grace Archives ⋆ Page 8 of 10 ⋆ Effie Darlene Barba

Poetry Sunday Out of the Darkness, I hear Your Love Song

This Christian Pilgrimage will always be laden with mountains and valleys deep. We can rest assured that God has a perfect plan that will guide us along the way. Sometimes in the evening hours, I may feel defeated by the day or discouraged by my own heart’s foolish desires. Yet, this I know. God is everyday and every night about the task of perfecting my heart so that one day, I will be His Radiant, Unblemished Child. Then, I will fully understand the depth of His love and be filled with the fullness of His Joy. For now, I stand firm; clothed in the Righteousness of Christ. Last night as I went to bed, I had no song to write. As I whispered a prayer before I went to sleep, I asked God to send me a new song by morning break. I awoke with these words playing in my head. He is an Amazing Father. He is my fountain of Joy in the deserts of my heart. He is my Greatest Treasure and the Love of my Life.

Out of the Darkness, I hear Your Love Song

By Effie Darlene Barba

I gazed at the world, such sorrows abound

The tragedies, trials which seem to surround

I looked deep in my heart where sadness I found

From foolish desires and dreams so profound

Like smoldering flames upon desert ground

That burned into ashes and scattered around

I whispered then softly a cry with a prayer

A plea sent resounding throughout the night air

“Forgive me, I know this foolish heart of mine

Sometimes does tend to moan and to whine

I truly do wish my heart could be free

To Love you, My Lord as You have loved me.”

I did not then wait to hear your reply

As off to my bed I did go with a sigh

Then Out of the darkness I hear your love song

Erasing my sorrows from all I’ve done wrong

Enwrapped by your presence I know I belong

My frail, broken heart began beating so strong

For You are the Joy for which I so long

“Oh love of my life, stay here by my side

My Savior, My Lord in your grace I abide

Lying here in my bed, tightly tucked in your arms

I drift back to sleep safe from all of life’s harms”

And then I awake, to face a brand new day

Restored by your love, I bow down to pray

“Oh let my life song be a tribute to you

A light in the darkness the world now to view

How your Mercy and Grace did my heart now renew

From the ashes of sorrow, a garden you grew

Like Rivers and fountains of Joy in my heart

Bringing life to this desert-a fresh brand new start

Oh, Thank You dear Lord for all that you’ve done

But mostly I thank you for Your Precious Son.

The perfect reflection of all that you are

My Savior, My King, My Bright Morning Star”

[bctt tweet=”Never be afraid to lay your burdens, fears, & frailties at the foot of the cross every evening “] [bctt tweet=”You will be awakened by God’s Gracious Love and Joy will be yours in the morning light.”]

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2015

Photo used courtesy of Unsplash.com. I added the inscription.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Poetry Sunday: I’d Traveled Far

My life’s journey has lead me to so many places and so wondrously has allowed me to meet so many amazing people along the way. Today’s poem, I wrote in October 2013 as I was preparing to leave Orlando and move to Columbia, Missouri. In 2003, I had left Springfield, Missouri to go to Orlando. I was uncertain why God had sent me to Orlando; yet, I with some hesitation had gone. Some many dear friends I met every step of this journey—so many have been beacons of light sent by God to guide me.

I’d Traveled Far

By Effie Darlene Barba

I’d traveled far across this land

Unto the eastern shore

Uncertain of what God had planned

Alone, I stood once more

I’d heard Him bid for me to go

Twas all I needed know

And then I saw, as time did pass

His plan begin unfold

I had been placed within His class

To learn His love untold

And as I saw His Glory Shine

His joy, His love now mine

I met dear friends along this way

That helped me as I grew

And others stumbling blocks did lay

God used to guide me too

That I might see His Grace His might

With Christ my guiding light

And Now I know that I must go

To leave these all behind

I wonder if my life did show

A Glimpse of God’s dear mind

And did my life His Glory shine

Within this mirror of mine

Oh, Lord I have this one request

When memories of me rise

That they might see how I was blessed

Your Grace my greatest prize

You took this broken, selfish heart

To fill Your Love Impart

So, can you Lord, use all I’ve done

Though blend of good and bad

To point them Lord to your dear son

His Grace, His Love did clad

A simple person such as I

With righteousness on High

I don’t usually include a song on Poetry Sunday; but, today I shall. The song I think so clearly speaks of my life’s journey is Call it Grace.

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2015

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Poetry Sunday—The Grace in Which I Stand

The Grace in Which I Stand

Do you ever awaken some mornings and suddenly you feel the crushing weight of all your own unworthiness before God? You look at your own failures and they loom before you, overshadowing and clouding all of who you are. Those thoughts cause your hope to crash down around you, like thousands of pieces of fine crystal scattered at your feet. You fear that if you step forward the pieces of glass will cut your bare feet into shreds; yet, you know the truth is God sent His Son to bleed and die to cover all your sins. God did not leave Him there. Indeed, Christ rose up from the dead and broke the chains of hell, death, and damnation forever to all who believe in Him.

In 2010, I wrote a book entitled “A Broken and Contrite Heart” that pleads God’s response to His children when they are faced with their own failures and sins. There is nothing in my life that ever took God by surprise. When He chose me He knew every time I would fail Him. Neither does He wish I stay there grappling in the muddy mire. Instead, He reaches forth His mighty hand to pull me out and as I cry forth, “How can you still love me after all the times I have failed you and this heart which can never fully love you as it should?” His response, “Sin, child I do not see any sin—(as He looks through the blood of Christ which covers me). “Come, child there is work to be done” as He removes the last bit of mud off of my feet. That is Grace, my dear friends—the same grace that David and Peter so richly proclaimed. Each chapter of the book-“A Broken and Contrite Heart” ended with a poem-written by me and for me. Today I needed to return and read what I wrote then as the final poem of the book—a reminder of who I am in Christ.

The Grace in Which I Stand

Oh feeble heart, Oh fragile soul

Where is the hope on which you hold

With all the failures of your past

Where is the faith to make you bold

There was a King though blameless He

That came to pay my penalty

And in that act He set me free

To follow Him in liberty

It is His love that drew me out

And in His Grace I shall not doubt

That He who started this work in me

Will finish it with a Glorious Shout

One day the finished work be done

That I might look then like God’s son

Sifted, shined just like pure Gold

As Glory shines forth, Glorious One

And in this hope my faith conformed

I know my life will be transformed

I stand upon this future grace

So for His work my passion warmed

So in this faith I firmly stand

That formed in me as God had planned

No force on earth can shake me free

My future held by God’s great hand

My future held by God’s great hand.

[bctt tweet=”Oh feeble heart, Oh fragile soul Where is the hope on which you hold”]

It is in His power and might that I continue to battle against sin and though I may not win every battle, I know the victory is mine–Jesus won the victory. I may not yet, but one day I will one look like Jesus. It is that truth that gives me hope once more and causes me to rise up above the ashes of my life to stand boldly filled with hope and His Joy.

From my Book, A Broken and Contrite Heart published 2010.

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And if you still don’t understand, please watch this video of the incredible hymn “Upon the Throne of God” with excerpts from the movie about Martin Luther included.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to any brands, products or services that I have mentioned with the exception of my own book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides regarding the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

How to Destroy the Cancer of Sin in Your Life

When they said that dreaded word, “Cancer”, my head began to twirl. It was hard to hear the rest of the words. The plans for surgery and chemotherapy were like a distant whisper. I was in the middle of my Master’s Program in Nursing. It was late October. The semester would end in early December. The plan was to have surgery in December. That month throughout November, I could envision this evil force eating away at the good cells. The thought of these destructive cells multiplying, growing and taking over filled my mind with disgust. These cells had been there growing for many years in silence without my being aware of their presence while all along they had been consuming all that was good within their reach.

Sin is like that. It is a poison, a sickness deep within our hearts that grows steadily throughout our lives until our heart, spirit and soul is consumed; unless, we come to recognize it and seek the cure. We can try to ignore it, hide it, and place bandages on it; but, it continues to grow unless we come to the place where we “cut it out at its core.” For that we need the surgeon. Jesus is that surgeon to cut out the source; destroying its power. He did that at the cross when He took our punishment upon Him. He willingly obeyed the Father’s command. Righteousness and Justice demanded that sin’s penalty be paid. If God could just ignore man’s rebellious heart, Satan would have won. Evil would have won and righteousness would be consumed by the cancerous cells of evil. Righteousness could only win if evil were destroyed.

Continue reading “How to Destroy the Cancer of Sin in Your Life”

When Would Being Blind Be A Miracle Of Grace?

Jesus and his disciples had just escaped being stoned as we ended chapter 8. Immediately, we see in chapter 9 that “as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from birth” (John 9:1). Jesus was passing by as he was avoiding being stoned to death. He had come to die; but, it was not suppose to be that day and it wasn’t going to be by stoning. His time ” had not yet come.”He had not retreated in fear. He had retreated because it was time to retreat. Besides, He had an appointment with a blind man. He had not gone very far; because throughout chapter 9 we see the discussion with the Pharisees who had wanted to stone Him once more. Jesus stops when He comes upon the blind man. That is great news!! He comes to us in our blindness to reach out and give us sight; with disregard for His own comfort. He is willing to find us where ever we are–He seeks us to offer sight.!!

The chapter unfolds and moves from a discussion of human blindness to spiritual blindness as we will see. Yet before we move to that let’s pause for a moment at the response of the disciples. ^“And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?³Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.⁴I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:2-5). The tragedies, the illness, the losses and the trials of this life do not always enter our lives as “punishment for our sins.” The punishment for our sins was carried by Jesus on the Cross. Indeed, until we accept that atonement for our sins; we are like this blind man. We are unable to see the light of the gospel. Unless we recognize our need of a Savior, our self-exalting hearts would be content in our own accomplishments and counterfeit happiness. We would not recognize the wondrous joy, hope, love and Glory that we are missing out on. Would I ever seek God’s truth in a world of blissful beauty? Would I

Continue reading “When Would Being Blind Be A Miracle Of Grace?”

Tag: grace

Poetry Sunday Out of the Darkness, I hear Your Love Song

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