A Place of Safety for All

Meaning in Psalm 20

Alfred D. Byrd

THE ONE Who made both heavens and earth
Has built a place of safety for all
Who love their God and do what is right.
Our God remembers the good that we do—
Our praise of the Name, our gifts to the poor—
And gives the faithful the light as reward.

Our God anoints with gifts of the light
The one who has come to serve the truth.
The one anointed by God will be saved,
Receiving answers to prayers of faith.

(When you see "anointed," recall Messiah,
Coming to bring the world salvation.
Leaving the throne room, Messiah accepted
Living among us and learning our pain
As means to raise us from dark to the light.)

Although, to eyes beguiled by the world,
It seems that it goes on ways of its own—
The people elect the one who rules,
Or leaders emerge from the mouth of a gun—
The One Who made the world controls it;
Leaders may rise, but our God casts down.

Although reverses happen daily
(Goodness lying awhile in the mud,
And evil flaunting itself on a throne),
The ones who fix their eyes on heaven—
Throne room of God, the One in control—
Will see the truth behind the surface.

Many put faith in weapons of war;
In strength and in speed, they think, lies success.
To hold a sword outshining one's foe's
Appears to those whose sight is the world's
To win one safety, respect, and wealth.
The ones, however, who see what's true
Rely for safety on God alone.

If we hope to receive a blessing from God,
Whatever we ask of the One on the throne
Must conform to the will of Light and Love.
If we ask for things of the world or of flesh,
We'll hear a "no" that upholds the truth.
The things of this world may please us awhile,
But will end in death and leave us nothing;
Only the things of God will endure.

Our God, please keep our nation in peace—
Unblemished relations with You at its heart—
And give our leaders the vision to lead us
Wisely and boldly under Your will.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

Heaven's Pureness

Meaning in Psalm 19

Alfred D. Byrd

TO ALL who can see, the heavens are signs
Of the One Who made all things by a word
That called from nothing both bodies and souls.
An expanse that displays by night the stars
And by day the blue of heaven's pureness
Tells us clearly, "The Great One is here!"
In speech without words, the heavens teach us—
Children of God, wherever we live—
Our Maker's glory, the highest of goods.

To all who can see, the sun is a sign
Of the eye of God, forever watchful,
Catching each deed of evil or good
By us who fill this world so briefly—
Pausing a moment, we're gone in a flash!
The vision of God resembles the sun,
Which moves, unhindered by things of the earth,
On circuits, unceasing, that span the globe,
And which burns, dispersing the clouds that obscure
The deeds of darkness in vain from the light.
Our God is the Light, the heat of which
Refines what's true, but destroys what's false.

From heaven, our God has sent us a word
Describing the way on which we must walk
If we hope to meet our God at its end.
The word is wisdom, rightness, and truth,
Providing knowledge that makes a fool
Who accepts that knowledge a teacher of light
Who can lead a seeker to meet our God.
Beside the light of the word of God,
Both rubies and gold are things of no worth.
The stones and metals that we love to hold
Are nothing but things of the here and now
Created by God to fulfill a role
In a plan in which all glory is God's.
Whoever would take the path of the Word
Must spurn the stones for the hand that made them—
Heaven, not earth, is the source of the light!

I confess to my shame that I fail to hold
The word of truth as well as I ought.
At times, I stumble, shifting my gaze
From the light of God to the darkness of earth.
My God, I need to recall, is the Rock
Beside which all else is shifting, unsafe—
The rock to which I must cling if I hope
To be saved from making darkness my end.
My God, please fill my heart with delight,
And my mouth with praise, because of Your Word,
The source and the goal of all that's good.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

A Storm of Evil

Meaning in Psalm 18

Alfred D. Byrd

ONLY MY GOD can give me the strength
To face a world that's falling apart.
It seems to me that there's come a storm—
A storm of evil brewed up by sin—
Subjecting the land to a rain of shame
And drowning the good in a flood of grief.
If I had to rely on my strength alone,
I'd fail to survive; too soon, I'd drown.

I'll find no escape from floods of the earth
Unless I make its Maker my goal.
When I look on high, the heavens unfold,
Revealing my God upon a throne
Upheld by creatures of fire and of light
Whose wings are wide, whose eyes are many.
Chanting the praise of the One Whom they serve,
They mirror glory beyond description—
Glory that comes from the One Who is all!
My God is fire that burns without end,
Without a source, and without beginning.
No one who sees the King on the throne
Can ascribe to the One a peer, a rival.
Dazzled by God, I rejoice, but fear
To be beneath my Maker's notice.
Surely a worm can't attract the eye—

My God, enthroned, is coming to see me!
At the will of the One Who gave them their life,
The creatures of light and of fire have raised
A storm to drive the evil away.
With lightning and thunder, with wind and rain,
The One on the throne rips open the sky
And shakes the earth, a baby's rattle
Feeling its owner toss it in play.
I marvel at how my God can act,
But fear destruction of one too small
To matter against the might of the storm.

My fear is groundless. My life will be saved.
My Maker, reaching me, treats me gently.
Pulling the fearful and drowning to land,
And washing away the filth of the flood,
My Maker gives me the strength to stand
Against the winds of tempests to come.
Dispersing the clouds that brought on darkness,
My God restores the light to my eyes
And shows me a path to lead me to hope.

The King returns to the heights, but leaves me
Mercy on weakness, and strength for a fight
Against temptations to turn aside—
Against any foe who'd bar my steps—
From the path that takes me again to the King.
Because my God is a shield to me,
I have the faith, the One's gift, to say,
"Whatever problems may lie ahead,
I'll face and solve through the strength of my God;
And I'll reach the heights, the throne of the One,
Where I'll serve my Maker always with praise!"

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

Beneath Your Wings

Meaning in Psalm 17

Alfred D. Byrd

GIVER OF LIFE, my God and my King,
I call to You from a world gone wrong.
I love Your truth, but it's a struggle
Keeping Your ways when I see so many
Violent persons sitting pretty,
Getting their way as they flout Your will.

When I pray to You, I thank You for strength
That's kept my heart from wanting what's wrong,
My mouth from speaking the lies of this world,
My feet from taking a path to death,
And my hands from making harmful devices
Pleasing the world, but grieving the heavens.
Watching my deeds and probing my heart,
You have found in me no trace of wrong
Because, my God, Your love has kept me
Spotless (at least in Your eyes of love)
Amid a world that's drowning in filth.

My God, please guard me like one who guards
One's eye's from those who'd quench their vision.
Keep me, I pray You, beneath Your wings
And beside Your heart, a place of safety.
Wonder fills me when I think of love—
Of Your love, which triumphs above all wrong.

This world is fat from greed and from lies
That give the greedy success awhile.
They hunt the weak like deer as their prey
And slander or slay the speakers of truth,
The ones who try to expose their greed,
But You, my God, when they've had their day,
Will abase the wicked and raise the righteous,
Praising Your coming to bring them them freedom.

Going to bed in a world of grief,
I know that You watch my sleep, my God.
As I trust my life each night to Your hands,
I have Your promise, giving me comfort:
Someday, Your Presence will rise like the dawn
And show the faithful (Your servant among them)
A world renewed, Your kingdom of light
Where I'll sing, among Your children, Your praise.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

To Embrace Your Light

Meaning in Psalm 16

Alfred D. Byrd

HEAR ME, my God! I need protection,
Keeping my life from falling away
To lusts of my heart, to lures of the world,
Or to lies that come from a tongue unseen.
To You alone can I trust my life,
For You are the One Who has made all lives
And shapes them by plans conceived in truth
Before the world took form from Your hands.
Outside of You, all paths run crooked;
Only to You a path can run straight.
My love is for You, my Maker, my King,
And for those who love Your Word and Your works—
For those who've become the children of God
By spurning darkness to embrace Your light.

My God, there are, however, others
Who see in darkness a light deceptive,
A vision of gods of here and now
That offer sensation, riches, and fame
To those who'd trade the future for presents
Starting in pleasure, but ending in pain.
Please keep me, my God, from speaking the names
Of things that are now, but won't be for long—
Of flowers that bloom a day, and then die.
Please help me, my God, perceive Your future,
Chosen for all who will trust in You
Above the foes of the light of the truth.
You've made the food that sustains my life
And mapped a path for that life to travel,
Reaching a goal that is You alone.

Let me praise the Name of the One, my Guide,
Who tells me, even asleep, what to do.
Forever in front of my eyes are You,
Unmoving, but growing ever larger,
Filling the sky as I come to You.
Although the world is filled with evil,
Dooming my body to die at length,
I feel no fear when I think of You,
The One on Whom I can rest untroubled.
Dying, I'll rise to new life in You
Because of the One Whom You sent ahead—
The One Who tasted the pain of death
For all who'd trust in Your blood of ransom—
The One Who knew no decay in death
Because You recalled that One to glory.
Darkness of death will end in the light—
A realm, beyond time, of joy that can't fade—
For all who follow the path of the One
To kneel in worship, my God, at Your throne.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

To Reach the Temple

Meaning in Psalm 15

Alfred D. Byrd

MANY may seek the throne of our God,
But not all will come to see the light.
To reach the temple, to live on high,
Belongs to the few who serve the One.

"Pure heart, clean hands" will find acceptance—
"Welcome to heaven!" — for those who spurn
Deceitful idols, the world's allures
That lead astray the lustful and weak.
No lie fulfills the will of heaven;
Falsehood injures creation's wholeness.
Speaking the truth and doing justice,
Even to those who don't deserve it,
Pleases the One Who has made all lives.
The faithful alone will reach the throne.

To peddle gossip threatens the peace
Ordained by God for kin and neighbors;
Slander is hateful, tearing apart
Relations that keep the world intact.
To lie in court is low and bitter,
Sending the guiltless to rot in shame.
The one who lies does well to recall
That one gets paid back for what one does:
For evil, evil; for good, more good.
The peaceful alone will reach the throne.

The good don't bow to rich and famous,
Looking like gods, but living like dogs
That act on impulse, gulping their food.
The good respect, however, the ones
Who stand in awe of the One Who keeps
Both heavens and earth intact through love.
The one who loves the God of the truth
Will keep a promise, a word sent out,
However keeping may pinch or wound.
The truthful alone will reach the throne.

"The cattle that graze on hills afar
Are mine, not the world's," our God has said.
The wealth that one earns for work well done
Belongs to God, the Source of all things.
The good must use it to build what's good,
Not to take a chance on fun and games,
Or to make one's house a hall like God's.
It's good to employ one's wealth as aid.
To needy, one gives to meet their need,
Not to make one's wealth ten times as great
Through pounds for pence, uncapped repayment.
Keeping paupers ever indebted
Angers the One Who loves all lives
And wants all children to live in peace,
The sharing of lives in truth and love.
The helpful alone will reach the throne.

Not all will see the light of heaven.
Only the ones who please their Maker—
Hater of wrong, Rewarder of right—
Will enter safety, shelter on high,
Where they'll serve the One with lives made pure
And sing with love the praises of God.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

A World Gone Astray

Meaning in Psalm 14

Alfred D. Byrd

LOOKING at us from a throne on high,
Our God determines whether our minds
Have grasped creation as a work of love,
And whether our hearts conceive the desire
To meet the One Who made us, and gave us
Vision perceiving the light, and hearing
Seeking the word, of truth and of peace.

What appears, however, is a world gone astray.
Each person from birth has missed the mark
Of walking with God and doing what's right.
What was pure, rebellion has caused to stink.
Not even the truth has stayed untouched;
Perverted, it forms the grist of lies.

No room is left in the world for God.
"The heavens are empty!" the selfish proclaim.
Their pride desires to deny a god
Who sits in judgment on words and deeds,
And frowns on what the selfish treasure.
Putting the will of oneself on the throne,
The selfish shatter the union of goods
As formed by God, and turn all things
Against each other to fill the earth
With wine of conflict — with blood on the land.

The ones who make their will their own god
Don't seem to learn the lesson of time—
They walk in darkness and feed on despair.
It's not a lie to call them cannibals
Eating the life of the poor and the weak.

The lesson of time? The ones who've lived
For themselves alone will face the dread
Of dying unenvied by those whom they've harmed—
Of dying uncertain of why they've lived,
While they see the ones who've trusted in God
Accepting their end with peace born of hope.

The ones who prey on the poor and the weak
Will puzzle their heads, but fail to see
The refuge of God for lovers of truth.

From the throne on high, salvation will come.
Messiah will lift the chosen of God
From a bed of darkness to a throne in the light
Where they'll sing with joy the praise of their King.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

The Kind That Hates You

Meaning in Psalm 13

Alfred D. Byrd

SOMETIMES, my God, I feel forgotten,
Beaten with sorrows that come from a world
That uses Your Name as just a curse.
As days go by, it appears to me
That it's best to be the kind that hates You.
Lovers of self instead of the truth
Have things their own way and laugh at the faith
Of us who wait for Your Word to come true.
The lovers of self call out to us,
"For all that we see, your god doesn't care
About your pains of body and mind.
For all that we see, we might be his friends,
And you, his foes, the ones whom he hates.
Just look! You're slipping. It's we who'll win."
They'll throw a party when they see our fall.

Please send me, my God, the light of Your face
To open my eyes before I sleep
In a death in life, or in death for all time.
I need Your answer to why things go on
In a way that pleases the ones who spurn You.
Tell me an answer to ease my fears!

The answer? You give a time of testing,
Showing what lies in the depth of each heart,
To all who live, both the false and the true.
The answer is love, the love eternal
That You showed in telling all things "Become!"
And show by keeping the world in being.
Sunlight illumines righteous and wicked.
Evil may triumph; its end is sure.
The selfish will get the pay that they've earned;
My God will save the faithful from darkness.
Rescued from doubt, I'll sing to the One
Whose work began, and will end, as good.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

Fair Words on the Air

Meaning in Psalm 12

Alfred D. Byrd

SOMETIMES, watching the news, we may say,
"Our God, have You let all goodness vanish?
Help us, our God, if we're meant to survive!"

We watch the vain and selfish prosper,
Catching our eyes with gold and satin,
Walking on carpets from coaches to mansions,
Grinning and spreading fair words on the air,
And living as if just beauty matters.

Many speak words that may seem to us
Benign at first, or even helpful,
Promising riches, excitement, and love,
But hide in their depths the poison of greed,
The road to death for all who take it.
Others may kill us outright with no lies
To cover their deeds with a veil of false good.

The ones who do well in a world of evil
Tell us, "We're free to choose our own way.
No power compels us to stop and think
Of how our lifestyle may harm the earth."

To us who grieve in a world of falsehood,
Sometimes it seems that it's best to die
To be spared from seeing evil on top.

Above, however, this world of darkness,
Heaven is free of lies that bring pain.
The good can find joy in the light of God,
Who spoke all things to be in goodness—
"Perfect" describes the words of our God.
No trace of dross defiles their metal,
Purer than silver that dazzles our sight,
However refined that metal may be.

Our God, though high above creation,
Listens to cries of the weak and needy,
Saying, "Oppressors deprive us of joy."
The One Who heard the cry from Egypt—
Masters were making the Children of God
Grow weary as slaves lest they feel the lash—
Will say, "I'll rise and protect my loved ones,
Lovers of good, from those who harm them."

Tellers of lies, though they know a season
Brimming with glee, will grow poor and despised,
And words that promised beauty and wealth
Will appear at last for the wind that they are.

Our God, in due time, will protect our lives
From those who fear us because of the truth
That resides alone in the One Who made all.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

Heaven is Heartless?

Meaning in Psalm 11

Alfred D. Byrd

MANY may tell you, "Heaven is heartless,
Letting the world go on to its doom."
Wrongdoers may try to take our lives
With weapons of war, or with lies of peace,
And work in darkness to wreck what's good.
They try to dig away foundations
Keeping the people on paths of life.
"What's good is evil; what's evil is good"—
Confusion cripples even the best
When it comes the turn of the wrong to be right.
When they take away our place to stand,
What's left but falling, or flying like birds
To safety, however deceptive it is?

We find our answer, not here, but above,
Shining on all who have eyes to see.
In a realm beyond both death and decay,
Our God, Eternal, has made His abode:
A temple in heaven, a throne among stars,
The glories of those whom He made to serve Him.
Angels, spirits of fire, must bow down
To the One Who made all things by His Word;
What, then, is the earth but a place for His feet?
Let all who live keep silence before Him,
The One, unchanging, untroubled by fear!

"You're right!" our foes say. "The One is too high
To care for humans, mere ants in His sight."
Our God, however, is not uncaring,
Letting His creatures go on as they will,
But He looks at all of our deeds and judges
Fairly what lot each life should receive.

To those who oppress the friends of God—
To lovers of darkness, which covers their acts
From eyes of humans, but not of heaven—
Surely, the One will render judgment.
Evil may prosper for years of the earth,
But those are seconds when counted by God,
And the end, for the bad, will come too soon.
To those who despise both life and light,
There's wind of flame, and there's stench of sulfur—
Bitter returns on works of ill worth!

On those, however, who love the truth
And look with love on our God and His works—
On those who pass the tests of our God
When He tries our worth, it may be with fire—
His face will shine with the light of welcome,
Healing the heart taught grief by the world.
Today is bitter; tomorrow is sweet.
This world is passing, but heaven endures,
So choose the path that will end in the light.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

No Checks on Their Deeds

Meaning in Psalm 10

Alfred D. Byrd

SOMETIMES, our God, it seems, is distant,
Hiding on high from things on the earth.
In days while we wait for a sign of judgment,
Many, saying, "No judgment will come;
The heavens are empty of One Who cares,"
Make gods of greed, self-love, and success,
And, preying on weakness, rise up in strength.
No law holds back the evil at heart.
The widow, the orphan — the evil see them,
Helpless, unguarded, as prey to be seized.
The evil, acting with caution at first,
Set traps for their prey from fear of judgment.
Meeting, however, no checks on their deeds,
The evil feel free to boast of their ways:
"They must be right," the evil call out;
"The wealth that we've won is a sign to all
Of how one prospers through serving oneself."

Their prey grow bitter at what they face.
"Has God forgotten the law?" they ask.
"Are the eyes of God too filled with heavens
To see the wrongs that go on on the earth?"
The poor and helpless grow near to despair
Until, when they see no light but God's,
They call on the One Who holds in one hand
All lives of humans, both good and evil.
"Justice, our God!" the helpless call out.
"An end to evil, rewards for the good!"

Our God, the king of heavens and earth,
Sees time in a way unlike our own
And nations as dust dispersed by the wind.
Our God may wait what seems long to our hearts
To act in judgment, but it comes at last:
The ones, ignoring warnings of grief,
Who dance until dawn must pay the piper.
Evil someday must make an account
For its frauds and thefts, and, judged as bankrupt,
Go off to prison until it has paid
Its debt in full to the law of truth.
When we see the law of God fulfilled,
The ones who trusted themselves will have failed,
But the ones who set their hearts on God
Will get their reward, the One Whom they loved.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

Roots That Wither

Meaning in Psalm 9

Alfred D. Byrd

THE NATIONS that honor a dream of might—
Of wealth for a few, but work for the rest—
Will prosper awhile and win admirers,
Looking with envy at toys and guns
That offer status and keep it secure.
In cities that rise against the heavens,
Strongmen oppress the meek and faithful,
Helpless as far as the world can tell.
To those who look no deeper than skin
And see the present as fixed for all time,
This world, for all of its pain, is good,
A place for parties without an end.
A show of glitter distracts one's eyes
From roots that wither, seated in sand,
And can't withstand a wind of judgment
Ready to blow at the will of God.

Although the day of redress seems far
To those who suffer outside the mansions,
Judgment is coming on all who do wrong.
The acts of the proud have planted the seeds
Of ruin within their life of fun;
The traps that they set to catch the poor
Will spring on the proud, and none will mourn.
The cities constructed on blood will be dust
That drifts away on the winds of change.
A truth of the proud inspires a proverb:
"Shortly after the mighty have fallen,
No one recalls their names or their deeds."

Our God in heaven endures forever,
Watching our acts and choosing a time
To raise the righteous and lower the wicked.
Nothing can speed or delay our God
In doing what's right, as the One Who sees all
Alone can judge with wisdom and love.
At a time of God's, the nations will fall,
But we who look to our God in faith
Will receive our hope, a time of peace
Without an end with the One above.
While we wait through griefs, let us trust in God
And do what's right in the world below.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

Heaven's Temple

Meaning in Psalm 8

Alfred D. Byrd

WHEN I GO outdoors when Your sky is clear,
The daystar, Your work, bedazzles my eyes
With light that's darkness compared with You.
At night, the moon and the stars reveal
To all with eyes to perceive Your glory
Smallness of humans, but greatness of God.
The sky that we see is just the floor
Of heaven's temple, where You reign unchallenged,
Maker and Master, by all that You've made—
Yes, even by us, who mirror Your image,
Thinking and dreaming of things on high.

The proud, my God, who look at themselves
As wise and mighty, just mock Your Name,
But those who've kept the hearts of children,
Looking with awe at wonders around them,
Never forget their coming from You,
The One Who will make the proud bow down,
But will raise the humble to sit at Your side.

You have made us humans near equals of angels,
Heavenly creatures of wind and fire,
And put us in charge of the earth and its wealth
Of lives from the sky to the depths of the sea.
Both the plants and the beasts that You made and called good
Depend on us for health and hope.
If we waste the earth, we'll lose Your blessing;
Owner of all, You will guard what's Yours!
If we tend with wisdom the works of Your hands,
We'll know Your favor, the light of Your face,
Which smiles at children who love their God.

Your Name, Eternal, is greatest of all
Of the names that You spoke to make the worlds;
Let all who love Your Name proclaim it,
Endless reminder to all who hear
That we come to nothing without our God.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

I've Caused You Sorrow

Meaning in Psalm 7

Alfred D. Byrd

MY GOD, I'm fleeing to You for refuge,
Shelter from those who've learned to hate me.
Hunters they are who follow my spoor
To tear my soul and body apart.
If I trust in myself, my hope is empty;
Only my God can keep me from death.

My life, I must say, is far from perfect.
Thinking of wrongness, I've longed to do it;
Speaking unwisely, I've caused You sorrow;
Doing my will, I've turned from what's right.
In justice, Eternal, You might have slain me—
Rightness, my God, is what You demand—
But those who repent by turning from wrong
To bow to Your will and do what's right
Receive forgiveness, sending their wrongs
As far from them as east is from west.
I praise You, Eternal, for turning my heart
From doing my will to praising Your Name.

The ones who hate me and seek my life—
The ones who spurn You for things of the now—
Are risking judgment of sorrow and death.
How sad that they fail to see what comes
Of doing their will and not their God's!
Each action carries within it a seed:
Of rightness, the seed of hope of life;
Of wrongness, the seed of sureness of death.
No thought or action is hidden from You,
The One Who made us and knows our hearts;
No word that we speak or act that we do
Will escape Your eye or evade Your judgment.

Haters of light will end in darkness.
Arrogance blinds them to wisdom: no one
Conceived on the earth and doomed to die here,
Lacking the might to retrace one's path,
Can stand against what You've willed and spoken—
You Who are First and Last and Always,
Maker of all, above creation!

Only lovers of rightness will last.
My God, please send Your Spirit to guide
Our steps from false goods that allure our vision.
Lead us to light, the light of Your face
That shines on all who accept Your will.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

The Grave is Silent

Meaning in Psalm 6

Alfred D. Byrd

ETERNAL, my God, please hear what I say.
I've cried for so long I fear my death.
All night, I've lain awake on my bed
And drenched my pillow with tears of grief.
They blur my vision and make me feeble.

Wrongness has filled my life, I confess.
A crowd that has no love for Your Word,
But does what it wants, or conforms to the world,
Is always around me. I've followed its ways
And done, my God, what turns me from You.

Eternal, my God, if you want to strike me—
Punish my heart for what it's done wrong—
You'll be in the right. Please don't, I beg you,
Do so in anger. Please spare me Your wrath!
If You turn the whole of Your might on me,
You'll leave me not even a breath to praise You.

If You take my life, what good will I be?
No corpse can sing a hymn to Your Name!
The grave is silent, devoid of Your praise.
Please leave me alive to tell of Your love,
The love that made the world come to be
And keeps it going from day to day.

Eternal, my God, You've heard my plea;
You've spared my life and shown me forgiveness!
Fearing rejection, I've found acceptance,
Freedom to give You a life of service.
Enemies spurning the paths of the One,
Feel shame for fighting against your Maker.
Listen to words of love triumphant
And seize this moment to turn to God.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

005. Your Eyes are Too Pure

Meaning in Psalm 5

Alfred D. Byrd, author of Monks, Crusaders, and Heretics: Clear Light on the Medieval Church

SOMETIMES, my God, when I think of You,
My mind is filled with fear of Your will.
Your eyes are too pure to look at wrong
And call it rightness in the way of the world.

The ones who boast of deeds of their own
That are born in blood and end in death
Will find, unless You send them Your Spirit
To turn their feet from darkness to light,
The grave as the end of all of their hopes.
No lie, my God, will stand in Your sight;
The truth alone will find acceptance.

Many will take the road to darkness.
Others, my God, You will call to the light;
You open their eyes to what is true,
And You free their hearts from ties to the world.
The ones who hear and believe Your Word
Will find You the source of blessing and hope,
A shield protecting their life from darkness.
Trusting Your promise to make them Your own,
They'll sing for joy in praise of Your Name
Because, through Your love, You let them enter
Your house of worship, a refuge from trouble.

Early, my God, I pray to Your Name;
I offer my praise, the least of returns
For all of the love that You show to me.
Please hear my voice and guide me onward
In doing Your work, my God and my King.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

Please visit A Christian's Way Station

004. My Beacon of Hope

Meaning in Psalm 4

Alfred D. Byrd, suthor of Stand at the Crossroads: Lessons from the Book of Jeremiah

WHEN I SEE the world around me growing
Darkened with all of the wrongs of nature's
And humans' devising — famine and war,
Deceit and pain — which trouble my heart,
I call on You, my beacon of hope.
Of truth and rightness, You are the source;
With help in times of trouble, You come.
Please listen, my God, as I pray to You.

The men and women around me despise
My faith in You as a form of madness:
Trusting in wealth and wisdom of mortals—
In words that are wind, in things that perish—
Scoffers rejoice in times of plenty,
But fall to despair in times of grief.

If I turn to anger, I do no good;
I need to focus my mind on You
When I rise, while I walk, when I go to bed.
I need to offer my life to You,
To do at all times Your service of love,
And to trust in You in life and in death.

You have set apart believers to know
A filling of joy when we see Your light;
You will hear, my God, the prayer of all
Who call on Your Name with a heart of faith.
Although the world is filled with sorrow
That harrows my heart and withers my flesh,
I will look to You and, knowing Your peace,
Lie down in safety, the gift of Your light.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

Please visit A Christian's Way Station

003. The Road May Be Hard

Meaning in Psalm 3

Alfred D. Byrd, author of Parables before Jesus

FOR US who serve the truth in this world,
The road may be hard. Not all agree
With the truth, for lies allure their eyes
Until the darkness appears as light
To those who live for the here and now.
No longer able to see the light,
They mock at us who hunger for truth.
"Eternal is just a dream of yours!
Your God is nothing but time and chance!
Messiah was just a man like us!"

Despair could claim us, and we would fall,
Unless our God recalled us to hope.
As long as we fix our eyes on the light,
A path will lead our feet from darkness.
Even the least may end in greatness
Ever recalled on high by our God.
Although we may fall, our God will come
To lift us from shame to live in hope
Of a day for truth to shine undimmed.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

Please visit A Christian's Way Station

002. The Fire on High

Meaning in Psalm 2

Alfred D. Byrd, author of Ezekiel's Chariot

ETERNAL has come to live with us
As one who retains the fire on high,
But has our nature and knows our fears.
Messiah, the one who comes to us,
Can claim from the One this world's command,
But those who live in darkness have schemed
To slay Messiah and seize this world.
The plot has failed! Messiah rises,
Bringing to all who search for the light
The life that starts and ends in the One.

For a time, each soul may choose its path:
To live in light, to die in darkness.
Rulers who love the lure of this world
Intend to thwart Messiah's mission.
Laughing at law, which they claim to serve,
They silence the truth and build a lie.
Amid the lie a remnant still strives
To love Messiah and live in truth.
The world rejects the remnant's choices.
Conflict ensues; the truth must suffer.

Someday, Eternal will say, "Enough!
The time of choice is over." The One
Will test each heart and give it its due,
The light for truth, but darkness for lies.
Before the time of choice has ended,
Honor Messiah and serve the One
To face the judgment unmarred by wrong!

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

Please visit A Christian's Way Station

001. Secure in the Light

Meaning in Psalm 1

Alfred D. Byrd, author of Stand at the Crossroads: Lessons from the Book of Jeremiah

ETERNAL has taught the truth to us,
The ones created by will and word
To praise the light of the One on high.

Not all, however, obey the One.
Rebellious, many deride the truth,
The law of life for those who live it.
Rebels survive and prosper awhile,
But fail at last, and come to nothing.

Persons, however, who love the truth
Refuse to take the rebels' pathway,
Listen to gossip, or join their plans.
Believers in truth will seek instead
To flee from darkness and find the light.
Secure in the light, those bound to truth
Will live and grow like trees by a stream—
The stream of life that comes from the One!

Eternal will judge all things at last.
For those who spurn the truth, rejection
Sends them to dwell in halls of darkness.
Persons, however, who love the truth
Will share in light the life of the One.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.

Please visit A Christian's Way Station