POEM PSALM 79 – ANGUISH AND DESPAIR
You said it Lord, I believe it, that settles it, so I thought.
The truth is the Lord said it and whether I believe it or not, it is truth.
Such was the journey for Israel. In their sanctified, cantankerous way,
They always quibbled with God, redefining what God said.
Along the way, over the centuries, they modeled their sin, it destroyed them.
Jesus said the clergy of his day were whitewashed tombs.
That’s harsh. Hard. Who would say such a thing?
God did because of Israel’s national life and direction.
Israel chose to walk away from obedience to God.
They chose idol worship, then self-centered worship.
Never built that Father-Son / Father-Daughter relationship.
They were God’s people after all, and the rules didn’t apply to them.
Their priests and rabbis said so. Over the centuries they rewrote the rules, ignoring God.
God is not in a box. We cannot maneuver God and manipulate Him with our words.
When our hearts are far from HIM. When hate fills our minds.
Jesus said love the Lord with all thy heart and thy neighbor as thyself.
Even a school child can understand that. Jesus came for people. Not for religion.
Be careful how you live. We are deeply flawed creatures.
Too quickly we find ourselves on the lonesome journey, no friends, by ourselves.
Stop. Get before the God of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Father forgive me. Come into my heart and save me.
If you are saved remind God that you know where you are.
Father I need your help to get back to where I should be with you.
Start today. Give God all the praise, honor, and glory due Him.
Rejoice in the wonderful gift of His son Jesus and the gift in Christ of eternal life.
Clay Corvin
Henry Hall
New Orleans, LA
December 22, 2021
PSALM 80 – SOUR GRAPES
One day we woke up and the Lord was gone. We were looking for Him everywhere.
We had wobbled away and, in the process, turned our back on Him.
Oh, we knew our sin, and it was vast, but we couldn’t see God.
The fact is that we had turned our back to Him.
Desperately we tried all the old formulas, except changing.
We detailed our lists, cried out to God.
Where are you? Why have you done this?
Then went home to our idol worship and broken homes.
Sin is what I define. I forgot that God said He defined sin.
I struggled in my disease, in my famine and in me pain.
Withstanding God’s demands. Demanding that God change.
I continued to slip into more grievous sin. Societal sin.
Even to the point of approving desperately wicked acts of hate and evil.
I still cried out to God. A great deal of my time was before Him.
He just wasn’t listening.
I’m on my last leg Lord. Our grapes have turned sour. Our crops destroyed.
Our national condition is overwhelmed with evil and hate.
Why won’t you take care of us?
Jesus is coming. He will save us from our sin.
He will revive us again and we will walk with the Lord, Abba.
Jesus will restore us. Christ will comfort us. Life will refocus on God.
In that day everyone will say I belong to Jesus, He is the lamb of God, Lord of all.
Clay Corvin
December 22, 2021
Henry Hall, New Orleans, LA
PSALM 81 – THE TRAGEDY OF LOST OPPORTUNITIES
This is a heart break story.
How God claimed a people for Himself.
They were to be His evangelist.
They saw the proclamation as a privilege. Heart break!
The story unfolds in the Bible. So many times, Israel was rescued.
They never learned. As a nation they became more self-centered.
Even while acting like the pagans around them.
In fact, God’s Word said they outdid the pagans in sin.
They changed their festivals. They added a few.
Priests and rabbis considered their national life,
As a call for seclusion, they were special, other people weren’t.
Jesus said everyone counts or no one counts.
Go tell it on the mountain. Jesus Christ is born.
God has stepped into our world and is providing for our relationship.
A personal, eternal relationship with Him.
An enduring relationship with people. Everybody counts. Love one another.
Hear O Israel, God is one and people count.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Focus on obedience to God and service to people.
When you do that, everything works. Jesus is Lord.
Clay Corvin
HENRY HALL, New Orleans, LA
December 22, 2021