Your Faith

Admonishment to my son in regards to maintaining his faith in God.

                              I.
                        Your Faith

I’m sure you know why this lesson comes first,
Nothing else matters if your souls at its worst.
The first brick in the foundation of your life,
Should be the Cornerstone:  Jesus Christ.

 

That stone was the one the builders rejected,
But set it firmly in the building you’re erecting.
No other words in this book are more essential,
You’ll find all of his teachings are providential.

 

In your life, many will try to sway your opinion,
Selling their “truth” and asking your decision.
Let only the scriptures be your worthy guide,
That no teaching of men in your heart reside.

The assembly of the people, never forsake,
Without their strength your faith would break.
When temptations arise and you feel weak,
Turn to his word, where the spirit will speak.

 

You were chosen in him that you might serve,
Work in faith that your salvation be preserved.
Equip yourself each day for the work at hand,
Prayers for enemies will help you withstand.

 

Protect the Lord’s church, always be vigilant,
In searching for error, you must be diligent.
Look after your brethren, that they be strong,
Should they sin, help them mend their wrong.

 

On the occasion when you’re tempted to sin,
It is Satan seeking to devour you from within.
Lift your eyes to heaven and then you pray,
Ensuring that God will provide you a way.

 

Your life should be an example for all to see,
It may be the only Bible that one might read.
Even if you’re sure no one would see you,
Father God has his eye upon all that you do.

Don’t ever take your salvation for granted,
In the good soil your seed had been planted,
As the sun came out its roots didn’t burn,
Weeds didn’t choke and rain didn’t spurn.

 

Your body is his temple, the holy of holies,
Do not defile it with the sins of the lowly.
Keep it pure, for we are the bride of Christ,
Be holy as he is holy, only this will suffice.

 

That which defiles you is not what goes in,
But it is that which comes out, which is sin.
Just as a tiny rudder can steer a mighty ship,
So does the tongue with words from your lips.

 

If your faith is shaken and you begin to doubt,
The words of Isaiah 53 will keep you devout.
How could that prophet have ever known,
Five hundred years before the Christ moaned.

 

One thousand years before Columbus sailed,
The circle of our earth, the prophet detailed.
A reference in Leviticus is very clearly made,
Explaining how cleanliness offered them aid.

 

 Although they lived thousands of years ago,
Ask yourself how that these people did know,
All of these things were of modern discovery,
Only God in Heaven could’ve directed thee.

 

Be strong in your faith son, do not waver,
Submit to the Lord and keep in his favor.
Love the Lord God with all of your heart,
And his blessings for you will not depart.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[BLFK]

Oh my, where do I begin. . .
First and foremost, I firmly believe God wanted me to read this.
To describe where I am-in my life right now-in a nutshell, I would say:
Jesus has told me of many things that are to take place in my life (and many of those things seem beyond crazy and wonderful, but impossible), but with faith, I can trust that His words are true. And tonight-oh, just like a lot of nights-I am struggling to believe everything He has said. I pick up my Bible and read, and talk to Him for a while. . . I feel better then, and I simply decide to "trust", even though it all seems crazy. But I know Jesus wanted me to read this, because it hit the place where I needed it most. It was like water-as dumb as it sounds-refreshing me, and helping me continue putting faith in His words. I feel deeply-deeply blessed to have read "Your Faith". I will favorite it, and read it over and over and over (perhaps a hundred times). . .
Thank you for posting this. Thank you for asking me to read it; I was supposed to.

BLFK

[Nancy Lee Shrader]

This is one that I wish I had written. Very well done.

[Angelic Darkness]

I'm not much of a bible reader, but I do have faith, and your words
are blessings, your words a gift from God, and I do believe there is
another higher power than ourselves. AD

[Laura E. Aranda]

Standing Ovation to you and your strong anchor of faith! With a daddy like you, your son should be alright!
The only grammar (and I might be wrong...) I see to fix is in this stanza:
I'm sure you know why this lesson comes first,
Nothing else matters if your souls at its worst.********** soul's********** I think that is right instead
The first brick in the foundation of your life,
Should be the Cornerstone: Jesus Christ.

[Norma J. Jessee]

("Equip yourself each day for the work at hand") Very wisely said, for the Bible tells us:

Put on the complete suit of armor from God that you may be able to stand firm against the machinations of the Devil (Ephesians 6:11)
That complete suit of armor consists of:

Paul advises Christians to have their ("loins girded about with truth") {Ephesians 6:14 } Just as a girdle can provide support and protection for the loins, and unbreakable attachment to divine truth can strengthen a Christian in his determination to remain firm despite trials.

Next, a Christian must put on ("the breastplate of righteousness") [Ephesians 6:14] A literal breastplate served to protect vital organs, especially the heart. The need of righteousness as a protective breastplate for the figurative heart is especially evident because of the heart sinful inclination. (Ge 8:21 ; Jer 17:9 )

Part of the armor is to have the feet "shod" with the equipment of the good news of peace. ( Ephesians 6:15 ) The Greek word he-toi-ma-si 'a, translated "equipment", has the basic meaning "readiness". A Christian's always being equipped and ready to make known the "good news" to others, and doing so despite hardships, can help him to endure faithfully.

A prominent part of the spiritual armor is "the large shield of faith" (Ephesians 6:16) Like a large sheild covering most of the body, faith in God, and his ability to fulfill his promises will enable a Christian to "quench all the wicked one's burning missiles." (Ephesians 6:16 compare Ps 91:4 ) Faith will help a Christian withstand attacks by wicked spirits,resist temptations to immorality, shun materialistic desires and not give in to fear, doubt,or excessive grief. ( Ge 39: 7-12 ; Heb 11:15 ; 13-6 ; Jas1:6 ; 1 Th 4 : 13 )

As a helmet protects a soldier's head, so " the helmet of salvation" safeguards the Christian's mental powers from ungodly influences (Ephesians 6:17 ) Having on "as a helmet the hope of salvation" means looking, "intently toward the payment of the reward" as Moses did. (1 Th 5 :8 ; Heb 11:26 )

And last but not least, "The sword of the spirit, that is , God's word " is indispensable to the Christian in warding off false teachings and traditions of men and in teaching the truth and 'overturning strongly entrenched things." ( Eph 6:17 ; 2 Co 10 : 4-5 )

Todd, this is a very beautiful heartfelt poem. I admire you greatly for what you are doing. This shows that you love your son dearly. He is a lucky boy to have a father such as you.