To follow Jesus has a price...
Be prepared to sacrifice.
Love is not a bed of roses...
As the new convert supposes.
Be prepared to persevere...
Our enemy is always near.
The battle for our souls shall rage.
War's the agenda of this age.
Whom will we allow to win?
The One who freed us from our sin?
Who shed His blood on Calvary?
Or our dear Lord's worse enemy?
The choice does seem simple enough...
But choices make the battle rough.
Challenages come day to day
While Satan throws each lie our way.
Follow the dream placed in our heart?
He whispers, "No" right from the start...
And he'll work hard to steal that dream.
He's mastered every evil scheme.
The image in our mirrors should
Smile through mistakes our God made good.
Yes, we've been blimished by our past
But in Christ those blimishes won't last.
Ugly and worthless is a lie...
But leave it to that snake to try
To make us think we're only trash
Because his trademark is to bash.
Someone has hurt us deeply and
Our resentment's gotten out of hand.
Do we extend an olive branch
And give that person one more chance?
Or believe what the devil's sure to say...
We've every right to feel that way!
Harbor that hurt...don't let it go!
Forgiveness is for fools, you know!
Fear of sin? We're in control!!
Are we not masters of our soul?
Place all our fears into God's hands?
Trust Him? Believe He understands?
"Don't be an idiot... stay cool.
You can't live by the golden rule!!
Did God really mean all that humbug?
Aw-w, just sweep that one beneath the rug!"
Does the scene in Eden come to mind?
That old serpent's still the lying kind.
The rebellion is still in full force
And the battle still goes on, of course.
We are the pawns he wants to use
But it's really up to us to choose
We can't serve two masters so each deed
Will show up in the one we feed.
It's an all out war...the conflict's real..
And we can't let the devil steal
The seeds of faith planted within.
So, battle on, we're going to win!!
Doris Jacobs-Covington
February 20, 2014
~~Dedicated to George~~
(Word Rider 1)
John 10:10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill,
and to destroy. I have come that they may have life,
and that they may have more abundantly
Ephians 6:12
…For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly.
James 1:2-3
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial
because, having stood the test, that person will receive
the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those
who love him.