Finding The Secret

More Than Conquerors
November 2005

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” —Romans 8:28

When We Go Through Fiery Trials

So often when we’re going through fiery trials
We just don’t understand
That Jesus Christ is molding us
To fit into His plan

He knows the path we need to walk
To help us forge the way
Each twist and turn upon this path
That will increase our budding faith

We cannot see the picture
Until it is complete
Then through the trials He allowed
We can see He met our needs

We are to keep growing in the ways of Christ
To be of use for Him
As we gradually reject the things
That made us slaves to sin

When silver is put into the fire
It destroys the dross within
You know when it should be removed from the heat
When your image reflects back to you therein

So when we go through our fiery trials
It’s to purify us like silver and gold
When you can see the image of Jesus Christ
He has refined us, and made precious jewels of our souls

Puzzle Pieces

The pieces fall in place,
We see the picture being formed,
In awe we drop our heads,
Our hearts are taken by the storm,

The beauty overwhelms us,
The detail sweeps our words away,
As now we realize
That miracles take place each day;

Each piece which made no sense
Now fits into the perfect whole—
For everything that happens
God uses toward the final goal.

Trusting In the Lord

Jesus never promised life would be easy
Or that things would always go as we plan.
He promised all things would work together for good
And, by faith in Him, we know we can stand.

Though trials may come our way
And burdens may seem hard to bear,
We are told to cast our every care upon Him.
Jesus will take away every worry. He always cares.

Trusting in the Lord gives us blessed assurance.
We know He always keeps His word.
When we trust and never doubt, He will surely bring us out.
His good news of salvation is the greatest story ever heard.

Jo Ann Kelly © 2005
Used with permission
http://www.my.homewithgod.com/jpinspirations/

Half Full

When thirst is spreading like a fire,
Consuming joy as prairie grass,
Contentment quickly bursts in flame—
I see the halfway empty glass;

When happiness becomes defined
By judging water’s steady line,
I see my neighbor’s narrow glass,
And claim that his has more than mine—

The emptiness of what I have
Is made of what I do not see!
But here I stand in desert sand,
A cup half full is offered me;

If I could but be thankful here,
And see this glass is halfway filled,
I’ll find that God’s still adding more,
As newer joys in life are spilled!

The Lord Is Good

My trials came and crushed me down
So low, I didn't have the strength to stand.
I felt life's meaning all was gone;
That shattered were my dreams, and all I'd planned.

Through endless days and nights I tried
To understand why God allowed such pain.
I felt defeated and alone,
And that I never would be whole again.

But in a still, small voice God spoke,
As I fell on my knees and sobbed a prayer.
I felt His loving arms enfold,
And lift me from the depths of my despair.

PRAISE GOD! THE LORD IS GOOD!

I never knew in those dark days
The things that God was planning for my life,
Or just how close to Him I'd grow,
While groping through my heartache, tears and strife.

Or that God soon would send my way
Some others who were hurting just like I;
And I could share their agony,
And help them understand the reason why.

Oh Lord, I thank you for the way
You've worked all things together for my best.
If I had known no suffering,
Then others’ lives through me could not be blessed.

PRAISE GOD! THE LORD IS GOOD!

© by Betty Jo Mings
Used with permission
http://www.bettyjomings.truepath.com

The Flame of Sacrifice

I feel as if I walk on holy ground:
The path is paved with yellow, crowned with red,
The blanket of a thousand dying dreams—
’Tis here the sacrifice of love is spread;

I lift my head and see the glowing fire
And marvel in the glory of the pain;
The leaves are dying, but they shine the more,
Their sacrifice a greater good proclaims!

Oh, friends, I know it hurts; I taste your tears,
But through the autumn color love is proved:
The flame of death is light to all the world,
For they will know that we are Christians by our love.

Lost in the Rain

The sound of bacon being sizzled—
But the only thing that’s being fried
Is my understanding of the way;
Like syrup on a pancake drizzled,
Raindrops come and saturate my pride,
Painting all my blues a frigid gray.

The coming of this dismal shower
Washed my confidence into the mud,
Now I’m lost; I don’t know where to turn—
I can’t survive on my own power—
Maybe this was meant to feed the bud
From the lessons that I come to learn!

For here, where I am lost, I’m seeking
Better paths than those I call my own,
Now I finally understand
Where self is lost, my spirit’s peeking
Into secrets I have never known,
And like a child, I take my Father’s hand.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or
nakedness or danger or sword?… No, in all these things
we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
—Romans 8:35, 37

If you have any comments or questions, or if you have a poem to share, please send an e-mail to bgraber@neo.rr.com

Visit our web page at http://www.findingthesecret.com/mtc.php to read past issues of “More Than Conquerors”.

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