man’s way

The Plans of Men
by

The Plans of Men

We scheme and we plot.
     We sit and we plan.
We work out the details
     that seem right to man.
When plans are finished
     in just the right way.
We might turn to God
     and perhaps we would say:

“God we have worked
     with all of our might.
Now look at our plans
     and tell us we’re right.
We have considered
     what works best down here.
Now bless us and watch us
     and for us now cheer!”

Those little lines
     might sound quite absurd.
But they’re not far off
     from things I have heard.
“Prayer is fantastic,
     it is great for you.
But please don’t distract us
     from what we must do.”

“This way is better
     for our modern day.
Life moves by too fast
     to wait for God’s way.
If we don’t seize the moment,
     the moment will fade.
Then we’ll lose all we worked for,
     of this I’m afraid.”

As lines such as these
     echo loud in my mind.
It is harder to hear
     the voice I must find.
The calm gentle whisper,
     “Be still and know.
Trust me and walk
     in the way I will show.”

Doing things God’s way
     can be a great leap.
Do I really trust Him,
     His promises to keep?
Will He always be with me
     and always provide?
Will He see me through
     to the end of the ride?

Few people I know
     would ever claim.
To do things their own way
     or seek their own fame.
But when we’re impatient
     and force things to fit.
We pull out a bench
     and tell God to just sit.

With God on the sideline,
     we’re destined to fail.
What looks like success
     may become our own jail.
So before you’re imprisoned
     by ideas you think great.
Seek the way of God
     before it’s too late!

© 2015 by Tom Lemler

Other than a few rhyming lines here and there for fun, it has been a while since a full poem has shown up in my mind. Today started with a pair of rhyming lines about Susan not wanting to wake up. Somehow those lines seemed to open up a poem that had formed in my mind and wanted out. 🙂 I pray that it encourages you to seek God’s way all of the time and to abandon the ways and plans of the world no matter how right they may seem to mankind.

In prayer,
Tom

by

By The Book

Some time ago
     I was given a task.
Raise thirty-six thousand.
     was all they did ask.
With only a few months
     to come up to speed.
I fell on my knees
     and with God I did plead. 

Send me a few friends
     who will hear what I say.
Not “send me money”,
     but “kneel down and pray”.
To accomplish a task
     that was very large.
Could only be done
     if God was in charge. 

My ways were unusual
     and people thought odd.
Instead of on people,
     I focused on God!
For when it came to wealth,
     there’s one thing I knew.
It all comes from God,
    not from me nor from you. 

There were a few
     who did understand.
We prayed and we prayed,
     while we worked and we planned.
We asked God to meet us
     at the point of our need.
And sought Him to cleanse us
     from all of our greed. 

We didn’t go after
     the people we “should”.
The list of the wealthy,
     whose giving was good.
We proclaimed the same news
     to all far and near.
Ask God what you should give
     and do what you hear. 

The people responded
     and gave what they could.
They listened to God
     as we prayed that they would.
They gave what they had,
     some gave even more.
With donated service,
     we only needed thirty-four! 

When all was collected
     that God did provide.
I sat back in wonder,
     it was quite a ride!
Thirty-four thousand
     in commitments and cash!
Plus two thousand saved
     on the cost of the bash! 

The fact that God worked
     is hard to deny.
But I lost that position,
     I say with a sigh.
I did it all wrong
     according to man.
I should have followed
     a more proven plan. 

There’s something quite wrong
     when man’s way is better.
Than following God’s Word,
     right down to the letter.
But “Father knows best”
     is always true.
When God is the Father
     that we always look to. 

I did learn a lesson,
     I hope never to forget.
That I’m always safe
     in God’s safety net.
The memories are painful,
     the hurt I still feel.
But God’s giving me poems
     that are helping me heal. 

As you do read this,
     I pray you do know.
That doing things God’s way
     is the right way to go.
It won’t always work out
     as you think it should.
But God gives His promise,
     it will be for your good.

 © 2014 by Tom Lemler

It is hard to watch struggles take place in areas that God has already proven His willingness and desire to meet needs if we would forsake man’s wisdom and fully seek Him.  I woke up with this poem in my head and realized even more fully than before that God is using these poems to bring healing into my life as He continues to mold me further into His image.  I pray that these words help you to seek God and to fully devote  yourself to prayer and the Word as you trust Him to accomplish only what He can.

In prayer,
Tom