1. Shaking the Dust

Attacks from all sides, condemnation strong
Shake the dust.
Denials, betrayals, and tricks all along
Shake the dust.

Everyone knows better than you
How you should live and what you should do
Eager and quick to point out your failings
Thinking nothing of subjecting you to their railings
Shake the dust.

God has a plan for each it is true
Satan also plans, destruction his milieu
So hold fast to the blessing God is bringing
Let go the despair the enemy has clinging
Shake the dust.

There is freedom, joy, victory, and peace
God offers them all and from bondage release
The enemy seeks to destroy them all
And keep you chained behind his dark wall
Shake the dust.

You know, the enemy knows just how to attack us and usually uses those closest to us for the most devastating attacks. Fortunately we have many promises from Yahweh that the enemy cannot prevail over us as long as we hold true to our faith and walk in obedience to His will. This has been graphically demonstrated to me over the last few days.

The one blessing from going through these attacks is the strengthening of our faith in the absolute omnipotence of our Soveriegn Elohim (God) and His triumph over the forces of darkness. At His feet we are given peace, joy and total victory. Not because any one of us deserves it, but because He loves us that much. Sometimes, when the tempest is blowing, we have difficulty rememering that but each tempest successfully ridden out draws us closer to God and gives us added strength of character and of faith.

The betrayals that hurt us worst are the ones that come from people we love. That is unfortunately true. But through these betrayals there is also a lesson to be learned. Once and for all, we must learn to put our whole trust in God. People will let us down, sometimes even intentionally hurt us. Even people we love are not always motivated by our best interests. Elohim (God) only, abounding in love, slow to anger, and faithful to forgive, can be counted on unreservedly to stand true at all times in all circumstances. We need to remember that. We need to be able to confidently say, “I know in whom I have placed my faith.” And when those close to us betray us and we cannot resolve the problems with our human efforts, then we must hand it to Yahweh and “Shake the dust.”

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Isaiah 30:15 This is what Yahweh-Elohim, the Holy One of Israel says: In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.

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2. Forgiven

I am not worthy, I thought as I hung my head in shame
Before the Master kneeling at the mention of His name
The things I've done, the hurt I've caused, the destruction left in my path
For lies willingly spoken
For hearts gleefully broken
Deserving only of His eternal wrath.

Eyes cast down to the depths of despair seeing my soul lost
To the peril of selfish pride, never counting the cost
The fire of rage, the filth of greed, the lust for worldly pleasures
Not one loving fibre in this cold dark lonely soul
Not knowing or caring about being made whole
Reaching out blindly, tearing unkindly, using desperate measures

Then hearing,above the raging chaos, a soft, insistent voice
My child, my poor, lost, hurting child, there is a choice
I was born, I lived, I died and I rose up again in Glory
To lift you out of pain, despair, loneliness and sin
To bring you hope, faith, love to live again
That there might be a different end to your story

A gentle hand lifting my bowed and grieving head
To eyes so kind and loving,looking straight into my soul
You know My name, I took your blame, I bore it to My death
Release your pain and renounce your shame and look
With a word of faith you will find your name in My Book
My Book of Life listing names spoken with My breath

Crying out from the depths of my pain, asking Him to come in
Seeking with every muscle and thought release from my sin
Seeing His loving smile, reaching for His hand
Feeling clean, sparkling new, washed white as snow
Loving compassion and tenderness beginning to grow
As Hes leading me on to the promised land.

Wondering however I could presume to enter in
He looks at me and smiles and says
Forgiven.

Matthew 26:28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the many for the forgiveness of sins.

Acts 10:43 All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.

1 John 2:12 I write to you dear children because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name.

Praise the mighty name of Yah'shua (Jesus)!

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3. Sunrise

Sunrise, sunset colors pink, red and gold
Begins with the dawn of possibility
Ends with completion of ideas not yet old
The content in between limited only by ability
Each day a new adventure to unfold

Each sunrise a blank page without limitation
Save what the artist can sculpt or paint
Colored and landscaped by imagination
Bold and daring or pastel and quaint
Ending in colorful, fiery completion.

All things begin, all things end
What comes in between is the difference
Whether to tear down or whether to mend
Depends on the frame of reference
And the goals of the ones who rend.

Author: SBK