Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Poetry is About Poems

Poetry is not about poetry--it is about poems. The joy is searching for the ones that strike us deep and not pretending to like everything we read. We are free to like good poems only!


"...The devil claimed man by bargain as this:
For an apple he said, man was bought and sold;
God answered and said the bargain was his:
'With mine to be thine how durst thou be so bold?
Man mine, sin thine; wherefore thou art now told
Thou bought naught; then take naught; thy bargain is done;
Wherefore God and man shall be set at one.'
Now blessed be he,
For we that are bound, lo, now are made free..."


 -Anonymous (Middle English Carol) From "A Sacrifice of Praise"



Why do I love this verse? The use of "bargain" as it displays man's lack of power in the transaction. Man has entered into a spiritual battle which he sees very little of and this poem is a glimpse into the battle (in this case a bargain). The phrase "man mine, sin thine" is an excellent contrast between our God and the slanderer. A contrast which has been brought about by the blood of Jesus. It is by the blood that we can say we are God's and have been divorced from sin and the law (Romans 8:2).  I love how the Devil's bold claim is overturned by God's bold love for mankind.

This is my exhortation to get out there and find some poetry that speaks to your soul. Happy reading.



Wednesday, January 1, 2014

The Bible's First Promise

January 1

The Bible's First Promise


I will put enmity between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head
 — Gen 3:15 ESV
This is the first promise to fallen man. It contains the whole gospel and the essence of the covenant of grace. It has been in great measure fulfilled. The seed of the woman, even our Lord Jesus, was bruised in His heel, and a terrible bruising it was. How terrible will be the final bruising of the serpent’s head! This was virtually done when Jesus took away sin, vanquished death, and broke the power of Satan; but it awaits a still fuller accomplishment at our Lord’s second advent and in the Day of Judgment. To us the promise stands as a prophecy that we shall be afflicted by the powers of evil in our lower nature, and thus bruised in our heel; but we shall triumph in Christ, who sets His foot on the old serpent’s head. Throughout this year we may have to learn the first part of this promise by experience, through the temptations of the devil and the unkindness of the ungodly, who are his seed. They may so bruise us that we may limp with our sore heel; but let us grasp the second part of the text, and we shall not be dismayed. By faith let us rejoice that we shall still reign in Christ Jesus, the woman’s seed.
- Charles Spurgeon (Faith's Checkbook)