that once did, were ready to die.

We talk a good game, but when push comes to shove

We likely deny Him rejecting His love.

We listen and hear, but don't understand

Our minds He must open to let them expand.

The finite to the Infinite, "Oh Lord, I want to see."

With all I've given you so far, you still not knoweth Me?

The Father, Son, and Spirit, a triune Godhead be.

A unity beyond the mind, but that you see in Me.

Saturday

If you are hated for loving the Lord

Rejoice and be glad, for great the reward

The world doesn't know what they're missing in Him

Preferring the darkness, they live in the dim

A glimmer of light they may see once a while

But often the darkness again will beguile.

The pain of transition may govern the will,

But love and forgiveness we offer them still.

His work alone is the changing of hearts

But Christians must all be fulfilling their parts

Speaking the truth and illuming the night

In hope that someday they will move to the light.

Our Master much suffered, no less we expect

Now clean are the souls with blood He has swept.

Ascended once more to the Father above

He charges disciples to now spread the love.

All knowing that pain will belong to the chore

But seeing beyond to the joy evermore

He calls His disciples to follow His way

Searching always for those who have fallen away.