country poetry & more

(From Isaiah 42, as taught by Lane Brown)

Hear the word of the Lord, you deaf;
look, you blind, and see!
Who is blind but my servant, Israel,
and deaf to my every plea?
You have seen many things my hands have wrought,
the miracles and blessings I send,
but your blind eyes have paid no attention;
your ear I’m unable to bend.
It pleased the Lord in his wisdom,
for the sake of his righteousness,
to make his law great and glorious,
his obedient children to bless.
But this is a people plundered
and looted because of their sin,
trapped in pits or hidden in prison;
without God there’s no way to win.
His discipline aims at repentance,
to show you the need for his love,
but you turn a deaf ear to his teachers,
the prophets he guides from above.
Which of you will pay close attention
to the history of your clan?
Who handed Jacob over as loot
and Israel as plunder again?
Was it not the Lord of heaven?
For they would not follow his ways.
They chose not to obey his law,
have rebelled through endless days.
So he poured out his anger upon them,
the violence of war.
It enveloped them in consuming flames,
but they did not take it to heart.

Cora Gail Trent
www.cgtrent.com
cgtrent@att.net

(Isaiah 35)
*700 years before Christ, his church is revealed.*

The dry, parched desert will be glad, the wilderness rejoice.
Like a crocus, it will blossom, and shout with joyous voice.
It will know the splendor of Lebanon, of Sharon and Carmel,
will see the glory of the Lord in his New Israel.
Strengthen the hands that are feeble, steady knees that might give way;
say to those with fearful hearts, “God will save you on that day.”
He will come with wrath and vengeance on those who know him not,
but grace and mercy will be poured on the faithful he begot.
The eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf will hear,
the tongue of the dumb will shout for joy, the lame will leap like a deer.
Gushing forth in the spiritual wilderness will be the water of life.
Like a stream in the desert, a bubbling spring will warble like a fife.
The burning sand will become a pool to quench the soul’s long thirst,
with new growth sprouting everywhere, as though the ground had burst.
A highway will be opened there, the Way of Holiness,
a raised road up to heaven, the route to endless bliss.
The unclean will not journey there, only those who walk with God.
No wicked fools go about on it, as the low road they have trod.
No ferocious beast is found there upon the freedom way.
Its travelers will have no fear as they walk from day to day.
Only the ransomed, the redeemed tread safely on to glory,
singing joyously to spread the word, to tell salvation’s story.
“I am the way, the truth and the life,” said Jesus long ago.
“None comes to the Father but by me.” — Just what we need to know!
All prophecy was fulfilled in Christ as his banner was unfurled.
Greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world.
To us is revealed the mystery Isaiah didn’t understand.
We are very blest in these last days to be led by the Master’s hand.
To us belong the scourging, the stripes, the pain, the shame
that Jesus bore so lovingly as he took all the blame.
We who wear his name should live like him in humble servitude,
with thankful hearts that plainly show our deepest gratitude.

Cora Gail Trent
www.cgtrent.com
cgtrent@att.net