The Day of Trouble

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By Michael W. Raley

As black storm clouds roll across the sky,

A foreboding sense of doom and dread

Creep into my spirit.

The thunder crackles like cannon fire

And the lightning lights up the sky

Like the afternoon sun.

The rain pours down trouble on all sides

And the ground becomes overwhelmed

With the sudden flash flooding,

I seek out the higher ground-

The Rock that is higher than I.

The Lord, my shelter, will guard me

In the day of trouble.

When terrors overwhelm me,

When life’s pressures become too much,

I find refuge in the Lord,

The Lord God Almighty

Who can turn the day of trouble

Into a night of joy and dancing.

The storms will come

And the storms will pass,

But the Lord remains forever.

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The Past has Passed Away

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By Michael W. Raley

The past has passed away

And the Lord blesses us with a new day.

The past, whether it’s been five minutes, months or years,

Is not coming back no matter the dwelling thoughts or shed tears.

While we have the gift of God’s grace,

Let us repent and run a new race.

The past is dead and gone

And life will go on,

With or without us.

All we can do is place our trust

In the One who holds us in His hands,

The One who has numbered our hairs and the grains of sand.

My friend do not fritter away the gift of today

Wondering and speculating about the events of yesterday.

Another Obstacle

By Michael W. Raley

Another obstacle lies in my path

And there’s no way around it.

There lies before me another battle

I must wage,

Yet, I don’t have the strength to fight.

For all of the fortitude and resolve I must muster,

I might as well be enduring the trials of Hercules.

I am battle hardened,

But my mental, spiritual, and physical reserves are depleted

And I don’t see reinforcements on the horizon.

I pray for a sign and await the arrival of the Deliverer.

Please, please, Savior, do not delay,

For my strength is almost gone.

Never Allow Love to Leave

By Michael W. Raley

Never allow love to leave your heart-

No matter who hurt you,

No matter what is happening in the world,

No matter if hatred surrounds you,

Allow yourself to love and allow others to love you.

God is love and love is our connection to God.

Love connects us as a common humanity,

Which knows no bounds and trancends

The barriers erected by society,

Which divide us and provide the tinder box

For the fires of hatred and rage.

As we begin a new day,

Let us reset our hearts

To love God, ourselves, and each other.

The Deadliest Virus

By Michael W. Raley

The deadliest virus in history

Was not discovered in a lab,

But long ago in a garden,

As told in the pages of the ancient wisdom.

This virus was never declared a pandemic

By any health organization,

But God declared the virus a spiritual health crisis.

All of us are symptomatic

And we’re all carriers.

This pandemic of sin has raged

Throughout the generations and ages.

Rebellion, hate, greed, murder, and betrayal

Are but a few of the symptoms.

Though God declared sin a pandemic,

He also issued the vaccine:

The sanctifying blood of Jesus Christ.

O precious is the flow which has cured all seeking a cure

And will cure those in the future who will seek relief from the illness.

To receive the vaccine, turn from wickedness,

Repent, and you shall be cleansed of the sin virus.

The deadliest virus in history was eradicated

On a hill called Calvary.

Struggling to Pray

By Michael W. Raley

It’s hard to admit to myself and even harder to say,

But I find myself these days

Struggling to pray.

Even during the darkest of my darkest days,

I’ve ran out of things to say.

As in the Scriptures, I want the Lord to answer my call,

But I feel as if I’m talking to a wall.

Silence, deafening silence is all I hear,

Painful day after day, depressing year after year.

Aren’t relationships supposed to be a two way street?

However, relationships are difficult if one party refuses to speak.

My spiritual eyes have grown weary,

While my spiritual outlook has grown dire and dreary

Waiting for an answer, any response from on high.

In my brokenness all I can do is groan and sigh.

Greed

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By Michael W. Raley

Greed is a cancer on the human soul,

An ever-growing tumor showing no signs of slowing down.

Greed is a demon, which has possessed humanity,

Creating an ever-widening path of destruction

Of war, corruption,  the enslavement, oppression, and murder

Of family, strangers, friends, and entire groups of people

Whose only wrong deed was being in someone’s perceived way.

And for what? More possessions? More money?

Do you think your blood money will buy you a seat in heaven?

Will your soul ever be satisfied? Will your belly ever be full?

Judas lost his soul over thirty pieces of silver,

How much will it take for you?

Wealth must be mixed with generosity for the betterment of all

And not so each one can build their own kingdom.

Just like the fool who decided to build bigger barns and rest,

So your soul may be required of you this very night.

Who then, will take care of your barns?

You may have gained the world,

But how much did it cost you?

Wash the filth off of your hands

And repent with all your heart!

 

 

Hold The Line

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By Michael W. Raley

The armies of darkness and despair have waged war in my life

For what seems an eternity.

I have paid a heavy price and suffered tremendous loss.

Yet, I remain steadfast in the midst of this battle.

“Hold the line!”

By the grace of God, I have come too far to waive the white flag.

Now is the time to regroup and to strengthen what remains,

For victory is imminent, so judgment will be executed on the darkness and despair.

As long as I have breath, I have hope.

“Hold the line!”

My spirit and my resolve are battle-hardened,

My strategy is coming together,

As I plan to launch an offensive

That will scatter the enemy and break their spirits.

“Hold the line!”

 

 

I Miss the Old Hymns

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By Michael W. Raley

I miss the old hymns

And the truth we sang

About that Old Time Religion

In the Old Country Church.

We sang about God’s Amazing Grace

And the soul cleansing Blood of the Lamb.

I miss the times In the Garden

Where our Precious Lord took our hand

And made it well with our souls.

I held onto the Rock of Ages

And found peace in the valley

Because Love lifted me.

Nothing could wash away my sins,

Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.

O how I miss the days of the old hymns.

Semblance of Peace

By Michael W. Raley

I wasted a lot of years being angry.

Triggered by the mere thought of an event

Or the mention of someone’s name.

The hurt, the pain, and the unanswered prayers

Twisting inside of me, like a thorn in my flesh.

I believe that I’m entitled to answers,

But I know the answers won’t change anything

As what is passed cannot be undone.

The only remedy for this long incubating illness

Is to go forward with today

And work on some semblance of peace.