Conversational Prayer-Sonnets and Scriptures
July 22 ~
... the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death ... to have a mind dominated by the Spirit is to have real life and every blessing ... is life and soul-peace [both now and forever] ... The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge ... my stronghold and my refuge ...
Rom.8:6 (Amp,Bar,Amp); 2Sam.22:2,3 (RSV)
Birth Pangs
I want to be close to Thee, dear Lord. How?
My thoughts imprison me! I know 'tis Thou
-
Thy Self -
comprise my Refuge City now.
Thou've made Thy Self available to me!
And open is Thy gate for me to flee
within to find a blest security ...
But for this world I often am so grieved!
Its follies tear at me, leave me bereaved ...
Though agonies abound, thou'rt yet deceived
by thy reactions to Earth's painful things.
The suff'rings? Birth's travail! For from Earth spring
the sons of God! They're born here, given wings
of Selfless Love to carry them on high.
See past the birth pains! Focus on the Why!
_______________________
... I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us ... the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body ... But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance ... looking unto Jesus ... "A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow ... but as soon as she has given birth ... she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world" ...
Rom.8:18 (RSV); 8:19,20-23,25 (NKJV); Heb.12:2 (NKJV); Jn.16:21 (NKJV).
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