2/26/23 Through 3/4/23

 2/26/23 Through 3/4/23

Sunday

Temptation comes in many ways

Be watchful through these forty days

For garden trickery remains

Though emptiness alone contains

In nakedness, a fullness known

With hearts for God and God alone

But sin brought selfishness and lust

Destroying love and Godly trust

But Christ now shows what man can be

As naked there upon the tree

In stark submission to God's will

He offers man salvation still.

No shame at all in One so pure

Whose love is steadfast, strong, and sure.

As the Father once intended,

Now the Son in love has mended.

Monday

Commands are many in the law

But in the Teacher, two I saw

To love the Lord with all I have

And be to poor, a healing salve.

The rest contained within these two

And judgment comes from what we do.

Do we the needy ones restore,

Or simply poor and sick ignore?

Within the faces ready seen

The Master dwells if we but glean

And understand it's Him we serve

Then give the poor what they deserve.

Tuesday

Lord, send the rain and send the snow

That deep within, Your word would grow

So I would learn to be like you

And learn to love the things You do.

That giving all, Your all might gain

And join the angels' loud refrain

Of Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord!

Your precious blood has been out-poured.

And such as I have been redeemed

When far away from God I seemed

Then let your snow and rain return

And make me always closer turn.

Wednesday

Something far greater than Solomon here

Preaching like Jonah's resounds in the ear

Calling for change and repentance in love

Calling for turning of hearts to above.

Turning away from the greed and the lust

Turning to gentle and generous trust

Turning from envy and all that defiles

Then turning to One whose giving beguiles.

Heartfelt repentance is warranted now

Trusting forgiveness be granted somehow

Not as the Pharisee, proud and unchanged

But sinner whose sins, for mercy exchanged.

Thursday

So, ask and receive, seek and find

Enter into the Master's mind

See that His way is best for you

Humbly then trust in all you do.

Friday

Turn from wickedness and sin

Let the life of love begin

Waste not all the good you do

By acting as the pagans do.

No thing as just a little sin

For all are turning back from Him

And evil in its many forms

A life of peace and love deforms.

Saturday

Make of me a docile soul

To Thee I give complete control

My sinful ways I wish to lose

And always now Your pathway choose.

No enemies be known to me

That I, with loving eyes don't see

And offer prayers for their concern

To loving ways of God to learn.

Forgiving readily each day

Completely, in a loving way

Forbearing in a humble form

To make the grace of love the norm.