[142]. A Message From A Poem – In Our Weakness He Gives Strength

[142]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – IN OUR WEAKNESS HE GIVES STRENGTH

Creatures of dust we are and weak and frail in human strength. Many are the battles we can have and many are the storms that assail us. I do think Christians have a greater measure of these that people in the world because it is all part of persecution and conflict. Satan does not so much bother those who are his.

I don’t want to sound pessimistic because we as Christians are not pessimists. It is just at times we know the pressures on us and that the flesh is weak.

Paul wrote this almost as an oxymoron – {{2 Corinthians 12:10 “Therefore, for Christ’s sake, I am well content WITH WEAKNESSES, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN I AM STRONG.”}} Weak with the flesh and conflicts, but strong as members in Christ.

There were many times King David was beaten down and in fear of his life and passing from one trouble to another and the Psalms recount his feelings. Often we see how he wept and was in fear and distress but he always recognised the Lord as his strong defence in every situation.

{{Psalm 34:4 “I sought the LORD and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.”}}

{{Psalm 27:3 “Though a host encamp against me, my heart will not fear. Though war arise against me, in spite of this I shall be confident.”}}

We are creatures of dust, but how mightily the Lord worked with that dust to create the human body. {{Genesis 2:7 “Then the LORD God formed man of DUST FROM THE GROUND, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.”}} {{Genesis 3:19 “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground because from it you were taken - for YOU ARE DUST AND TO DUST you shall return.”}}

HOWEVER THE FRAILTY OF OUR BODIES AND EXISTENCE WILL CHANGE DRAMATICALLY – {{Daniel 12:2 “and many of those who sleep in THE DUST OF THE GROUND will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.”}}

I try to cover some of that in the poem. It has a special rhyme scheme.

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IN OUR WEAKNESS HE GIVES STRENGTH

Now, what of those days when your heart can’t praise,

When your mind is on lesser things?

Dull is your vision with indecision,

And dry is your soul when it sings.

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Those days we can own, when bared to the bone,

We have been stabbed by hurt and pain.

Our beings are frail; not healthy and hale,

But our lives, the Lord will maintain.

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Like tadpoles on land, or stranded on sand,

We thrash about without purpose;

But that’s not the way, we will gain the day,

And that outcome is just a curse.

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We are creatures of dust, and therefore we must

Look beyond our own resources.

We have such a One, the Lord God, the Son;

For our needs, He reinforces.

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In our own strength, its whole breadth and length,

We achieve absolutely nought.

Our own devices – nothing suffices,

Like a broken net, nothing caught.

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There is Another, whose grace will cover

All our failure and our weakness.

As Shepherd, He cares; His faint sheep He bears,

And endears them with His nearness.

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A Rock of defence who wipes each offence,

Our Lord is our Saviour and Friend.

When in His own place, we’ll see then His face;

All human failures He’ll mend.

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R E Ferguson 16 January 2022 Metre = 10-8-10-8