new birth

Part 3: Chapter 1 – Day 1: Delight in Christ

Anna SmitLeave a comment

Welcome to Day 1 of Part 3‘s Chapter 1 of Arise and Shine. Today, Anna is sharing a free will offering of incense in a poem inspired by God’s Word to her in the crushing.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5 (ESV)

Delight

How can I rest
How can I open my palms
Let go 
And rest?

How can I receive
The Word 
That says You delight 
In me?

When Your Word in me
Has closed doors on me
In confessing 
My weakness and sin.

How can I receive
Delight in that
When Your Word calls me 
Depart, bereft?

Am I not mistaken?
Does not each loss 
Each door closing
Only affirm I'm lost?

"Oh my child,"
I hear You speak
"In your pain, be still
Know My Son is calling.

"Let the Sword of Life 
Now circumcise your heart
That ears and eyes 
May open unto Me.

"For, I have come
Not to call the righteous 
But to pour My oil
Of mercy upon sinners.

"Receive My living water
Feel My waterfall of grace 
Now splashing on your face
Receive My goodness and mercy

"In My Son's crushing 
Of your pride and self
Receive My oil 
Richly flowing.

"Yes, there's life
In the womb
Feel the Son of God
Now crowning in you.

"Be not afraid, My child 
This labor pain you're feeling
Is but a shedding of the old
To birth the new.

"For, Christ wore
A crown of thorns
To place a crown 
Of life upon your head.

"In the garden of Gethsemane
My Son drunk the cup
Upon the Cross 
Your debt to pay in full.

"Now be Christ's friend 
Let the counsel 
Of the Holy Spirit 
Set you apart.

"Let each loss  
Become sweet gain
For, into every crushing
My oil of comfort pours.

"Let now 
My Holy Spirit pour
Upon the soil  
Of all Christ's crushing.

"For, is it not your honor
To bow before Him here
To taste of His sacrifice 
For you?

"Has He not proven 
In His crushing for your sins
His Bride is worth
Far more than rubies?

"Yes, the enemy may rage
In darkness all around you
But hidden in Christ 
See your lamp glow bright.

"Sow now 
Into the good soil 
Of Christ's own Body 
Broken open for you.

"Let His seed of truth 
Long hidden in your heart 
Now reap perfect peace
In the dying.

"Bring no longer a 
Burnt-out sacrifice of self 
But a free will offering
In mercy richly flowing.

"Watch and wait
My holy flame shall fall
Upon the oil 
Of Christ's anointing.

"A fragrant incense 
In My fire shall rise 
Repentance and
Refreshing reaping.

"Now, delight 
In Me, My child
For I delight 
In you."

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:55-60 (ESV)

‘You will also be [considered] a crown of glory and splendor in the hand of the Lord, And a royal diadem [exceedingly beautiful] in the hand of your God.’ It will no longer be said of you [Judah], “Azubah (Abandoned),”Nor will it any longer be said of your land, “Shemamah (Desolate)”; But you will be called, “Hephzibah (My Delight is in Her),”And your land, “i.e. Beulah, pronounced Be-oo-lah.Married”; For the Lord delights in you, And to Him your land will be married [owned and protected by the Lord]. Isaiah 62: 3 – 4 (AMP)

Part 2: Chapter 3 – Day 7: Sea of Holy Fire

Anna Smit2 Comments

Welcome to Part 2 Chapter 3‘s Day 7 of Arise and Shine. Today, Anna is sharing a poem as a final free will offering of gold, looking expectantly toward the eternal perfection that awaits us in Christ Jesus, as He completes what He has begun in us. She also shares the Scriptures that have inspired and form a part of her poem.

He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it. Below the rim, gourds encircled it—ten to a cubit. The gourds were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea. The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east. The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. It was a handbreadth in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held two thousand baths.

1 Kings 7: 23-26 (ESV)
SEA OF HOLY FIRE

From North and South 
From East and West 
We come
Your Temple raised.

Purified in fires we've met
Refined and tested
Your Living Word
Has proved us Yours.

Not in our outward wiping clean
But in mercy's washing clean 
In Your blood shed
And Your Body broken

You led us the old to shed
To know You 
In Your death 
And resurrection.

Purified of Satan's curse 
Washed in a cup of wrath
You bore for us
Our hearts awash in mercy.

We ran the race
In Your jealous flames of love
Your liquid gold now pouring
In incense sweet arising.

Our hardened hearts You broke 
To flow in mercy
Your Holy flame in trials thick and fast
All dross destroying.

Made in Your image
Temple 
Of Your Holy Spirit
Purposed born 

We bear Your Name
To lay down our crowns 
At these
Your feet.

Harps are playing
Our hearts 
And lips
Are singing:

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
    O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations!

Who will not fear, O Lord,
    and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
    All nations will come
    and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Revelations 14:3 (ESV)

And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
    O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations!

Who will not fear, O Lord,
    and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
    All nations will come
    and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Revelations 14:2-3 (ESV)

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1: 12 (ESV)