Tag Archives: unfailing love

their faces

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Calloused and scarred, years take flight,
Heart reels in chaos and lightless night.
Yearning for comfort, Self shall try!
But even to Self, hopelessly awry.

As if a prisoner of Self, in a prison, Self made,
All hidden faces striving not to fade.
But Heart sees them, though be bound in meted gait
O, how long must he, this desirous Heart wait?

For this Heart it breaks for simple things –
Little birds with broken wings
And in the lightless night
Determined to instill hope to those contrite.

What makes our Heart desire simple love?
Maybe the cries of the hopeless below and above.
Seeing faces on flickering flame all around,
They but dance, so long, without word, without a sound.

So therefore a Heart with his darkened places
Confounding Self he sees their faces.
And drawing in a warming Light,
Enough to see life, O waning night.

And compassion staves off consternation
As Light ceases darkened expectation.
As Self, he slinks off, quietly defeated
And this Heart, O, lovely Heart, remains – repleted.

Never alone now, never alone.
This Heart knows Light that has always shone.
And for their faces, his compassion shall see,
A self-less plight, God’s grace shall be.
(c) 2015 rick stassi

Feathers and Iron

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Untitled Abstract 61-12 Artist: Sean Seal

Untitled Abstract 61-12
Artist: Sean Seal

“Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;”
Colossians 1:11

O the strength and all the might
Epic proportion never contrite
Power beyond iron will as
Iron will melt at His sight.

O to level mountains and drain the seas
Glorious God teach patience please
Enrich my soul with endurance long
Restless ardor, angst shall cease.

And the hand that wields
Shall joyfully adorn the fields
With peace and grains for the wild
All for down feathers and iron shields

the end

© 2013 Rick Stassi

Regarding a Fowl

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Artist: Sean Seal

Artist: Sean Seal

“He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler”
Psalm 91:4 (NKJV)

“By natural instinct she not only protects them, but calls them under that protection when she sees them in danger, not only keeps them safe, but cherishes them and keeps them warm.”  Matthew Henry – regarding a fowl.

Covering is ours indicating protection
Feathers defining His compassionate selection
Refuge is our fortress, our safety, our Rock
Truth being the pinnacle of our focus, the key to unlock
Shield is this truth fortified ’tis true
Buckler shall stand just as our shield shall too

God beckons us in a way that shows His deep care
And we come to Him when we are aware
Of danger thrown by the enemy’s sling
And God’s truth is His steadfast wing
This truth is His Word and impenetrable it is
But within the truth is soft down bliss.

So with the first sign of the enemy’s attack,
The Lord shouts our return to Him: Come back!
We learn to recognize these times aware
Of His presence and care
Thus is our anthem as a believer we ne’er flail
With our eyes ever seeking, His promises ne’er fail.

© 2013 Rick Stassi

flailing at darkness, uncertainty lost

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macro-leaves-sean-seal (1)

Artist Credit: Sean Seal

“And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.”
1 Corinthians 9:25,26 (NKJV)

so where is it that one should strive?
to win a race that we contrive?
to rush about is foolish still
to win a crown, not of God’s will

yet we try alone
under the strength of sinew and bone
to pull ahead of the slower one
and be satisfied for a fruitless race well run

all for naught in this season’s light
for alone is Sorrow’s, fruitless plight
perishable is the crown for which we compete
bypassing the Lord Who will complete

so awaken thus with determined heart
the race has begun, His good work’s start
my mood is level with steady gait
imperishable crown at end awaits

so i take on this godly feat
uncertain once, at emptiness my flailing fists beat
dark uncertainty shant admit defeat
against dark shadows I shall no longer compete

light falls upon victorious dawn
a hand of strength helps us along
and each day a new certainty
that God will increase, His eyes we see.

© 2013 Rick Stassi

Love Completed

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And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:11 (NKJV)

and indeed toils for naught
retrospect sought
we seek certain pleasure
in life by world taught

and when we peer
upon life’s year
grains of sand through hand falls
with sadness and a tear

but what shall profit be
under sun? God voice in thee:
toil not but reap from the Wind
My voice first, start from Calvary

for blood has left stain
sin’s scream of pain
from Son of Man
all therefore not in vain.

pray first from heart
as our soul doth part
from toiling plow
to purest love, Lord, Thou art

emptiness we try and see
is in our soul away from Thee
You Lord we wish at hand
and love then comes completedly.

© 2013 Rick Stassi

Vignettes 4

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14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3

Artist: Heidi Brummer

Artist: Heidi Brummer

Prologue
So I will bow
On bended knee.
For all saints
Our Father to see.

In His name,
We find true life.
All the earth,
Free from strife

Inner Man
It is in His strength
The riches from a King’s heart
Our inner man’s might

Christ Dwelling
Jesus thus does live
At our core a burning Light
Life based on His Love

Infinity Touched
Geometric cube
Four infinite directions
Intangible known

Love’s Comprehension
His full love for us
Son’s mystery reveal-ed
Exceeding wisdom

Epilogue
Mercy reins in
Prayers carefully wrapped.
To seek solace
In God peace enrapt.

And all you ask
And all you plea,
God above
Doth answer thee.

For our heart desire
Shall not exceed,
All He returns
Captive souls freed.

Forever
And ever
Amen…

© 2013 Rick Stassi

All I Shall Do

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1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psalm 1:1,2 (KJV)

Where then shall I walk?
I walk in the light of God on paths formed from prayer seeking.
I walk on paths I am nudged down through trained leaders appointed by God to teach the word He breathed.
I walk on paths the Spirit has helped me discern godly made to edify my relationship with God.
It is there I shall walk.

Where then shall I stand in times when I do not walk?
I stand on a mountain top and seek the Lord with my eyes.
I stand in valleys where the sin of the world blows above in the gales of the wind.
I stand next to Jesus Who is always with me.
It is there I shall stand when I do not walk.

So, then where do I sit when I grow weary?
I sit in a seat of joy that sees God projected from my soul upon all creation.
I sit without contempt seeing all of God good.
I sit smiling in respite that God has brought me home.
Therefore, it is there where I sit when I grow weary.

Where, then, lies my delight?
My delight is in liberty drawn from perfect Law.
My delight is in a Covenant to Love
My delight is in the guardian eyes of a Savior.
It is thus where my delight lies.

And of this Law, how shall I bind this heart of mine?
I shall read His word each day, each night.
I shall let His words seek deep regions of my soul.
I shall let His Law be my beacon for all eternity.
Yes, this is how I shall bind my heart to His Law.

Be watchful o’er paths afoot
For God’s guidance carefully put.
In hearts accepting counsel high
casting away scornful sigh.
A law perfect in liberty free,
In Jesus I meditate on thee.
With love so deep O Gracious One,
You abound o’er moon and sun.

Thank you Lord, all I shall do.

Amen

© Rick Stassi 2013

our Deliverer never fails…

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We can understand why and how God is working in our lives. However, do we praise Him for these times He is working in us?

Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God;I will render praises to You,For You have delivered my soul from death.Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living? Psa 56:13

How many times do I praise God during a painful trial? It is far much easier to fall into the depths of drama and despair. My human nature prefers this way. There is discomfort in trials yet it is in these trials I realize that God is working to perfect me as He has promised. In His perfecting process, I internally fight between trying to listen to what God may be saying and what I am feeling. Feelings are often my flesh speaking and will cloud my vision of God’s revelation to me.

God does not let me down – my feelings do. In my trial cycle:

1) Something in my life takes a downturn
2) I feel remorse, anger, or sadness
3) I plan recourse in my strength, then…
4) I remember God is working
5) I fight to turn toward Him

As David says in the Psalm: “Have you not kept my feet from falling…?” In other words, God has never failed me and because of this I can walk in His light in an otherwise dark world.

With His strength and through prayer for His discernment, I can learn to praise Him at the onset when my life begins to take a downturn. I remember that I am capable of going into downward spirals because my flesh sometimes relishes self-pity and the pity of others. This is not joyful and instead of always looking back and seeing all was for good, I desire to see the good and feel the joy as He works as well as after He works. I am blessed that He chose me and knows me in the light of eternity. I may still become mired in self-pity, as  I am flesh, but with self-awareness that I can seek the Lord and praise Him during any trial is part of my desire for godly integrity and a display of godly character.

Rick Stassi