A rif on Psalm 36

Your Oracle, within My heart, decries transgressors way,
His wicked eyes do not fear God,
and ego spurns corrective rod.
His Sin exposed elicits hate,
his mouth explodes in lying spate,
Goodness flees and evil clings,
his bed a lab of horrid things.
His heart befriends malicious ways, and scoffs the reckoning day.

From Heaven high your mercy reigns, your faithfulness I sing,
Your righteousness is mountainous,
Your judgements deep and cavernous.
You give life to man and beast,
and keep alive from great to least.
Compassion is your appellation,
precious beyond comprehension.
We bairns rest and play secure under Your loving wing.

 From the fullness of your house, abundance of your hand,
Our grateful hearts are satisfied,
In your fullness we abide.
Your river courses truth and treasure,
from which we drink our richest pleasure.
You are of life an endless fountain,
Flowing from Your holy mountain.
Bathed in brightness of your light, in radiance we stand.  

For evermore Your kindness show, to all who know your name,
Those of pure and upright heart,
from Your Love let ne’re depart.
Nor let prouded foot assail,
nor wicked hand perchance prevail.
Fallen, those who dare assume,
to ply their evil lies of doom;
Cast out and down, aye ne’re to rise, in everlasting shame.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Psalm 36 1-12

Psalm 36:1-12 (NKJV)
An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:
There is no fear of God before his eyes.
For he flatters himself in his own eyes,
When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates.

The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has ceased to be wise and to do good.
He devises wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil.

Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the great mountains;
Your judgments are a great deep; 

O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!
Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house,
And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.

For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.
Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You,
And Your righteousness to the upright in heart.
Let not the foot of pride come against me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.

There the workers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been cast down and are not able to rise.

  An old poem by an unknown poet

WOULDST thou be chief? Then lowly serve.

Wouldst thou be up? Go down.

Yet, go as low as e’er you will,

The Highest hath gone lower still.

 

To love’s most lowly offices,

Dost thou, in meekness, stoop?

The Christ, thy Master, thought it sweet

To wash His dear disciples’ feet.

 

Wouldst thou be in the kingdom great?

Be here a little child.

Jesus was one, and never more

His childhood’s humbleness forebore.

 

Wouldst thou command? Obedient be.

Jesus obeyed to death:

Even the death upon the cross,

With all its shame and bitter loss.

E. B.

Surveying growth

Long ago, in simpler times, my tiny children sang their rhymes

in playroom brimmed with modest toys suitable for active boys.

I loved to sit in still disguise observing dressed-up clowns or spies;

to simply view with rapturous joys my boys delight in playtime noise.

As they grew so grew their reach, to ball fields, forests, stage, and beach.

New toys and sharp imaginations fueled their complex machinations;

I watched them fail through many tries to grant discovery as their prize.

Respecting unique inclinations, witnessing God’s own formations.

My boys now men the nest have flown, and raising children of their own;

all able saints of gallant might watch o’er their own through day and night.

And still I watch, and bless, and pray that God may grant them everyday

His gracious gift of oversight, surveying growth, a dad’s delight. 

 The fifteenth century christian poet, George Herbert, wrote:

My God, I heard this day
That none doth build a stately habitation
But he that means to dwell therein.
What house more stately hath there been,
Or can be, than is man, to whose creation
All things are in decay?

I think Mr. Herbert would (hopefully) “Amen” a presumptive elaboration on his theme:

My God, I heard this day
That none doth a stately banquet host
But he that means the starved to sate
What feast more stately, fare more great
Than God’s own word, manna toast
That quickens man’s decay.

24

 Do not be quick, but thoughtful in your response;

Take 24 minutes to respond to a challenging text,
24 hours to respond to an email
24 days to respond to a mailed letter, 
and 24 years to respond to a slight. 

Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:18-20)

Why?

The hand of God, creation wrought in flora, earth, and sky.  
In things that creep, or slide, or crawl, that run, or swim, or fly.
In eons past or futures vast, in places far and nigh,
But of creation, only man has dared to question why.

ADAGE:

This is one of those life secrets that nobody tells you.

You can really screw up your chances at happiness by pursuing it. 

Happiness is like a scared puppy. Not until you lie on the floor, and pretend you're sleeping, will it come up behind you and lick your ear. 

Testimony

Testimony

It is plain, from a spiritual understanding of Holy Scripture, that God has ordained the testimony of His saints as the primary vehicle through which He chooses to call lost souls out from death and into eternal life. Testimony, in scripture, is not some practiced recitation of a clever simile, or factual presentation of the Gospel, but a sincere life lived out in thought, word, and deed; a fully integrated expression that speaks and acts according to firmly held belief. The consistent testimony of a growing Christian is an unassailable weapon in God's war on death and lies. A moral person living and responding to the world in Christian patience, charity, peace, and a solid hope of a glorious eternity, even while suffering, or being the subject of strong persecution, makes an indelible impression on any who observe that life. This is why so much of the New testament is devoted to admonishing saints to reject worldly lusts, turn from lies, and live out a Christlike testimony. 

Just as the testimony of a fully committed Christian is a powerful statement to the world, the testimony of a hypocritical and inconsistent lifestyle also sends a strong message, but not one of Good news. While it may be accurately pointed out how often in history God has used an unworthy testimony to get His point across to resistant ears, He has never condoned inconsistency or hypocrisy. Even if God uses a disobedient prophet, an unregenerated high priest, or a beast of burden to speak eternal truth into the world, the unstated yet synchronous message is not that God condones sin, but that God's grace is greater and overcomes even the worst unholiness.  

We are all living epistles, "known and read by all men"; testimonies of Christ, "...written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of ... the heart." 2 Corinthians 3:2-3. The world is reading our epistle, (our letter of testimony), when they hear our voice, observe our conduct, and consider our ways. 

A Prayer that changes things

A Prayer that changes things, a prayer that changes ME. 

My heavenly Father,

Your knowledge is perfect,
my knowledge is limited and blended with error.

Your will is perfect, and loving.
my will is flawed and self focused.

I want to want what you want;
I want to pray sincerely "not my will, but your will be done".

When I say "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"
I mean just that; I mean your will be done IN ME on earth as it will always be in heaven.

I know nothing is done outside of your will.
I accept your will for my life and my present circumstances
and I thank you for them.

Teach me to walk more perfectly in your will;
teach me to yield more perfectly to your will and
lead me with your perfect example, Jesus, my savior.

My only prayer is: Please continue to do your perfect will in my life
and let your will through my life bring glory to your name.

Ponderings

My Understanding of GOD is only as accurate as my devotion to HIS word. 

📖As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Psalm 42:1-2 (NKJV)

📖How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!   Psalm 119:9-11 (NKJV) 

--- S  S  S  S  ---

Each man stands between a list of things that negatively affect his life on one side and things that positively affect his life on the other. Both lists are real. The size of the lists are of little real importance; his happiness depends largely on which direction he faces; his contentment depends on which list he sets his focus; his disposition depends on the degree to which he actively enjoins one and intentionally dismisses the other. 

📖Therefore we do not lose heart.

Even though our outward man is perishing, (the list on the left side) yet the inward man is being renewed day by day (the list on the right). For our light affliction, which is but for a moment (the list on the left), is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, (the list on the right). while we do not look at the things which are seen (the list on the left), but at the things which are not seen (the list on the right). For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV) 

📖If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:1-3 (NKJV)

 

📖Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) 

 The Gospel

 A cosmos imagined, from chaos coalesced,
on nothing God hung His bright world.
Terra-firma emerges, a home for His image, 
from dust a man-kind is unfurled.

Senses awakened, not alone in the garden.
of his maker new-man has no doubt.
Then sin brings a shroud, separation ensues,
for God, man looks up and looks out.

New every morning, God’s merciful love
sends His Son as full payment for sin.
Emanuel here, heaven brought near,
our Maker, looks down and looks in.

Cosmos reimagined, from chaos restored,
new heaven, new earth in the wings.
The darkness rolled back, relations restored,
new life through redemption light springs.

 Poetic-paraphrase - Isaiah 5:1-2

Come let me sing; let me sing a sad song
to the one whom I love, of his quandary.
On a choice fertile hill with soil black as coal
He measured and staked a fair boundary.

He cleared all the stones and tilled perfect rows
to nurture His choicest of vines.
Then deep in the middle he built a strong tower
and placed a sound press for His wines.

The sun and rain nourished the vines,
but the wind blew in pollen defiled.
The clusters emerged, the fruit took their color
but the grapes were not good but sore wild.

 

Isaiah 5:1-2

Now let me sing to my Well-beloved ; A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:

My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill.
He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it;
So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes.

 A Tree Rooted in Truth

Like a raging storm, destructive counsel tears the landscape of humanity;
a tornado of lies strips-tosses nonsense from media in torrents of insanity. 

Derision and scorn ,like remnant detritus, litter what’s left of our Eden.
Brother fights brother, daughter hates mother, fueled by what each is heeding.

But strong is the man who trades not in such counsel, nor shares in the way of destruction;
refusing to sit where the scornful take rest; rooted ‘gainst tempest’s abduction.

His sole delight is the law of the LORD, and in it he dwells day and night.
Like a tree firmly planted by nourishing water he bears fruit that is true and aright.

No green leaf shall wither; no twig shall soon snap, he is known by the way he has prospered.
Against every storm, and foe that assails, his branches point constantly heavenward. 

Psalm 1:1-6  

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 

He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 

The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish. 

A Poetic "comment" on Robert Frost's "Mending Wall"

Mending Wall
BY ROBERT FROST

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,

To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.

I let my neighbor know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.

We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.

And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
‘Stay where you are until our backs are turned!’
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.

Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.

My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.

He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
‘Why do they make good neighbors? Isn't it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.

Before I built a wall I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.

Something there is that doesn't love a wall,
That wants it down.’ I could say ‘Elves’ to him,
But it's not elves exactly, and I'd rather
He said it for himself. I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.

He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.

He will not go behind his father's saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.’

 

 

A concurrent perspective 

With M. Frost’s neighbor, I must dissent, in part, and yet not all
For in truth there is “something” real that “doesn't love a wall”.
For Love unites, dismantles walls, togetherness to teach; but
who’s ever heard a fence voice love, or hedge cheer hands to reach.

With M. Frost’s notion, I must assent, dread offence I forestall
unto my neighbor should I commence to build a wretched wall,
or fence, or any demarking line, some boundary there to breach
says “you have yours and I have mine” detente kept at arm’s reach.

“No thank you sir”; I must insist, what e’er may befall
To build friendships instead of fence, and brotherhood withal.
Let boundaries hide in blurry state ‘neath sod or weeping beech
And neighbors share the earth that’s God’s in deference all to each.

 

 Pentimento 

 Zenith of creation, image of perfection, mankind made worthy, companion of God,
to nadir he plummets, from grace to rejection, excellence decays into putrefied fraud.

 The canvas is ruined, masterpiece marred, worthless condemned to be flicked to the fire,
But The Artist is savior, the canvas re-easeled, His blood on His brush, a skilled purifier.

Creation made new, pentimento revived, man resurrected, new life fixed eternal,
all things are of God, our canvas redeemed, to Himself He has saved us, His Love speaks fraternal.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (NKJV)

[ Pentimento means "repentance" in Italian. It is usually used in painting, and is reference to the original painting under the one that is currently showing. At times the "pentimento" will show thorough, revealing an original work underneath.]

Vituperation

 

Vituperation,

Invective fulmination,

Assassins of peace.

(17 syllables)

My life as a military ambassador

 

Loyal citizen of The Eternal Kingdom 
temporary alien status; 
authorized ambassador of Great News
on assignment to the US

Purchased, redeemed, subject of The King
with a message to betrayed men;
invisibly armored, thrust into war
wielding sword mightier than pen.

Bearing rough scars of battles hard-fought
offering hope to ears that will hear.
“Through death comes life, trials bring grace,
and Love casts out all fear.

Awaiting my change

 
Appreciate your youth, where noise is resounding,
possessing strong bodies, energy abounding,
copious bright prospects drift on the offing;
bright is the light, the sun, moon and stars,
no clouds follow rain, deep breath reservoirs,
unplagued by wheezing and coughing.

For rapidly approaches unchecked ephemerality,
strong men bow low; dimmed windows portend sure mortality
when one rises early at the sound of a bird;
exhaustion comes quickly, recovery protracted,
the almond tree blossoms, conversations redacted,
when aches grasp new life in The Word.

Day by day brings decay, the outward man perishes,
his strength is dried up, resting he cherishes,
awaiting his ultimate change;
where the sun never sets, the new man in full bloom,
realizing reality, escaping due doom
death for life his exchange.

Be admonished by these, making books has no end,
much study is a wearisome, meditation a friend;
let not anxiety cause you to fall.
Hear the conclusion, set free all attachments:
“Fear God and keep His commandments”,
For this acquiescence is man's all.

1/9/2022

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14
Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth,
Before the difficult days come,
And the years draw near when you say,
"I have no pleasure in them":
While the sun and the light,
The moon and the stars,
Are not darkened,
And the clouds do not return after the rain; 
In the day when the keepers of the house tremble,
And the strong men bow down;
When the grinders cease because they are few,
And those that look through the windows grow dim; 
When the doors are shut in the streets,
And the sound of grinding is low;
When one rises up at the sound of a bird,
And all the daughters of music are brought low;
Also they are afraid of height,
And of terrors in the way;
When the almond tree blossoms,
The grasshopper is a burden,
And desire fails.
For man goes to his eternal home,
And the mourners go about the streets.

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed,
Or the golden bowl is broken,
Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain,
Or the wheel broken at the well.
Then the dust will return to the earth as it was,
And the spirit will return to God who gave it.

"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "All is vanity."
 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs.

The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright--words of truth. 
The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.

And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

 

anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi, 2022

 anno Domini nostri Jesu Christi, 2022

In the year of our Lord, Jesus the Christ, 2022

 Fling wide the gate! Release the padlock!
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock”
How oft to our era His voice says anew?
Two thousand times and twenty-two!

from Domini nostri Jesu Christi is heard,
anno Domini, this fresh new year’s word
“I am the gate!”; His voice calls to His sheep.
“I am the door!” awakes us from sleep.

 
Fling wide your gate! Begin the unlocking!
Run to the door; answer His knocking!
Fall to your knees, cast-off your scrapheap
embrace Him, He lays down His life for His sheep.

L-O-V-E

L-O-V-E

Search distant east to farthest west, from highest heaven to lowest hell 
no other word has suffered more, purloined of home,  bereft befell
a skeleton, but lines and arcs, naked stripped of all but shell;  
an L, an O, a V, an E, tossed from a cup would serve as well.

Careless used, like pocket pennies, lost in cracks, on sidewalk's curb;
in songs abused, in prose ill-used, exploited by crude billboard blurb,
by grammar shunned, defined like stew, foggy noun or murky verb,
four letters that can soften hearts can also war to hearts disturb.

Agape, eros, philia, storge, attrition Greeks try hold at bay
to curtail lack of definition, four classes helped delay decay.
Yet noble English blinds her eye while lays to context final say
and renders hearer lost at sea, no anchor, compass, or charted way.

Passion? Fondness? Feeling? Ardor? Selfish lust? Selfless bequest?
“My dear", "my darling", "my one devotion"; or "object of my craving chest"?
“I love my wife”, “I love my dog”, “the love of money gives no rest”.
Is it "in the air"? Does it "hurt" or "stink"? Or is it just which serves me best?

“Love your enemy”. “Love your neighbor”. “Love is all”. “Love is myth”.
“If you can’t be with the one you love, then just love the one you’re with”
“Love is blind”. “Love yourself”. “The world needs love, and that forthwith”.
The Apostle John unabashed spoke “God is Love!”; a monolith.

“I love you” chant we off to bed, or hanging up our phone’s handset;
But why? Is love oft spoke a proof, a verity lest they forget?

In THIS way God so Loved the world, sent sinless Son to pay my debt,  
gifting righteousness and life, His ACT His stainless epithet. 

The Day After Salvation

The day is long spent, our backs to the sea,
the thunder of hooves advance from a far.
Clouds of dust and loud clacking
of wheels on the sand;
thousands of soldiers
with swords in their hand.
We’re slaves without weapons, no bow and no spear,
we ponder our death; our last evening star.

In the depths of the night a pillar of fire
casts long shadows across the dry sea.
Mountains of water
on the left and the right;
Marching towards darkness
the shore out of sight.
What we witnessed this morning, a sea of dead soldiers,
to be saved without conflict we could not foresee.

“We’re all here” father shouted, as heads he was counting,
“How we made it I still do not know”
“I thought sure they would catch us
as we hurried our flight;
I surely discounted
God’s mercy and might”.
“We’re slaves nevermore, safe on this shore;
we witnessed God horse and rider overthrow.”

Through the LORD'S mercies
we are not consumed;
His compassions are sure,
never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
renewed this great morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
Salvation behind us, enemy vanquished,
a new hope has risen, we finally exhale…



Exodus 14:26-29 (NKJV) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen." And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

Respect for a weather vane.

For eighty years, give or take, that hip roof barn with weathered wood
had seen its share, for heaven’s sake, of wind and rain and yet it stood
on solid rock, both deep and sure; bedrock fixed in earth’s tight vice,
and stained blood red, years to endure, its whole life painted all but thrice.

Its corn crib woke to each sunrise, stalls westward watched sun’s daily death,
large wooden doors, north south endwise, invite in nature’s gentle breath.
Stalwart shelter, hiding place, for mice and kittens, ox and horse
against dark foes, harsh storms and ice, and all of nature’s cruelest force.

On highest point, ‘top roof of tin, black rooster on black arrow perched,
warning withal, without, within, of looming storm his keen eye searched.
I mocked that rooster, "job so vain, tossed to-and-fro by every wind",
"Respect!" said farmer, "beloved vane does not deserve reproach. Rescind!"

"For while we hide and turn our backs from weather cruel in all her forms,
brave rooster stands, as lightning cracks; of love he turns to face the storm.
Warning all, without, within, of looming doom, he testifies
Fear God, not storm; look past the front. This temporal storm occludes fair skies."

Ephemeral English

Technology is a vocab thief;
a patois of purloined phrases
Aged terms since civilly borrowed
have not regained their places.

Once birds did tweet, cookies were sweet,
and troll ‘neath bridge did dwell,
Streams were for water, bytes for fodder,
and illnesses spread Viral.

With Clouds in the sky and spam in the can,
our catfish swam in rivers.
A friend was close, we booted for snow,
and restaurants had servers.

A bug with no legs, nor tree verdant leaves,
and the superhighway runs on busses? What?
Virtual is unreal, and intelligence artificial,
and while logging now, no buzzsaw buzzes.

We text with our thumbs and tag with a mouse,
and swipe a page here to elsewhere;
we pin without pricking, and browse while reclining,
and “my Word” is now just software.

Via on-ramps we’re on-line as we download the low-down,
so ‘cross continents Christian can mingle
our beloved OED grows more portly each day
as tech-savvyness makes us bilingual

The unforeseen benefit of crisis

Regarding this current pandemic, and our responses to it, I could, as so many have, share my personal view point, but I realize I would only be echoing small pieces of shared perspectives that have already been profusely, and more eloquently stated. Who needs that? 

Slowly digesting the comments of popular commentary does begin to shine light on what people really care about. Even my own shared comments inadvertently expose my psyche’s underwear as my personal bias emerges and is put on display. Not that anyone only cares about one thing, absolutely not, no one does, but two things that do begin to emerge from social commentary is to what degree each contributor cares enough about something to be willing to give up something else to have it, and to what lengths they will go to convince others of their point of view. 

Unfortunately, coming to any hard and fast conclusions concerning this present situation is like trying to thumb-tack Jell-O onto the side of a speeding train, in the dark, while it’s on fire, with one arm in a sling. The subject at hand has so many variables; it is fraught with many masked motives (no pun intended), bears many misunderstandings, promulgates many erroneous conclusions, hosts many pointing fingers, shares many misrepresentations, boasts many personal opinions, is driven by many hidden agendas, has so many fables posing as facts, and so many surgically butchered facts that they show little resemblance to the truth. We have all become accustomed to personally interpreting well-groomed charts that present carefully culled data to visually persuade viewers of some predetermined idea. We have developed the skill of interpreting the public charts and relying on preferred sources that confirm our personal bias. Try as we may, we can’t escape it. Some data may be presented as a single point on the chart but each point in actuality is an error bar of uncertainty, and each bar is subject to scrutiny. Points on the charts that show us “number of cases” can actually only shows known cases, reported cases, or presumed cases, but what it cannot show is actual cases. That is unknown. The charts that display the “number of deaths” may show deaths of patients who also tested positive at the time of death, or deaths of people who showed symptoms, or deaths of patients who were in a group of others who tested positive, but what it cannot show us is actual deaths caused solely by a single disease. That is unknown. Each point on that chart is actually a bar of uncertainty, and in most cases with this pandemic, the bars of uncertainty are pretty large. Each point is only a statistical number, not an actual number, there are surely deaths that are not included, and there as just as sure deaths that are included in that number of persons with comorbidities that did not actually die of this disease. Even so, this is the nature of statistics, and mankind has learned to use statistics to our advantage, and sometimes to our welfare. 

Even if some statistics are spurious, we can still all gain from this experience. One benefit of stress is self-exposure. If we are introspective we can look at our own personal reaction to the situation and begin to understand what we actually value. In this situation we can ask ourselves, what do I treasure, what am I willing to fight for, where is my true heart, on what am I truly depending, in what is my hope, where is my true home? The stress of this pandemic can be likened to a torrential storm that shakes the very foundations where we live. The storm causes me to ask myself on what is my house (life) built? Will the storm bring it crashing down, or am I safely founded on bedrock? 

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." Jesus, Matthew 7:24-27

If we are left with a damaged or deleted abiding place once the rains cease and the winds calm, it is only so we can rebuild, and hopefully on a better foundation. What will we need to rebuild? As the wise realtor says: "the three most important things are location, location, and location" It is almost a sure thing that this isn’t the last storm most of us will experience. Each storm offers us an opportunity to build better than before. Let’s not rebuild the same house, but a better house, on a better foundation. 

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily. Isaiah 28:16

While we can, let’s treasure every acquaintance; seek the welfare of all people, even those with whom we presently disagree. And if we haven’t already, find that good and solid bedrock and start abiding there. 

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus, Matthew 6:19-21

 

The Confusing Heart

The heart is deceitful, desperately wicked;
it’s secrets sleep deep in the depths of unknowing.
The LORD tests it’s mettle, He searches its depths;
Holy light sin exposes, redemption bestowing.

He tells us it’s broken, hard, wicked, and evil;
sick, sinful, adulterous, cold unbelieving,
uncircumcised, impenitent, troubled, weighed down,
heavy, sorrowful, justly condemning;

Yet still fearless, rejoicing, cheerful, and glad;
soft, simple, wise, fragile, intrepid courageous,
It’s upright, sincere, pure, loyal, and joyful,
it playfully soars as His Spirit engages.

Churning out murders, evil thoughts, blasphemies,
thefts, false witness, adulterous fornications;
it is the keeper of secrets, speechwriter for the mouth,
a repository for Satan’s sly machinations.

Although source of quick waters, storehouse of good treasure,
good soil for God’s word in castabout seeds;
spring of forgiveness, compassionate love,
a temple from where God’s Holy Spirit leads.

It rejoices, desires, makes decisions and more,
is a tablet on which God oft writes.
Through it we know Him, we search, and we seek Him,
in service are drawn to His perfect delights.

In our heart we give thanks, believe, meditate;
we are pupils as God it instructs;
we ponder and prophecy, He opens or closes,
recreating He edifies, carefully constructs.

We are told it to guard, to rend, and to seal,
to strengthen; from it to banish anxiety.
With it we’re to Love Him; to trust in his work,
to wait patiently in hope, and render due piety.

God examines it, renews it, and pours out His love,
It He sentinels from evils dark scope.
Contrite and broken God will not despise it, 
He hides His word inside and fills it with hope.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

These multitudinous characteristics of the human heart have all been gleaned from God's word (below).

Bibliography / Attribution
Joshua 22:5
1 Samuel 13:14, 16:7
1Chron 28:9
Psalm 9:1, 13:5, 19:8, 19:14, 20:4, 27:3, 31:24, 37:4, 44:21, 51:10, 51:17, 86:11, 90:12, 91:14, 119:2-11, 119:36, 119:111, 147:3,
Prov 3:1-5, 4:3, 4:21, 10:9, 12:25, 13:12, 23:5,
Song of Solomon 8:6
Ecclesiastes 9:7
Jeremiah 17:9-10, 20:12, 29:13
Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26
Joel 2:12-13
Matthew 5:8, 5:28, 6:21, 11:29, 12:34,35, 13:19, 18:35, 22:37
Mark 11:23
Luke 2:19 & 51,
John 7:38
Acts 2:46, 5:3, 7:51, 27:22&25
Romans 10:6-10
2 Corinthians 9:7,
Hebrews 13:12
1 Peter 3:4