Beauty and Terror

Meaning in Psalm 29

Alfred D. Byrd

LET US GIVE to God the praise that is due
The One Who made both heavens and earth.
All creatures — humans or angels — are dust
Before the King Who sits on the Throne.
The glory of God exceeds description.
Beauty and terror unite as one
In the face of our God — in the rays of light
That pierce the veil that shields our gaze
From splendor too great for our eyes to bear.
(To see the Maker unveiled would be
The moment of death for flesh and blood.)

When we see our God appear before us,
Earthquake and storm assail our senses.
Treetops bow down, and mountains tremble—
Mighty on earth, to heaven they're weak—
Whenever the voice of God is heard.
Our God has made both mountains and trees
To withstand the tests of sun and of rain,
But has brought a flood upon the land
To sweep them away, and someday will send
A testing of fire to measure the worth
Of all that exists. The dross will burn,
But ore that is true will last forever,
Precious to God, in sight of the Throne.
The one who is weak before the Maker
Gathers a blessing of guidance and strength.

When we turn our thoughts to the One on high,
Our voices should break at once into song.
If we see our God as high and mighty,
Nothing on earth should keep us from saying,
"Glory belongs to the One alone!"
As we leave the things of this world behind us
(Baggage slows us en route to our goal),
Let us speed our steps towards the Throne
On which the One presides in glory
Over a throne room, the temple of light,
In which the ones who bow will be raised
To the heights of hope — to a home of 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.

A Silence Coming from Heaven

Meaning in Psalm 28

Alfred D. Byrd

SOMETIMES, our God appears to be deaf
To our cries for help in times of grief.
We dread a silence coming from heaven:
Only the grave, we fear, awaits us—
Creatures of flesh whose lifespan is brief—
If we get no word from the One on high.

We seem at times to be one with the lost—
With those who are blind to the light of God
And go their own way to do what seems right
In the eyes of those who see death as the end.
They may smile at us and call us their friends,
But need or greed will make them our rivals,
Taking our goods or our lives for themselves
To feed the moment — forever be scorned!

If we see our lusts as pets to be fed
And spurn the future for thrills of the now,
We have no cause to complain of woes
That come when we see the future arrive
To test the works that we build today.
How easy it is to break and to burn;
How hard it is to build and to learn!
The One has told us, "The one who sows
Will reap a harvest of what is sown.
What is sown to darkness will end in death;
What's sown to the light will blossom with life!"

Both we who mourn and those who mock us
Needn't despair. The One remembers
Children of flesh and has opened a way
For all to turn from gloom to the light.
To God, both righteous and wicked are kinsmen
Needing only forgiveness for peace.

Beyond the darkness that fills this world
Resides forever the light of the Throne—
The place of the One, the goal of hope—
To which we all who are lost in this world
Can turn our gaze and find acceptance.
Heaven is open to all who seek it.
Shepherd, Fortress, and Giver of gifts—
The One, our God, awaits our response.
To those who persist in raising their hands
To the Throne of light, the temple of hope,
Will come a call to advance to receive
The blessings of light in a home of 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.

Heaven Sends Us the Light

Meaning in Psalm 27

Alfred D. Byrd

HEAVEN sends us the light of the One—
A light like the sun's, but more than that;
The light shines on throughout the darkness:
Nothing can dim the light from the Throne!
The light of God allows us to see,
Enables the weak to rise from falls,
And restores our lives as gifts of love.

At times, however, the light is veiled.
We cry in despair, "Our God is gone!"
The way ahead is wrapped in darkness
Holding terror for those who wander,
Leaving the path that leads to the Throne.
A world in darkness suffers from war,
The siege of the weak by those whose strength
Is to cut with lies the ties of truth
And to eat the flesh of those defamed.
To tell a lie is to take a life;
To take a life is to end a world.

In darkness the love that binds all things
Is missed, and sorrow can end our joy.
We turn the love of parents to hate:
Abuse, desertion, neglect — they're real!
They turn the hearts of children bitter,
Seeking revenge on a world of grief
And spurning a god that goes unseen.
What upsets a home upsets the world:
The heart that sees revenge as a right
Is the hand that lights the fuse of war.

Despair, however, can end in hope
Because the One remembers the lost.
Within the darkness, some hear a call
To turn from lies to the light of truth.
Within the darkness, some call to God
For mercy and grace — release from fear!
A glimmer reveals a path ahead—
A path that leads a seeker onward
Through traps that lie to left or to right
Away from war to a place of peace—
The place where we see our God revealed!

A refuge is there for all who come
To ask for pardon for lies once lived
And to claim the gift of love restored.
A tent provides the weak with shelter.
Scorching sunlight, unbridled tempests—
Neither can touch the guests of the One.
A temple on high awaits the eyes
Of those who look for the path of truth
And follow, trusting the light as guide.
The beauty of God awaits the eyes
Of all who come in faith to the Throne.
The ones who see the King in glory
Never will cease to sing from delight.

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 Children Created in Love

Meaning in Psalm 25

Alfred D. Byrd

SEATED in glory above the world,
The One is holy, apart from wrong,
And calls the children created in love
To walk on a path of truth and of peace—
A path that runs straight and lies in the light.
Our God has revealed to us, those children,
Teachings of truth to guide a journey
Ending in light at the Throne on high,
But we too often have gone astray,
Desiring the lies provided by darkness—
Blessings to blindness, but curses to sight!

In fire of youth, in folly of age—
Whenever we take our eyes from our God
To look with longing on things of the earth
And let them replace our God in our heart,
We miss the mark and stray from the path,
And we live in danger of judgment — of death.
Compassion arrives from the One on the Throne!
Our God remembers how weak we are
And has made a way for us to escape
The snare of death that awaits our deeds.
By turning from darkness to light, we receive
Both mercy and grace, which spare us and spur us—
Mercy commuting a sentence of death
And grace restoring the guilty to love.

Our path through life is far from easy.
Sorrow can find us wherever we go.
The world opposes the truth of the One
And seeks to darken the light that guides us.
Enemies eager to see us fall down
Are watching our steps and laugh when we slip.
If we lived on our own, our steps would falter;
Only our God can lead us safely,
Children who take a hand that they trust
To stay at their side whatever the danger.
Safety resides in the One alone!
The nets spread out by the world for our feet
Will not wrap around us if we keep our eyes
On the light that guides us — the light of the One.

The meek will find a way to the Throne—
The meek, not weak, but strong in their faith
In the One Who made them and saved them from death.
The secret of God is learned through awe
Of the One Who lives forever unchanging,
Never beginning, never ending,
Perfect alone, but Maker of all!
The One has made a promise to all
Who call with trust on the Name That is true:
Our path, though hard, will not end in death,
But will run through darkness to reach the Throne,
The place of light, of life, and of love
Forever reserved for the children 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.

The Source of All Things

Meaning in Psalm 24

Alfred D. Byrd

NOTHING but God belongs to itself.
The One Who made both heaven and earth
Is owner of both and King of all.
Beside the Throne at the heart of heaven,
Cherubim, spirits of fire, adore
The One, their Maker, the Source of all things.
The stars and their worlds belong to the One;
The winds and the clouds obey their Maker;
Rivers and seas respond to the will
Of the One Who founded the earth upon them.
Even the humans who say, "We're free!"
Have freedom only because the One
Produced them from dust and filled them with breath.
Our lives are gifts from our King on high.

The One didn't turn aside from the earth,
Or leave us humans without instruction.
Loving the creatures summoned to life,
The One has built a house of worship—
Temple of God, a focus for love—
Amid our darkness to call us to light.
Whoever desires the light may come
To see the Presence of truth and of peace.
The one whose heart belongs to the king
And whose hands are free of blood and of guilt
Is welcome to join the song of praise
For the One who gave us the light for guidance.
No one, however, arrives on one's own:
The one who comes to praise and to serve
Obeys a call that comes from the One
And answers that call with the gift of faith
Created by God to seal us to love.
A Face of light, of truth, and of peace
Forever illumines children of God.

As we stand beside the gateway of praise,
A song is starting. The King is coming!
Lift up your heads to look at glory,
Heaven on earth, fulfillment of hope!
Processions of angels serving their Maker
Herald the Throne where sits the King,
The One, the being of light eternal
Too bright for eyes of flesh to behold.
Beside the Throne, but One with the Light,
Messiah has come to hand down justice.
Conquering evil and serving the good,
The King, our King, has finished a work
Begun before time for the sake of love.
The King has entered the temple, and we
Who have watched our King arrive may follow,
Coming to live forever in light
And to sing the praise of the One Who is 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.

The Shepherd Coming in Love

Meaning in Psalm 23

Alfred D. Byrd

WE ALL like sheep have wandered away
And placed ourselves in the hands of foes
Who steal our fleece and dine on our flesh.
We've lost the way to heaven's temple.
Shadows of doubt and shadows of fear
Have filled our hearts with the dread of death,
The loss of God amid the darkness
Destined for all who reject the light.
Within the shadow, order is lost:
The wrong is called right, and right seems wrong.

Our hope was gone until the Shepherd,
Coming in love, conveyed us to light.
He searched for us until He found us
Scattered beneath the clouds of despair.
He lifted our lives from doubt and fear
To hold us closely under His heart.
Aware of the needs of sheep just saved,
He carries the weak and leads the strong
Along a pathway both true and straight
Until the flock together reaches
Fountains of water of life from God.

(The One Who came is called Messiah,
Heavenly Shepherd Who gave His life
To save the sheep for the sake of love.
A Lamb Himself, He suffered our death
And rose to give us the hope of life.
Ascended on high, He builds a fold
For all who come like sheep at His call
To become His flock and share His love.
When He comes to lead His flock on high,
The Shepherd will wipe away our tears,
And we will see Him upon a throne
And give Him our praise, the fruit of love.)

The Shepherd prepares for us a feast
At which our foes, still lost in the dark,
May gape in wonder, or mock in scorn,
But God will make our table secure.
(Perhaps, the Lamb Who led us to light
Will turn our foes into sheep like us.
If we love the One Who saves the sheep,
We pray for others to know His love.)
The table is filled with food of God:
The bread, the body of death made life,
That sustains the life of all who eat;
The wine, the blood of the grape poured out,
That becomes for all who drink delight;
And oil, the sign of heaven's Spirit
Making our faces glisten with health.
Sustained by God, we fear no evil.
Earthly sorrow is heaven's reward:
The temple of God will be our home.

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.

Living in Light

Meaning in Psalm 22

Alfred D. Byrd

THE ONE, our God, the Maker, is holy,
Living in light that reveals the truth:
The One is unique, without an equal.

Praises of angels and praises of humans,
The Maker's creatures who know of the One,
Resound forever before the King
Who sits on the Throne at the heart of all.
The ones who trust in the One Who made them —
Crying to God in times of trouble,
Faithful servants of God are heard —
Receive salvation, freedom from fear
Of sins as chains, or of death as the end.

The One is holy, but humans have fallen,
Going astray from light to darkness.
Seeing passing delights of the world,
The eyes of mortals lose sight of God,
And the feet of mortals wander on roads
That end one's journey only in death.
From worship of God, we humans have turned
To worship of things that make us seem great.
From service to God, we humans have turned
To ruling the earth — to making others
Subjects or slaves, the weak to the strong.

The One Who made us has not, however,
Left us alone to perish in darkness.
Loving us always despite our fall,
The One has sent us, to save us, a Shepherd,
Making a way for sheep that have strayed
To come to safety beneath His staff.

A few who met the Shepherd rejoiced
At seeing His light, the light of heaven
Carried to earth to guide our steps
Away from darkness to light eternal.
Others, however — the many, the proud —
Rejected the Shepherd, hated for calling
Hypocrites persons who treasure the dark.
A world of worship focused on self
And a world of rulers focused on power
Mingled their wills to put out the light
Of the One Who came with freedom from darkness.

Evil has found a time to be strong.
The Shepherd is seized! Like beasts of the field
That feast on death or that hunt for lives,
The children of darkness, both priests and rulers,
Fasten the Shepherd in chains and take Him,
Innocent victim, declared by judges
Guilty of deeds that are right to God.

A death of shame awaits the Shepherd.
Carrying something of what will kill Him ‐
Timber, once living, reshaped for death! —
He staggers onward to heights of scorn.
The ones who are blind to the light of God
Are mocking the Light Who walks among them.
Heaven begot Him, virgin conceived Him —
None of this matters to those who desire
To see the Shepherd forever silenced.

(Many today consider one nation
Guilty alone of killing its King.
The ones who say so are blind to the truth:
They, too, took part, through lies and through crimes,
Of putting to death their King, the Shepherd.)

Clothing removed is used as a prize
In a game of chance for those who gamble,
Caring nothing for nails that have pierced
The hands and the feet of the One Who loves,
Despite their hatred, the ones who hurt Him.
Darkness is hiding the light today.
They raise Him aloft for the world to see
The response of darkness to light and to truth.
The ears of the world mishear when He cries,
"My God, my God, You have left My side!"
They think, "He knows, 'My cause has been lost,'"
But they fail to perceive the will of heaven:
Something other than what they have planned
Has occurred before their eyes this day.

The One has sent the Shepherd to die
To pay the debt to justice of humans
Flouting their God, but summoned to turn
From darkness to light when they hear the Word.
The Word? The Shepherd has risen from death.
The hand of God has brought renewal,
Rescue from dark and from death for all
Who accept the message of peace with God.

Although for now corruption goes on
With rulers of death and with priests of lies
In charge of a world that takes its own path,
The ones who serve the Shepherd arisen
Savor a promise given by God:
The reign of evil is not eternal;
Heaven looks on, and has set a time
For kings and for priests to fall from their thrones,
And for God alone to reign unchallenged,
Welcoming children once dead back to life.

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.