Creator: A Christian Poetry Collection
Edited by Kim Bond
This poetry collection is dedicated to our Lord.
Copyright © 2014 for each poem is held, all rights reserved, by the individual authors unless otherwise noted. Printed with permission by Kim Bond.
This publication was designed to be distributed and shared online free of charge in its entirety. Other reproduction or distribution in part or whole is prohibited except where noted. Questions about the use of this publication should be directed to Kim Bond by email at k.bondofstl@yahoo.com.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
The Word by Jeanne Beaumont
Falling by Antony Mark
Deliverance by Jay Harding
Mary Magdalene by Faye Gibson
The Cross by Judy K. Haught
A Friend of Mine by Isaac Thomas
Holy Is the Lamb by Brenda Meier-Hans
Christmas Light by Liam Mcdaid
John 3:16 by Joyce Johnson
Rising Within Your Pages by Richard Lamoureux
Heaven’s Gifts by Dave Wood
The Crying Candle by Jan Allison
Alone and Weak by Stephan McBride
Finding God by Casarah Nance
My Unbelief by Brother Joseph
The Healer by Jeanne Beaumont
True Love by Regina Riddle
The World Is in a Mess by Leon Wilson
The Heavens Open Wide by Judy K. Haught
God Sends Promises and Love by Robert Lindley
How Poetry Began by Brenda Meier-Hans
Smile by Kimmy Nelson
Trinity by Kim Bond
A Note to Readers
PREFACE
“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name…” –Psalm 96:8
The Lord’s love for us is immeasurable. It literally cannot be calculated using men’s measurements. When I read the above verse in Psalms, my mind attempts to estimate the amount of glory due to our Creator. I cannot even fathom it! Just like the Lord’s love for us, the glory due to Him is also immeasurable.
Then my mind drifts to the type of praise that would be worthy of our Creator’s greatness. Would it be one million men dressed in white robes with arms raised? Would it be the most talented singers raising their voices to heaven in unison? Worthy praise may mean different things to different people, but it means carefully chosen words to the ones God has gifted with writing talent.
Our talent is our contribution to the glory due to the Lord’s name. We will not let the fact that we fall short of praise that is worthy of God’s Holy Name stop us from giving Him our very best efforts. Readers will find the poetry contained in Creator is exceptional by every measure of fine literature.
All of God’s creation should value poetry as an esteemed form of writing. After all, scholars believe several books of the Bible use poetry, including Song of Solomon, Psalms, and Proverbs. Poetry’s limitless forms makes it difficult to distinguish from other types of writing. However, poetry tends to communicate emotion whereas other forms of writing stress information, influence, or escape. Furthermore, the poems selected for Creator express the common theme of the glorification of the Lord’s name.
We invite you, the reader, to praise God with us in your heart as you enjoy every poem in this collection. It is our hope that together our praise will reach the Lord and be as pleasing to Him as a sweet-smelling perfume. These poems were not intended to teach theology or doctrine. Instead, the reader embarks on a journey through joy, grief, admiration, regret, and devotion.
The authors of the poems contained in Creator agreed to share their poetry for the specific purpose of glorifying the Lord. They donated the use of their poetry to this publication. No author, editor, or publisher was paid for their work. It is our hope that when readers have finished reading Creator, they will have drawn nearer to God in their heart, mind, and soul. There is no greater blessing than a close relationship to our Creator.
The Word By Jeanne Beaumont*
Lord,
Like Jeremiah
Your word often burns in my bones.
When spoken, I feel the life.
When believed, I understand the power.
My being is held up by your word.
By only one word, I am healed.
Help me to express your word
To be that letter read by all.
Burn it in my heart.
*If you are interested in obtaining more Christian resources by this author, visit
https://www.amazon.com/Send-It-To-You-Free/dp/1419695479/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414171187&sr=8-1&keywords=I+send+it+to+you+Free
Falling By Antony Mark
Falling I felt your breath
Lift me higher
Than I could love
And now lifted I fell deeper
Upon your holy
Desire that I
Would at last
See the whole
Of your gaze and
Falling now ever deeper
I ascend in grace
Your will not mine
Thy kingdom not mine
Nothing now but
A surrendered breath…
Deliver Us* By Jay Harding**
O Father, save us from temptation’s snare,
The kind that lead us far away from You.
If You must test us, help us stay aware
Your trials help to keep us wise and true.
The Devil may attempt to feed us doubt;
He may tempt to distrust the Holy Ghost.
O God, though trouble circles us about,
Deliver us from evil’s hoary boast.
Emancipate our minds from wicked thoughts
And save our souls from Satan’s hateful ways;
Your Son and our Redeemer Jesus taught
That we should call on You, God, when we pray.
So lead us not into temptation’s hold.
Deliver us from evil, make us bold.
* “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” –Mathew 6:13
** If you are interested in obtaining more poetry from this author, visit www.jaytharding.com
Mary Magdalene By Faye Gibson
One summer eve in Galilee
I stood before my open door;
To me it seemed just one more night—
Like all the others gone before.
Someone would come and, passing by,
Would hear the tinkling of the bells,
Would see the garish harlot’s robe
And painted eyes beneath my veil.
Someone, a man like all the rest—
It did not matter much to me—
A nobleman, Samaritan,
A Roman or a Pharisee,
Someone would pause and with one glance
Strip me again of maiden pride,
And leaving, later, never know
The shame and shattered dreams I hide.
O, he would think me very gay;
; He would not see my hollow heart
Nor hear me curse him for his pay.
Twas then I saw a band of men
Approaching down the narrow road;
There should be one among that crowd
Who wants the favors I bestow.
Kind eyes met mine, and with one look,
He saw what others could not see;
He saw the hunger of my soul,
My loneliness and misery.
I only know that since that day
I live to walk along with Him.
His look of love has changed my life;
I need not sell my love again.
Tonight He sups at Simon’s house—
All day the dusty paths we roamed;
But, still He waits, unwashed, unkissed;
Small courtesies no one has shown.
My love for Him! It rolls and swells
Till from His side I cannot stay;
I’ll wash His feet with tears of love
And with my hair wipe them away.
The Cross By Judy K. Haught
It wasn’t the nails that held Him there,
It was Love for us, He came to share.
Looking up into His battered face,
Knowing it was for our sin, He hung in place.
Lord, we praise You for Your great love.
Leaving Your great throne from above.
Angels singing Your praises all day long,
You came here, there would be no song.
You eagerly await us, with outstretched arms,
No longer nailed by Satan’s intended harm.
Your blood, O Lord, defeated the enemy,
When You hung from the rough hewn tree.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Glory to the Lamb, for making us whole.
Rejoice ye angels, rejoice all ye earth
For the cross, our freedom, our new birth.
Master, Savior, to Thee we sing,
Songs of praise to the King of Kings.
A Friend of Mine* By Isaac Thomas
He is sometimes too quick
This friend of mine
Too quick to do things for others
To cook for fundraisers, church dinners or family reunions
To drive an elder to the doctor
To visit someone in a hospital or nursing home
He gives up his time and what he wants to do
And does for others.
I have learned a lot about the heart of a servant
Because of this friend of mine.
He is sometimes too slow
This friend of mine
When we cook church dinners a job of one hour takes two
Because we stand around and talk
And enjoy each other’s company
And he sets the pace
When we went to the supermarket to pick up something
A quick trip took twice the time
Because everyone in town knows him
And he stopped to talk to them.
I have learned a lot about priorities
And how to slow down and listen to people
Because of this friend of mine.
He is often too quiet
When he knows something about someone
Something negative, that should not be told
Where most, almost all others would take pleasure in telling
He has seen the pain gossip can cause
And he cares enough about the person to not say anything.
I have learned a lot about discretion
And how to keep my big mouth shut
Because of this friend of mine.
He is often too loud
This friend of mine
When he preaches about something we should do
And I have let that something slide
When he preaches against something I have let slip into my life
And I sit and say “Amen!” aloud
But inside I’m squirming
He steps on my toes sometimes, this friend of mine
Though he probably does not know who he is preaching to
The arrows God gave him find their mark.
I walk a straighter path
Because of this friend of mine.
He is always helping someone
Always at church prayer meetings, always cooking dinners
Always working for God and people
Always with a willing and cheerful heart
He is my pastor
And I thank God I have been able to enjoy his presence.
I am a much better man
Because of this friend of mine.
* Copyright © 2005-2014, Isaac Thomas. “A Friend of Mine” is licensed under the CC free-to-use license. See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0 for a summary of this license. The CC free-to-use license applies only to this poem.
Holy is the Lamb By Brenda Meier-Hans
Deep in my heart I search Oh Lord
Deep in my wretchedness I pray
Deep in my soul I cry for words
Words oh Lord, deep words worthy
To praise your Holy Lamb
How could I with human tongue
How could I with this spotted soul
How could I the unworthy one
Sing praises, how oh Lord
Sing praises worthy of the Lamb
Will I ever have the words oh Lord
Will I ever sing your song
Will I ever be around your throne
Where there I will praise, ….praise
The Holy Lamb
I search the earth your hands have made
I search the sky, the clouds above
I search your flowers and your trees
Yet in their beauty none, none compare
To the beauty of the Lamb
Oh Holy Lamb please hear my plea
Oh Holy Lamb look in my soul
Oh Holy Lamb dispense your grace
That I oh Holy Lamb, I may have the words
To sing forevermore, Holy is the Lamb
Christmas Light By Liam Mcdaid
Before midnight
On Christmas Eve
I put
A lighted candle
Upon the window sill
To say
Love
Of baby Jesus
Welcome
To my home
This door
Of the heart
Is open
With prayer
Welcoming his holiness
To receive
The Lord’s blessing
On his birthday
I sing a song
With praise
Kneeling a lamb
Of God
Happy birthday
Lord and Master
John 3:16* By Joyce Johnson
God’s promise to the world means
He gave his only begotten Son
And we eternal life receive.
Some parents know the anguish
Of losing a beloved child.
Yet our God did that for us,
We sinners so defiled.
How many of us have thanked him
On our
young or aged knees,
For the joy he has promised?
What have we done to please?
If we believe in Jesus
And profess His Holy Name,
Our God has promised to us
An eternal life to claim.
This life is a short journey.
You’ll know that when you’re old.
Read the verse, believe his promise.
It’s the way to stay well souled.
* Poem based on John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son that everyone who believeth in him, shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
Rising Within Your Pages By Richard Lamoureux
I take for granted all that I can do
Thinking that what I have has all been earned
Instead I should be so thankful to You
A spirit of pride is one that is learned
I start to believe the things that are said
Thinking that what I have has all been earned
Within my heart I begin to be led
Rising within the pages of Your Word
I start to believe the things that are said
I learn to fly on the wings of a bird
Here is where I learn the ways of Freedom
Rising within the pages of Your Word
I no longer doubt Your Kingdom will come
Without Your Love I will never know Peace
Here is where I learn the ways of Freedom
Within the Heavens praises never cease
Without Your Love I will never know Peace
I take for granted all that I can do
Instead I should be so thankful to You
Heaven’s Gifts By Dave Wood
Three gifts from Heaven
All priceless in their appeal
Yes…Faith, Hope and Love
They descend on us like rain
And the greatest of these…Love!
The Crying Candle By Jan Allison
I called my son…he said you were fading
The candle seemed to call my name
I watched its brightly flickering flame
The light from it shone bright in the dark
I was hypnotized by its golden glow
The wax melted slowly so slowly
Like creamy liquid tears running down the sides
Drip, drip, drip, a silent puddle formed
Slowly oh so gradually over time the wick decreased
Almost like your life was ebbing away
Getting smaller and weaker every second
The candle flame started to dim
Flickering dancing flickering dancing
Fighting to stay alive with every ounce of its strength
Finally it flickers for the final time
It gave its final breath
Leaving a wisp of smoke
I imagined it was your spirit rising through the air
Ascending towards heaven
Alone and Weak By Stephan McBride
When I feel alone and weak
I read your word and seek
While you’re so eager to teach
No further than just a reach
Always by our side
Leading the way down the path
Serving as a comforter and guide
Claiming and protecting us from the wrath
Lord, You are the only way
Any saying other have gone astray
I feel Your presence get stronger and stronger
As I pray it will not be much longer