Seeznak

Why It Is Good To Read Christian Poetry Devotionally

• 1. Because Scripture gives us examples.

Much of the Bible (especially the Old Testament) was given to us in poetic form, for our benefit. These passages do not prescribe forms or styles, but show us that God’s people remember and communicate God’s character and works through poetry.

• 2. Because the Church has always done so.

This is careful ground to tread, but I cite the use of devotional poetry by the church not as a reason for but a validation of using poetry- Christians in nearly every age have found hope in the “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” of Scripture and of their brethren, whether past or contemporary.

• 3. Because poetry expresses what statements and exhortations cannot.

It is a common occurrence in Scripture for God’s people to break into poetry when tasting of the Divine. Adam, Jacob, Moses, Deborah and Barak, Hannah, David, Mary, Zechariah, Paul, John… these are a representation of humanity’s God-given desire to express joy, love, hope, and sadness through poetic utterance.

• 4. Because poetry gives us breadth of learning.

The poetry of others gives our understanding of God a breadth of language and imagery which is difficult to obtain solely through Scripture, because the historical and geographical distance between ourselves and Scripture is often difficult to overcome in a morning devotion intended for communion with Christ (though the Holy Spirit’s work of enlightening our hearts and minds is not to be underestimated!).

• 5. Because poetry gives us breadth in our prayer language.

The poetry of others gives our prayers to God the breadth of language and imagery which we long for, since we, as creatures of habit, tend to retreat to familiar words and phrases in our prayers.

• 6. Because poetry gives us breadth in our imagination.

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!”

“You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.”

“You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.”

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

Cowper Is a Good Friend to Those of Us Who Forget How to Pray

God of my life, to Thee I call;
Afflicted, at Thy feet I fall;
When the great water-floods prevail,
Leave not my trembling heart to fall.

Friend of the friendless and the faint,
Where should I lodge my deep complaint?
Where but with Thee, whose open door
Invites the helpless and the poor?

Did ever mourner plead with Thee
And Thou refuse that moumer’s plea?
Does not the word still fixed remain
That none shall seek Thy face in vain?

Fair is the lot that’s cast for me;
I have an Advocate with Thee.
They whom the world caresses most
Have no such privilege to boast.
 
Poor though I be, despised, forgot,
Yet God, my God, forgets me not;
And he is safe and must succeed
For whom the Lord vouchsafes to plead.
 
Then hear, 0 Lord, my humble cry
And bend on me Thy pitying eye.
To Thee their prayer Thy people make:
Hear us for our Redeemer’s sake

-William Cowper, Olney Hymns

Listen to a great version by Red Mountain Church here.

Prair song

As of this moment, I’m not sure when our little baby is going to be born, where we are going to be living in five weeks, where I am going to work, what classes I’m going to be taking, or even how much my schooling will cost.

So, because I know that Jesus is looking out for us with His invisible but sure hand, and, not really knowing what else to do, I wrote a little ditty.

-

When life beats with perplexity

On our bedroom door,

We should go on our knees, you see;

That is what they’re for.