Kind to the Ungrateful and Wicked

 Here's a poem for National Poetry Month! It is largely inspired by the account of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount that is given in Luke 6. I am particularly moved by The Lord's radical command to not only love those who love us but to go beyond that and love our enemies and pray for them! Just as God our Father is kind and merciful to the ungrateful and wicked, so we must be too. And it's even easier to do that when we realize that so often we ourselves are the ungrateful and wicked. Yet God's rich mercy and grace still reaches to us despite this and brings us back to restoration when we return to Him in repentance. We who are forgiven so much must be willing to forgive others as well. Let us follow our Lord's example and command to show love to all, especially those we think deserve it least.


Kind To The Ungrateful and Wicked
(poem copyright by Nathan Ludwick 7/12/2022)
(Genesis 1:14-19, Genesis 1:26-31, Psalms 8, Psalms 139, Psalms 118:24, Matthew 5:38-48, Luke 6:27-38, James 1:17, Colossians 1:13-17, Job 38-42, Psalms 90, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Romans 5:8, John 15:12-17, John 13:1-20, Matthew 5:13-16, James 1:19-20, Romans 2:1-4, Ephesians 4:29-32, Ephesians 5:1-2, Revelation 19:11-16, Luke 7:40-50, Psalms 103, Psalms 150, Matthew 7:12, Romans 13:8-14, Romans 12, 1 Peter 2:9-12, Malachi 4:2, Galatians 6:2, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 John 4:7-21, 1 John 3:16-22, 2 Thessalonians 3:13, Jeremiah 31:3)

Welcome to My morning- welcome to My day
The blue sky and sunshine a backdrop to birds' refrain
The morning dew on each petal like a mint on your hotel pillow
Everything about today's been prepared for you in advance
Blink your eyes open in bed, roll down the window and stick out your head
Take in a big breath of fresh air- the same breathed since ages past
Go forth to face the day made for you and written before time
Filled with its share of toil mingling with peace and rest
Carefully arranged by The One Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
How many walk oblivious to the obvious blessings that surround them
Every breath that fills their lungs a fresh gesture of grace
Every heartbeat is one more that they weren't obligated to receive
And people go on their merry ways with nary an upward gaze
Choices are made in twenty four hour spans with after effects that still send shock waves for days or maybe years
Some even echo in eternity, bathed in blackness or light
The Eternal Time Keeper watches it all play out on Earth
As He holds everything together and intervenes with Divine authority and supreme knowledge both here and across the universe
The Giver of all good gifts makes every day like Christmas
The Gift given that day can still be unwrapped afresh each new day
Though sadly some stubbornly refuse but this never sways His mood
His eyes still look eternally with love on them through tears
He sends the sun each dawn to shine on the wicked and righteous alike
He sends the rain in its season on both the good and bad
Yet the ugly is in all of humanity and only The Beautiful One can transform it
The Beauty became the beast after Snow White bit the poison apple
The silver bullet crisscrossed His heart to render Him dead to pay for all misdeeds
Grace personified walked out of the grave with a real life fairy tale ending
All those who give themselves over to endless Love's entreaty
Can live each day with joy looking forward to living happily ever after in Love's kingdom
And in each staggering step of this race that inches ever closer to eternity's edge
Mercy's transformed miscreants must administer mercy to all just like The Father of Mercy
For even though the ungrateful and wicked spurn His open arms with sneers
He exudes kindness on them relentlessly throughout life and beyond
Even in eternity, His kindness won't force folks to be with Him who reject Him
And in the time allotted before the final breaths are lent to frames of dust and rib
Every moment is the time for lovingkindness to lavishly wash each other's feet
No matter the response, the seeds must still get water and sunshine that they might yet grow
Only God decides on the growth in accordance with the willingness of human beans
And as His kindness brought us to repentance who grow in His vine
May we continually extend olive branches of love that overwhelm all like a flood
Those who are forgiven much also love both God and man much
Man's anger accomplisheth not God's righteousness- and man can't control outcomes
Faithful obedience calls for trust in The Faithful and True one who is always good
Let Mercy lead us to never respond to hostility in kind- but in tireless kindness
That the world might know and give thanks to the embodiment of Good
Who still welcomes us each morning to the new day He has made that we 
Should rejoice and be glad in it and shine like the Sun of righteousness
That the world might see our good deeds, love and kindness and glorify the
Author of all Good and Love and Joy Whose heart is wonderfully kind.

God's Side Now (song)

Note: Here's another old favourite from the archives. I'm still looking as through a mirror darkly but I'm clinging to the Light and awaiting the day I'll see clearly from God's side. In the meanwhile, I try to keep in mind the look at life from both sides now, as Psalms 73 describes too.

* The Bible tells us that now we see God as in a mirror darkly but one day we will behold Him face to face! On that day, we will be able to say like Johnny Nash, “I can see clearly now”, when we are in Christ’s presence in Heaven. But until then, we look at God from Earth’s side now and keep straining to look with an eternal view to the day when we can look at things from God’s side now.

“God’s Side Now” (parody of “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell)
(parody copyright by Nathan Ludwick 11/12/2012)
(Psalms 73, Ephesians 2:8-10, Colossians 3:1-4, Philippians 1:21, Philippians 3:7-14, Romans 6:1-2, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, 1 John 4:8-10, Galatians 2:19-21, Galatians 3, 2 Corinthians 5:7)

Oh, enthroned with angels there
A nice sea of glass is in the air
I’ll never imagine all that’s there
I’ve looked at God that way

But now I know Him- God The Son
He bade The Holy Spirit come
So many things I could have done
But God stopped me from pain

I’ve looked at God from Earth’s side now
With open heart and still somehow
A cloudy vision- that is all
(But) I will see (then) and know God in full

Cam, Simone and Ferris deals
The Dirty Dancing way appeals
My ev’ry fantasy comes real
I’ve looked at God that way

But now 6:1 and 2 Romans shows
You keep on sinning so grace flows
And you don’t care- you let it go
Don’t cheapen grace away

But look at love from God’s side now
He gives- we take and still somehow
‘Twas God’s Son choosing to give all
So we then could know God, you all

Tears and fears and feeling doubt
He says, “I love you” but somehow
“Needs to see good works first now”-
I’ve looked at Christ that way

2 Ephesians- by grace we’re saved
When Satan hits, I’ll say Christ’s Name
I once was lost but God regained
I’m living by the faith

I’ve looked at life from both sides now
To win, you lose and still somehow
In Christ, I’m losing temporal
I receive God’s life eternal!

I’ve looked to Christ from Earth’s side now
Through ups and downs, He’s with me now
For Christ, I’m choosing to lose all
My real life’s found in Christ, my all!

Season for the Reason: Have I Served God All for Naught or Has He Served me All for Naughty?

 (Note: This is a piece of writing borne out of a real conversation about the age old question of why the wicked always seem to prosper and the righteous always seem to suffer. Christ calls us to count the cost before following Him and many times after walking faithfully with Him for a long time, we start to feel the weight of that cost. After a while, we don't feel like we have received the rest God promises in Matthew 11:28. It seems like we should have more of our felt needs met and God doesn't seem to be cutting it anymore. What do we do then? Why do the wicked always seem to prosper while all we seem to get for our struggles in following Jesus is just pain and suffering? Is God fair?)

    One of the biggest areas of unfulfillment more than anything else felt for Christians is in the area of love and romantic relationships. Though married people feel this at times too, it seems particularly grievous and painful for single Christians faithfully holding to celibacy. Praise God for that testimony of holding true to His standards of sexual purity! That's a very honest confession that not many can make. And I always appreciate honesty, as I know God does. And we can always be totally honest with Him.
But where does that leave me when I feel like God isn't meeting my needs in this area?
   I can understand struggling with doubts about God and His promises. I've struggled with doubts numerous times myself. I think every Christian, if they're honest, would admit that. Throughout the Scriptures there are tons of folks who struggled with doubts. Just read the book of Job. Moses and Elijah are also two prime examples. But both those guys also appeared with Jesus on the mountain at His transfiguration! Obviously they made it through the doubts to see their faith become sight.
   It's certainly not easy but we are still called to trust God and endure- particularly when it's hard, sad and lonely. (The command to endure is one of the most repeated phrases in Revelation particularly and through The Bible.)
     Just read the accounts of  Jesus' time in Gethsemane. We are promised to stand with Him in Heaven in the end- and all our trials here will be far outweighed by it! (Romans 8)- but we must stand with Him in Gethsemane and at Calvary first.
  I can understand about feeling lonely and sad- I'm an almost 36-and-a-half-year old man who's a virgin too and I've never been married. I'd still like to be married if God grants that and leads me to the right woman but I'm okay with it if God wants me to be single too. As single Christians, we're in good company with Paul and Jesus. :-)
   As to God meeting our needs, Philippians 4:19 says God will meet all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. I believe that encompasses companionship needs as well. However, I think we have to be careful how we define our needs. We usually talk of sexual desire, not sexual need. I mean, no one's died from not having sex. That is something we have to surrender to The Lord- along with all else.
        You might like to read Psalms 73- a dude named Asaph had some of the same complaints. Habakkuk had similar thoughts too. And in the end, we can remember that the pleasures of this life are fleeting- but the kingdom of God is eternal. And He promises an eternity of joy in Him. He is the One we are made to worship (Revelation 4:11) and when we live in accordance with the way our Maker made us, we find the greatest joy. Everything else disappoints us ultimately- including marriage and sex.
   And if we put our hopes in those things fulfilling us- if we put hope in any relationship over the one we have with Christ- we're going to be disappointed. Where else can we go but Christ? He has the words of eternal life. (John 6:68) And He comes to give us life and life more abundant. I believe that starts in the here and now and continues into eternity.
We have to seek Him first and His righteousness and all our other needs will be added onto us. (Matthew 6:33) And if I can trust Jesus with my eternity, surely I can trust Him with my relationships on earth! I am not always the best at this and I fall into wistful whimpering and whining at times too but I have decided that I do not want to wallow in depression and despair because of what I don't have right now! I choose to be happy and joyous in Jesus because of all He's blessed me with in life. May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth like peanut butter if I forget Him and don't make Him my highest joy! You are my one thing, Lord Jesus! May Your praise ever be on my lips. You are always worthy! I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked! (See Psalms 137 and Psalms 42 and 43 and 84 and 103!)
  I hope that helps some. Hold on! And I don't claim to have all the answers but I know I have struggled with a lot of these things before and those are the conclusions the Holy Spirit's led me to in The Bible. The marathon comes before the maranatha. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and 1 Corinthians 16:22) But let's be clear too that God doesn't owe us anything! A classic song made famous by Lynn Anderson comes to mind- "I beg your pardon. I never promised you a rose garden." I'm also reminded of the elder brother in Luke 15 complaining about the seeming unfairness of his father when all his years of service didn't get him a fattened calf. Of course, the father assures that all he has belongs to him. In our case, we are given all that God has too! He sent Jesus to die and rise to pay for all our sins so that we might have salvation and be in Heaven with Him instead of in Hell for eternity! The burning hell is what we deserve! As Mark Lowry once observed, anything above burning in Hell is a privilege!
     God never promised to meet all our wants but He did promise to meet all our needs- and He is enough for us in the end. (Psalms 73:23-28, John 6:68) Why do I want this world to be perfect (according to my standards) when I have a perfect one waiting? That's where I must put my hope above all else- Christ and His kingdom! (Philippians 3:20) This world is not my home- I'm just passing through.
   I pray God continues to encourage you and show you His Love in a special way. Keep enduring. There is a glory coming that far outshines and outweighs anything we face in this life. We must continue to walk by faith and not by sight. It will be more than worth it in the end.
   And keep praying and seeking after God even when you doubt His benevolence or care. He is always faithful and delights in you and delights to gather you in His arms of love. Love you in the Lord. I will pray for you too. :-)
   I've often found songs to be therapeutic as well. Maybe some favourites that have helped me often will be helpful to you.
I'll post a few here and be done. God bless.
(James 1:17, Ephesians 2, Psalms 149, Psalms 150)

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below! Praise Him above ye Heavenly hosts! Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen!

White as Snow (song)

There is a funny contradiction in the world today. On the one hand, some people want to keep insisting that all human beings are essentially good, though some make mistakes at times. But in the end, it's all like a Disney movie with some villians, of course, but ultimately most people are good overall. Of course, it seems that some of the same people who make these claims also shake their fists at God in Heaven and blame Him whenever evil erupts its repulsive ooze over humanity once again- and people suffer and lives are lost. Then the question is raised for me- how could a good people allow evil in the world? And when we're standing there, frozen in shock, maybe that's when we can come to recognize the truth- there is evil in this pervasive world- and we're it. We were all made to be good- made in God's image, Who is perfection itself- but we made the fatal choice to rebel against The Lord through Adam and Eve's sin- and now the world is under the curse of sin. Thankfully, God Himself has provided the remedy for sin. Though it stains us scarlet red, God can forgive our sins and make them white as snow. They've all been paid for by Jesus' death and Resurrection. We must take all our sin and let it go- leaving it nailed to the cross and put our faith in Jesus and live for Him instead. Thank God for His love and forgiveness!

"White as Snow" (parody of "Let It Go" from Disney's "Frozen" by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez; copyright by Nathan Ludwick 5/29/2015)
(Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 45:21-25, Isaiah 64:6, Psalms 14:3, Psalms 53:3, Romans 3:1-20, Romans 3:23-26, Romans 6:23, Proverbs 20:9, John 1:29, 1 John 3:1, 1 John 1:7, John 3:16-21, John 14:6, John 10:1-18, John 6:35-40, Hebrews 10:10-12, Colossians 1:15-20)

Verse 1
.............
The snow glows white in Wisconsin tonight
What a fitting Christmas scene
The winter brings transformation
The fall looks like it's washed clean
Our sin is howling like a swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep from sin; Heaven knows we tried
Won't let Him in
But think He's pleased
If you're good, girl; boy, always keeping clean
Conceal evil
Don't let it show
Well, on our own...

Chorus 1
...............
We're evil! We're evil!
(I) can't hope to match up to The Lord
Yes, we know we're evil
Turn away and seek The Lord!
Isaiah 64:6 says
All good deeds we've done-
The Lord says they're rotten filthy rags anyway

Verse 2
..............
It's funny how resistance
Makes everything His fault
And we feel He's hidden- if only
He'd let us see Him all
The Christ revealed that wish for you
Jesus- God's image- Way, Life and Truth
He died for wrongs
And rose so we'd
Be free!

Chorus 2
................
All evil
In one go-
Christ has won over sin for all time!
Let Him go
Save your soul
You need to receive Christ
Hear what God says in Isaiah
Let's read 1:18

Bridge
.............
Like how snow flurries through the air into the ground
Our souls can be washed clean though our sin's scarlet- hear God now
"Come use thought- realize this- I can wipe (out) all bad!"
Though all you've known is black, the cross has changed all that!

Chorus 3
................
White as snow!
White as snow!
(My) sins are white like wool thanks to God!
White as snow!
White as snow!
That perfect Lamb of God!
Here I stand- by The Christ I'm saved
Like it says in 1st. John
Behold how The Father's loved (in) 3:1- yay!