Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hope. Show all posts

Saturday, November 24, 2018

Heaven’s Oath

My dear friends, how many are wrestling? With hardship, loss, or disappointment? In these dark days of winter when our frantic feet fumble across earth's crumbling crunchy crust – Let us encourage each other and together remember…
I’ve written this for you. For me. For all of us.



— • —

Heaven’s Oath
© 2018, Jena Rutan, all rights reserved.



In   b r o k e n   earth, 
dormant cold seed waits.
In   d a r k   velvet skies 
gleam celestial lights.
When cries thirsty land,
from  t e m p e s t  wave,
Heaven’s arms draw their rain.


Our Father in heaven brings life from what’s dead.
“Quiet down, O my soul,” Ancient wise kings once said.
Know He still hears – understands each hearts plight.
In winter’s silence dive deep,
Come with me, lift your eyes.


He is Solace for wanderers, a Shield to the weak.
The bright morning Star who guides weary feet.
Rejected ones friend, and despairing heart’s hope.
The branch from love’s root.
True Life we can know.


When each day feels uncertain
When hopelessness calls,
Let faith stir inside.
Let hope not fall.


Memory stones of bright past
recall goodness. His vast
ways aren’t our ways.
His thoughts far beyond.
His redemption, His plan
never fails, never wrong.


Know this my dear friends, He will do it again.
His faithfulness always endures past the end.
When weakness and cold
by fear grips and pulls –
This isn’t the time for regret and defeat,
but a season of strength, a renewal of peace.


His lamp illuminates truth through black days.
When sight becomes blind, trust goodness, see grace.
Let’s not become weary by walking in light
For harvest will come at the end of this night.
So let roots grow down deep.
Be nourished, come eat –
in knowledge of him.
His bread. His wine.
We together can learn
the depth, width, and height.


— • —


Jesus’s love never fails me.
My companion beside,
My peace and my all,
He covers my life
His feathers surround,
His Word is my guide
Protecting and healing,
sharing peace in the night.


— • —

His whisper we hear,
“Take up courage, persevere!”
“Together my children
run this race,
come be near.
Lay your head on My heart,
Know My warm embrace,
I’ve collected each prayer
Heard you face to face.“


When your heart cries out for direction and meaning
When your marriage is fumbling
your children careening
When you don’t have answers
When purpose is lame
He is there. Yes He’s here
Let Him kindle the flame.


As the Northern star shines
Once more we recall
The Father of lights
Authors good for us all
His love endures
He never will change
In His book are recorded
Each one's joy and each pain

And when beaming sun rises,
morning by morning,
How expansive His kindness
So immense His outpouring.
Giving bread to His children,
Softly sending the snow.
In loyal endurance,
Eternal His oath.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

With you

Set me as a seal emblazoned on your heart
For love is as strong as the grave
I've found the one who delights my soul
You are my strength, my lover, my friend

Fishing laughter from my bleak
Determination when I'm weak
Dear love of my soul
With you I'll grow old

Heart flip flutters when your eyes spark a glance
Open soul warm my hand inside yours
With shield and sword onward trails we forge
Our fairy tale 's made in the nitty gritty days

Memories like fireflies in our wistful jar
Hanging hopes on the tail of our kite
Anchored each one in our steadfast assurance
Arms linked as one, faces set toward the son

© Jena Rutan 2016. All rights reserved. 
Scripture references are from the NASB.


Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Rooting Through Winter

Winter. It's finally drawing to a conclusion. I can see it in the world around me, hear it with the song of birds, and feel it in the sunshine. And in my spirit, I feel the pressing of God's hands, molding me once again. Or maybe I should say, "molding me, still!"

In some of the deepest ways, this winter season has held much more intensity for me than any previous winters. It's spiritual dryness and emotional aloneness have forced me to seek my heavenly Father for survival in more seriousness than other times past. If I am honest, I have been brought once again to the foot of Golgotha; to find the one in whom my faith resides — and also to allow Him to find me, in my broken, doubting, and cynical state. These things embarrass me about myself but I should not be boasting in myself anyway; these flaws (among others) allow me to be grateful for His blood which covers a multitude of sins.

I have embraced my quiet days even in the midst of feeling isolation, because (in spite of my dark heart and flawed faith) I have felt the longing in my soul for connection with my creator, and have had an intense need to renew my recognition of my savior. Thank you Father for giving me the desires of my heart; namely, a desire for You. The weeks have progressed and through my window, I see the same tree with its dead leaves clinging still to the branches. Snow falls and dresses them in graceful glittering gowns of white only to have the sun undress these leaves and reveal their brown once again. I watch from my warm cocoon, the narrative of winter; without even a burning fire on the hearth to remind me of warmer days to come.

And my heart is a little like these brown leaves. A little like the thief hanging on his tree on the hill of the skull. Shaking a little, hanging on a little, feeling some pain and numbness, and looking for belief that I can have a new life because of One greater than me.

I'm not really one for church traditions, in the mainstream way of advent, lent, easter, and so forth; they seem more like man made traditions and I still can't find them spelt out in scripture. I do however, believe that God created the times and seasons, and that he teaches us through His life cycles which are exemplified biblically as the "Feasts of the Lord." For anyone who has practiced these, you will understand what I mean, when I refer to the dry season of winter; there are no feasts from Sukkot to Pesach! From the natural realm of dirt, trees, and vegetation, to the spiritual realm which is exemplified in the biblical descriptions of the Kingdom of Heaven and displayed the hearts of men, winter is a season of hibernation. In all of creation we can see death in some form which is part of preparation for the growth and regeneration of spring.

Winter is a barren, quiet, and sometimes painful place; for me and many of those near and dear to me, this winter has been no exception to put it mildly! But, there is good that I can see, even on such a desolate plateau. Being in this season of hibernation draws us back to our source of life, our Creator. As I walk through each place of pain and suffering it causes me to once again wrestle with some of the great questions in life. And although I may not find the answers for which I am looking, this search brings me closer to sprouting with hope, and life again. Yes, I don't find answers, but I again find my utter dependence on God, and my need for faith in Him. Faith in a good God, who loves me and made a way for me to know and love Him. And also to live a life that honors Him and brings His light into the lives of my family and others who come into my path.


With Pesach just around the bend, I am feeling the sifting of God's spirit cleaning the leaven out of my heart. These final days of purging still hold a tinge of affliction, but I can also feel the growth of hope, that His salvation is here! I am getting excited for Passover, and ready to start the housecleaning that reminds me of how my gracious Father is cleaning me. I anticipate eating the Passover meal and remembering my deliverance from Egypt; drinking the wine, and eating the bread in remembrance of my Lord and Saviour, Yeshua from Nazareth, my Messiah, the Light of the World. And when I think of these things, my hope is renewed, and I find joy again, in the God of my salvation.

Waterdeep sings it so well —

"You have redeemed my soul
From the pit of emptiness
You have redeemed my soul
From death
You have redeemed my soul
From the pit of emptiness
You have redeemed my soul
From death

"I was a hungry child
A dried up river
I was a burned out forest
And no one could do anything for me
But You put food in my body
Water in my dry bed
And to my blackened branches,
You brought the springtime
Green of a new life
And nothing is impossible
For You

"Now, You have redeemed my soul
From the pit of emptiness
You have redeemed my soul
From death"


© Jena Rutan 2010. All rights reserved. 
Scripture references are from the NASB.