Peace Settles Deep By Brenda Drake

In the troubled times perceived ahead; in Christ we still can experience a peace that settles deep within our heart, mind and soul.  Circumstances may not change as rapidly as the change undergone within.  Instead of fear of the future we can have faith to face the future.  Instead of hoping and praying for things to change we are given the ability to make a change. Instead of being a victim we become in Christ a victor.  Rather than looking for outward sources to help in trying times we stand on and testify God is our help in times of trouble.   God equips us with ability and knowledge to successfully face the giant knowing He will for us and through us destroy our enemy and chase fear from our land.

Peace Settles Deep

Lovely and quiet moments; when turmoil is stilled;
When, your heart is raised in prayer ready to be filled.
In the strange silence……peace settles deep,
And even more strange it seems you are filled with new strength.
The problems are laid down and are firmly placed,
In the care of the One you trust; to be by joy replaced.
The circumstances may not yet be changed, but somehow you know,
The One you love and serve is in full control.
The air has been cleared of the stench within,
The atmosphere is filled with the sweet aroma of your Lord again.
Lovely, quiet ….sometimes when not a word is said,
You’ve been freed from every worry and every fear of dread.
You are emptied and filled almost in one breath it seems;
So great is this place prepared for the redeemed!

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth,
give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid

Confession is Good, Repentance Better By Brenda Drake

I always thought confession and repentance was the same thing.  Little did I know I was confessing my sins way before I ever really repented.  When I repented I changed my ways. This is true and wise with each individual , and for us collectively as a Nation.

Confession is Good, Repentance Better

Confession is good but it only a job half done.
It perhaps admits you have wronged someone.
Even with tears and feeling truly sorry for your wrongs,
You may continue walking the path you are on.
Take the next step repent and walk the other way.
Then you are choosing to God’s Word obey.
Many confess weakness and easily admit,
They have a temper and at times throw a fit.
They wear flaws like a trademark that self identifies;
But it is sinful before the Father’s eyes.
Some admit they are bitter with an added excuse;
For their continued sour attitudes.
Some say, I was born with this way; it is not my fault,
ts confession will not change things at all.
If you say you are a born worrier, remember you are now born anew.
Turn-about, and allow God’s way to rule.
Confession with repentance will change the course of your life.
Know you are given strength when you choose to follow after Christ.
I will lead and guide you to the place of victory.
Confess your sins and the in repentance you follow after me.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Act 3:19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord

Engraved in His Hand By Brenda Drake

I am at awe when I think about how majestic God is and so thankful for how much He has done to make me able to be one with Him for eternity.  There is no real reason for us to worry or be depressed.  He is the answer to every question and He is more than anything we could ever need.  He is in control; in faith remember, nothing can take us out of His loving care.

Engraved on His Hand

Your hurts, your pains,
Your bondage’s and your chains,
Your inability, your flaws inside,
The sins you’ve allowed to abide,
The evil thoughts, the hurtful plans,
The unkind words, the harsh demands,
Your fears, your heart’s cry,
Every untrue promise you’ve spoken, every lie,
Your greed, your lust, your shame,
Everything under the sun named,
Every sickness of body, soul, mind,
Every minute of wasted time,
Every hope or dream, every desire,
The secret place of inner fires,
Each thought, and unspoken request,
All kind deeds, every moment of needed rest.
All things I am acquainted with, for you see
I have experienced them already.
I suffered and felt the weight of them for you.
Know my friend this word is true.
Your remembrance is engraved in my hand.
When you have accepted my plan.
As you purpose to align with the Father’s will.
In you and through you His will is fulfilled.
So walk on I AM is in control of your life.
You are well known by your Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 49:16
Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;
thy walls are continually before me.

Psalms 31:15
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies,
and from them that persecute me.

Bullied by the Accuser By Brenda Drake

Before I knew the grossness and the penalty of sin I had very little guilty feelings, but aftertruly desired to live right, I was harassed with feelings of inadequacy to measure up to God’s Word.   One day the Lord showed me the absurdity of this.  He loved and died for me before I loved Him. Why now when I love Him would He love me less?  He would never need the help of His enemy to tell me what I need to do. 

Bullied by the Accuser

The enemy points out small infractions and paints them,
Seemingly into large, gross, unforgivable sins.
He lays condemnation upon you as a burden to pack;
He keeps piling things heavy on your back.
He points out everything to cause you shame,
He loves to accuse and enjoys casting blame.
Critical, unloving, and judgmental without any grace,
He brings before you anything to disgrace.
The accuser has no right to blame you anymore;
For your every transgression is covered by the Lord.
Your worth is not measured by what you do or do not do.
Your worth is measured by who dwells inside of you.
If your own heart convicts thee;
Take heed but do not be bullied by the enemy.
He does not point out sin to those that he easily tempts,
He accuses the ones who desire to obey and repent.
For if he can persuade them they are still full of sin.
He causes great discouragement in them.
Walk each day doing the best you can.
Do the work of God the best you understand.
If you sin, quickly repent in prayer,
And know you are forgiven for your God truly cares.
When you hear a taunt that will not cease its noise in your ear,
Rebuke it and turn away from it and it will not stay near.
One day you will behold the one that caused your heart and mind so much strife.
And you will see how pitiful and how weak he is beside your Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelations 12:8
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

Bound by Chains of Love By Brenda Drake

I thought I was free to do as I desired when I left home.  I was free to drink, free to do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.  I was not free I was bound by sin. Now I am bound to Jesus with His chains of love.  Now I am truly free. Free to worship, free to praise, and free to serve Him by serving and loving others.

Bound by Chains of Love

I have been set free from bondage and from the chains of sin,
And now in my freedom I am bound to Him;
 I am bound by chains of love that will never break apart.
I am drawn into Him and He moves into my heart.
This place I have been drawn into I never want to leave.
It holds within all I ever need.
I will not fight my captor, I willingly submit,
All He does to restrain me is for my benefit.
I am set free to worship Him that died to save my soul.
All I have I offer to give Him full control.
My flesh is all I need to fight; one day it too I will shed.
Until that great day, I am by God’s Spirit led.
He helps me walk and talk like Jesus, God’s Son.
And one day I will with Him become as one;
Fully, and firmly in His presence setting at His side,
Forever one with Him as His bride.
Oh great day I became His property; a willing slave I am.
My prayer is to serve Him that I love the best that I can.

Romans 6:22
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Comfort in the Midst of Trial By Brenda Drake

     I have found some of my most rewarding times are when it a few moments before prayer I was anxious and downcast in spirit.  God is our very present help in times of trouble.  He hears and answers prayer.  He desires to bring joy and peace and comfort to our souls.

Comfort in the Midst of Trials

Right in midst the trials, in the heat of them,
God’s children can be comforted deep within.
Even in discomfort, you have assurance God is there;
To fully know that He cares.
In days-long where feelings are low;
The Son still shines so that you grow.
When clouds are black and all around in despair,
Trust and know God is just and fair.
When times travels fast and life seems to pass you by;
Choose to look forward to your future on high.
Watch for the narrow way again
He gives strength and the ability to walk the path with Him.
Jesus is truth, life and the way, peace and joys unfold,
He is shining example that leads to streets of gold.
As one, you are His friend to stay
On life’s journey Holy Spirit is your comfort along the way

Psalms 23:1-6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Matthew 28:20
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen

The Comforter By Brenda Drake

          Oh how I love the Holy Spirit, He is the Comforter of my soul.  Jesus knew we would need help to follow after Him, He knew the Holy Spirit would lead, guide, and teach us. He knew we would find great joy in the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Thank You Jesus for such great love and care until You return for us.

The Comforter

There is One that dwells near that you cannot see.
He is the One that dries the tears for thee.
He walks where Angels cannot tread.
He hears every word ever said.
This One is always kind and gentle to the aching heart.
He is the One that kindles loves fires to start.
He builds up and makes strong the damaged or weak.
He gives comfort to the soul that seeks.
This One comes at the whispered prayer;
And He truly cares.
His healing touch raises the dead.
He nourishes the starving underfed.
The Comforter is sent to you as a gift from above,
To prove and to show the Father’s love.
He speaks of salvation and He lifts up Jesus’ name.
When the Holy Spirit enters a life is never again the same.
Sweet words of wisdom fill the mouth with praise.
Great is the thanks of a soul that has been saved;
For they are greatly assured of the work of the cross.
So great is the peace – no longer are they lost.
The Light of the Universe lives within,
For the Comforter has made residence in him.
He too can reach out and give comfort to another lost soul.
God’s love from him now overflows.
The Comforter now gives this word of rhyme to touch the ear,
With some more comforting words for you to hear.

Revelations 2:29
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Time is Measured By Brenda Drake

            It seems when young we have so much time to accomplish all we desire to do.  Then it seems there is never enough time to do as we must do.  God is in control of the amount of my days.  All I can do is live each day loving and serving Him knowing He has good things planned ahead for me now and in the hereafter.

Time is Measured

Time is measured, each person that lives,
Has an allotted time marked as his.
In its minutes, hours, and days
Time measures their ways.
Do you wonder why time goes slow,
And then at times you wonder where it goes?
Do you think God is slow too?
Wondering why it takes so long for dreams to come true?
It is all perspectives issue my friend.
You see what you feel, God knows beginning to end.
Your instruction in the Word is to keep God in mind.
Obey the Word; thus redeeming the time.
Time is measured for you.
The time is near when dreams come true.
Soon you will know, see, hear, and taste;
The full benefit and promises of God’s grace.
A new day; a new time under Christ’s rule on earth,
As bride, as friend, to assist in His work.
God’s timing is perfect; it is all in His plan.
Rejoice holding faith close in heart while holding unto His hand.

Palms 90:12
So teach us to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Angry Seas By Brenda Drake

I am not as afraid of storms as I used to be.  But I still would not choose to be out in a little boat in a stormy sea.  When our life is in precarious position it is wise to place our trust and faith in the One that will either lift us out of danger, ride the waves with us, or will say to the storm “Peace be still.”  Be wise and be safe.

Angry Waves

Out in the waters dark and deep,
There is danger when the boat leaks.
In the icy waters it is hard to survive.
In its vastness it is hard to stay alive.
You are in a world of angry waves;
With power and ability to carry you away.
Out in the murky waters of sin,
Do not attempt to swim.
Stay in the safe place prepared for you.
For the world’s blackness will harm or destroy you.
Treacherous effects are lurking,
In places hard to see.
The wise will not travel into the stormy places if life.
They will rest in Jesus as He guards their life.
He is the One that calms the troubled sea for you.
If needed ….He will rescue you too.
Angry waves troubles the soul,
But Jesus will never let you go.
So as you face the winds in life
Place your faith and trust in Him -you are never out of His sight.

Psalms 107:28-29
Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

He Will Carry You By Brenda Drake

       Do you feel a little tired and run down?  I do.  It’s time to take a rest and let God carry us so we can gain strength to carry on to do the next task on hand.  Just as the poem we all remember of the footsteps in the sand, He will also carry us through our troubled times. 

He Will Carry You

When life becomes a struggle and you put up quite a fight,
When it threatens to take away the remaining joy in your life,
When one step more is almost too much to do;
Know your God will carry you.
When the sun in your world has warmed you from within,
And your blessings are so numerous the list never ends,
When the heart is so filled with thanks and praises too,
At this time also God carries you.
You will fly like and eagle with a heart that sings.
You are lovingly carried on Spirit wings.
In the high place or the low place God is there.
He is your joy and strength in your times of prayer.
So rejoice in the knowledge there is no place you must travel alone;
For, God delights in His mission to carry His own.

Isaiah 40:11
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

Isaiah 46:4
And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.