[199]. A MESSAGE FROM A POEM – ON STONY SHORES

This is a short poem and I do not wish to add to it. I live close to the beach and the rainforest. Some beaches in the tropics here have a lot of smooth rocks on them, basalt in origin from past volcanic activity.

In the tropical rainforest you come upon a lot of small streams and these are rocky, often with rougher rocks because they have not been weathered. The shores (or banks if you like) are stony and that is the basis of the poem.

“Stony shores” is the picture I am using for the roughness and tribulation in the world, but the streams I use for the refreshment of God’s people. We need to be sustained and maintained by that stream. {{Psalm 1:3 “and he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither and in whatever he does, he prospers.”}}

The Psalm David wrote was a beautiful one, introducing the whole book (Psalm 1) but the Holy Spirit led Jeremiah to think about that Psalm verse and led him to write this – {{Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD, for he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.”}}

The world has stony shores all around it but the Christian is planted by the waters of life. What a contrast!

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ON STONY SHORES

I may stand alone, O Lord,

In serving Jesus in this life.

All around are stony shores,

That signify a world in strife.

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Never give the devil ear,

When he comes to discourage you.

Christ, the Victor, has prevailed

So follow Him, for He is true.

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Look again – what do you see?

A stream that flows on quietly by.

This is where your roots are fixed;

Sustained by God, you will not die.

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Growing close, then, to that stream

Will change perspectives in your eyes.

Stony shores and this world’s strife,

Just urge us more to seek God’s prize.

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24 Feb 2007 R E Ferguson 7-8 throughout A-B-C-B