Before There Were Worlds

Meaning in Psalm 93

by Alfred D. Byrd

HEAVEN presents us the Throne of God,
A height untouched by time or decay.
Forever, backwards and forwards, describes
How long the Throne has been and will be.
No hand below can shake foundations
Settled by God before there were worlds.
Above creation, beyond all change,
The Throne remains the center of things.

The One Who sits there is veiled from sight—
No eye can glimpse the Glory and live—
But shines to us in robes of wonder—
Spotless and stainless, holy and pure—
That speak of goodness spurning evil—
That speak of might to uphold the truth.
The robes of God protect us from death
And let us perceive the Source of life.
The One Who sits on the Throne of God
Has been and shall be the King of All.

To what can one compare our Monarch?
Maybe, the ocean gives us a clue.
The waves extend beyond horizons.
No one escapes a touch of wonder.
Suddenly, tempests can strike a shore.
The waves pour in, and houses crumble.
Nothing withstands the might of the storm.
The waves recede, and calm is restored.
A child can wander along the beach,
Admire a shell, and find, rejoicing,
Gleaming treasures cast up by the waves.

The One Who sits on the Throne of God
Is mighty to do all things for good.
In times of bad, our God is a storm
That sweeps the works of evil away.
In times of good, our God is the sun,
Which shows a child a world of beauty.
Holiness hovers around the Throne.
The works of God are worthy of trust.

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 Concert for God

Meaning in Psalm 92

by Alfred D. Byrd

LISTEN, I hear a concert for God.
The strings of harps and lyres have been tuned
To play from morning to night a song
Proclaiming, "The Name of God is great!"
Let's raise our voices to tell the world,
"Our God is love; our God is faithful—
Changeless and strong — to keep a promise."

Maybe, our song will transform a life
That hears our words and takes them to heart.
Outside the hall that holds the faithful,
Many are heading blindly to doom.
The worldly hunger for wealth and fame.
Such toys, the seekers may find, but then
Disaster may strike, or death will come,
And grass that flourished will fade and wilt.
Our God, please cause the worldly to see
That they'll lose their love unless it's You.
It's You Whose love gives strength to our song;
It's You Who turn a foe to ally.

Only in God is strength to be found.
From God, a seeker receives a will
As hard and sharp as horns of cattle—
Soft, though, and gentle as bonds of love.
The one whose will is strengthened by God
Is like a tree grown tall, well rooted.
Facing a storm, the tree can withstand
A drizzle of ice, a blast of hail.
The tree — the life of a friend of God—
Bears fruit to please the One Who planted,
Seeking a harvest of lives of love.
Our God is a rock on which a tree
Can grow and stand unshaken by fear.

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 Newscasts That Mark Our Days

Meaning in Psalm 91

by Alfred D. Byrd

SHELTER is needed in times of storm.
The world is filled with conflict by day;
By night, the restless will toss and turn.
The four who ride on horses appear
Throughout the newscasts that mark our days.
Around the clock, misfortunes run wild.
A plague, a famine — comrades of war
Announce a rider coming behind.
When we watch the news, we see no hope.
"The sky is falling!" pundits tell us.
"Footage at six will prove us correct."
No wonder we think, "The end is near."
Eleven's broadcast offers replay.

A singer of psalms who lived in times
More like our own than we want to think
Directed our gaze above the world
To One Who shapes the paths of humans.
Matchless in might, abounding in love,
Our Maker is like a bird that tends
A nest of fledglings until they fly.
If we fall in traps along the way,
Our God is ready to part the jaws
That keep our feet from moving onward.
No one need live in fear who believes,
"My God is with me in life, in death."

Let all who tremble call out to God,
"My rock, my shelter, my home — it's You!"
The one who trusts in our God heads on
Although a thousand may fall beside.
The root of trust? "My Maker loves me!"
Any may find in our God the strength
To come through trials with hope intact.
The singer of psalms has said from God,
"You have a promise: helpers unseen
Will guard your journey within the world
And let you triumph in times of stress."
The ones who put their trust in their God
Will live untroubled by what they feared.

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.

Blinding and Pure

Meaning in Psalm 90

by Alfred D. Byrd

SOMETIMES, Maker of all, You scare us.
Nearer than heartbeats, farther than stars,
You give us our lives and plan our deaths,
Yet You, our God and our King, exist
Without a start, without a finish.
Thousands of years are like a whisper
Stirring the air, and fading, and gone
To You Who gave forever being.
Seeing Your glory, blinding and pure,
We wonder what gift can win Your praise.
The earth can't change the face of heaven.

Living outside of the reach of time,
Can You know the heart of us who die?
Our lives go past like dreams or nightmares.
Seventy summers — eighty, for some—
Comprise a lifetime beneath the sun.
Amid our joys, the gifts of Your love,
Misfortunes abound and blight our days.
We darken the world ourselves with sins
That strike Your sight like coal on linen.
Nothing escapes the vision of God.
Unless You show us mercy at last,
Our lives will end and count for nothing.

Never forget "Our God remembers"!
Darkness, our God can fill with the light.
The One Who has set the term of life
Can say to dust, "Revive and rejoice!"
The One Who said "Live!" says "Live again!"
Apart from God, we have no future;
Living with God, we share forever.

Maker, teach us to number our days.
They count for nothing apart from You.
Your look can change our darkness to light;
Your touch can change our sorrow to joy.
May You train our hearts to love Your will,
Our hands to do the works that will last—
The works that make our lives a temple
Bringing billions together as one
To sing the praise of You, Who are all.
You made our lives to seek Your glory.
Heaven is home to children of 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.

A Host of Angels

Meaning in Psalm 89

by Alfred D. Byrd

OUR GOD is seated upon the Throne.
Around our God, a host of angels,
Countless in number, blazing with light,
Fall down as one in front of the One
Who spoke a word, and angels became.
The angels would say, "To fall to God
Lifts up one's heart to live in the truth."
Our God is greater than all that's made.
Our God exists without beginning;
Onset and outcome are one to God.
The earth, the heavens — the works of God
Belong to the One Who spoke a word
And made from nothing all things that are—
Among these things, the line of humans,
Fragile and fractious, but loved by God.
How happy are those who speak this truth:
"Our God, though high above the heavens,
Loves us who live below on the earth.
Our God, in love, has sent us a light,
A law of justice, the means to peace.
Our God appoints us shepherds to lead
The sheep to safety within the fold."

Amid a people chosen by God,
Our God appointed a youth as king.
His head made wet with oil of olives—
Symbol of Spirit, the breath of God—
The boy named David was set apart
From tending a flock to lead a land
To love its God in love of neighbors.
David received from God a promise:
"Nothing can part your life from My love.
You'll conquer the foes who hate My Name;
You'll build, through a son of peace to come,
A house for Me to live in your midst.
Recall My promise in times of grief.
Whenever princes of flesh and blood
Forget My light and walk in darkness,
Hardship and heartbreak will fall on you,
And you'll think, 'Our God is gone for good,'
But I'm the Faithful, the One Who keeps
Whatever promise I make secure.
Your time of darkness will end at last
When you turn to Me and see My light."

Misfortune would come, foretold by God.
Not even David was pure of heart.
A flame of lust would kindle murder;
Heartbreak would pass from father to son.
A temple was built, and built again.
A light from heaven came down awhile
And spoke as human heaven's wisdom:
"Only in God is peace to be found."
The light went back to heaven, and we
Have looked with hope to see it again.
Around us, meanwhile, darkness prevails.
Our leaders can't lead the flock to peace.
To them, we look in vain for guidance:
Teachers of law are twisting the truth
And making Your Name a word of hate.
"How long," we say, "can troubles go on?
Is God concealing the light from us?
Our lives go by as quickly as dreams,
Yet we see distress go on and on."

Amid the darkness, recall the One
Who promised the sheep, "My love endures."
If we turn our hearts to God in faith,
We'll find the light that lasts forever.
Nothing can hide from the light of God.
In darkness, evil triumphs awhile;
In the light, the will of God appears,
Restoring the reign of law — of love.
As you live in dark, but long for light,
Recall a promise, a word from God.
Let's pray, "Our God, please send us David,
Loving Your Name and living in truth.
We need a David to lead the sheep
From darkness to light around the 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.

A Fire Breaks Out

Meaning in Psalm 88

by Alfred D. Byrd

FACING a time of troubles, we find
A way to God that runs through darkness.
Nothing at all seems certain to us
While we look at death and live in fear.
A flood, it may be, has wrecked our homes
And left us feeling useless and old.
A fire breaks out, burning possessions.
Illness may rob us of youth and strength
And change us so much in eyes of friends
That they see no more what joys they knew—
They see a stranger, withered and weak.
How many the ways for good to go,
And evil — heartbreak — to come and stay.

Amid our pain, we feel rejected,
Looking around for the love of God.
We wonder whether our God has changed
A face of love for a face of wrath.
What wrong of ours has earned a judgment
Turning our hopes to dust and ashes?
"Surely," we say, "our God forgets us."
Empty, our days, and endless our nights,
November's dimness, bringing winter.
Sorrow will form the limits of life
Unless we look beyond our sight.

It's easy, in times of peace, to say,
"We'll meet in heaven and live in joy."
It's hard, in times of grief, not to think,
"What fools we were to believe in hope!"
Our eyes of flesh can't see the wonders
Witnessed by those who've gone to the grave.
Our ears of flesh can't hear thanksgiving
Offered to God by friends of our youth.
It's faith, not sight, that lets us proclaim,
"Our God is righteous, faithful to give
The gift of mercy to all who come,
Forsaking despair, to claim the joy
Of knowing the God Who knows our hearts."

Our God, we call from a world at war
To You, Who sit at peace on the Throne.
Remember our life, a work of Yours—
A work gone wrong, in need of Your aid.
We look for light in times of darkness;
Only in You can we find the light.
All things apart from You will perish;
Only what comes to You will abide.
Remind us, our God, of who You are,
And say, when we doubt, "I'm here with you,
And you will return at last to Me;
You'll see My face and live on with love."
Remind us, our God, to show Your love
As we live with those who need our help.

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 Place of Love

Meaning in Psalm 87

by Alfred D. Byrd

BEAUTIFUL city crowning a hill,
Our God has made a home in your midst.
Your walls divide a world of darkness
(Sorrows combining laughter with grief)
From a place of law, a place of love.
Your gates have opened a way of peace
For all who serve the will of the King.
Your streets are filled with pilgrims who shout,
"Let's go to the House of God today!"
A temple proclaims, "Our God has come
To live with us and become our guide
From despair to hope, from death to life."
How happy are those who come to light
As Zion's children, hearing the truth!

How sad the city before us today!
Divisions prosper; conflict is king.
Each tribe cries out, "The city is ours!"
Each tries to make of God a puppet
Serving agendas of pride and war.
"The spirit of God has gone away,"
A prophet tells us, "until we change."
Too often, we take the word amiss:
We change our clothing, but not our hearts.
In a world of haste that knows no rest,
We see the temple only by faith;
We wait for God to unveil the light.

When we hear the voice of God again
(Not one can name the day of hearing),
Zion will be a place of rebirth.
Not only a tribe that keeps the Law,
But a host that turns the nations to one,
Will come to Zion to worship its King,
The One Who counts the nations as dust,
But deems each life more precious than gold.
In streets untroubled, dancers will sing,
"We've found the blessings of God at last."

The day of peace seems distant to us,
But dawns already, chosen by God.
While we wait to see the King enthroned,
Let's honor the One with acts of love.
What joy awaits the servant who's found
At work on the day of God's return!
Let's tell each other a word from God,
"Remember Zion, and pray for peace."

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.