Sandra Haynes, who attended this year\u2019s Convocation, applied her poetry skills to encapsulate some of the keys points the speakers made from the writings of the minor prophets. For the poetry lovers out there, you will be richly blessed by this gift of poetic insight from Sandra:<\/p>\n
Hosea was a prophet who received a strange commission, God\u2019s tender love conceived a plan to wake His people up, Thinking to enrich themselves by sinful lovers fair, God hedged His people\u2019s way about and sought to wall them in, Whenever self gets in the way, calamity occurs, Because we hail from Adam\u2019s stock, there\u2019s something that we lack, Where are you, God? Are You still there? And don\u2019t You understand? I know You have the answers, Lord; Your book has told me so, We grope in shadows of this life and look for comfort here, Because You heard their plaintive cry, I know You\u2019ll hear me, too, The Jews desired their coming King to take the Romans out, He said His kingdom wasn\u2019t here, or else His men would fight, A healing touch was in His hand; He catered to the needy, He healed the sick, the lame, the blind, with just a simple touch, His mode of operation was of love and not of force, The use of force is not God\u2019s plan; He uses love to win, When the Jewish temple was being built, it came to a sudden halt, The Lord stirred their spirits to build His house, while Zerubbabal tried to lead out, Yet God had remarked of this temple new, \u201cI will fill this place with my glory,\u201d In the new earth, we\u2019re told that no temple will be, for Christ is its temple so fair,
\nInstructed by God to marry a whore, <\/span>it was a strange position.
\nThe situation was a chance to teach an object lesson,
\nWhen Israel turned her face from God and lacked sincere confession.<\/p>\n
\nFor they had worshipped other gods and then became corrupt.
\nThe prophet was a type of Christ; the whore was much like us:
\nGod\u2019s lost and erring children, created from the dust.<\/p>\n
\nGod\u2019s people chose a worldly way, which was to them a snare.
\nThough God had taken special care to meet their every need,
\nYet they had turned their hearts from Him, their selfish souls to please.<\/p>\n
\nTo steer them from idolatry, which was their grievous sin.
\nIn time He wooed them back again, so they would realize,
\nThat He had always blessed them with the things they should have prized.<\/p>\n
\nGod\u2019s way is proved the better way, despite what man prefers.
\nThe story shows the magnitude of God\u2019s redeeming love,
\nAnd what He\u2019ll do to point the way and lift man\u2019s eyes above.<\/p>\n
\nAssurance<\/h2>\n
\nWhen things don\u2019t happen fast enough, somehow we will react.
\nWe find we lack the patience just to sit around and wait,
\nFor things we asked for long ago and still anticipate.<\/p>\n
\nFor waiting and uncertainty were never in my plan.
\nYet pain and trouble came my way and family problems, too,
\nI am bereft, for what is left? I don\u2019t know what to do.<\/p>\n
\nYour providence is hid from me; it\u2019s not for me to know.
\nYour people languish in this world with equity amiss,
\nThey cling to hope and promises of happiness and bliss.<\/p>\n
\nYet comfort has eluded us; we wrestle with our fear.
\nOh, God of Job and Jacob, too; they wrestled with you then,
\nAnd pleaded for deliverance, which only You could send.<\/p>\n
\nAnd though I may not hear Your voice, I know just what to do.
\nFor I have found Your faithfulness is all I\u2019ll ever need,
\nAnd that Your words are bread enough on which my soul can feed.<\/p>\n
\nThe Force of Love<\/h2>\n
\nAnd raise the Jewish banner high, their enemy to rout.
\nBut when Messiah came to earth, He had a different plan,
\nHe breathed another attitude to spread throughout the land.<\/p>\n
\nHe didn\u2019t come to start a war, but came to bright the light.
\nFor words of truth came forth from Him when counsel would unfold,
\nHis weaponry was charity\u2014not swords or sabers bold.<\/p>\n
\nHe minced no words of strong rebuke to patronize the greedy.
\nHe preached His gospel on the hills and from a fishing boat,
\nAnd quieted a raging storm to keep some men afloat.<\/p>\n
\nHe even brought the dead to life, now rescued from its clutch.
\nBecause He was not violent, but humble, pure, and kind,
\nHe wasn\u2019t the Deliverer they featured in their mind.<\/p>\n
\nBecause of that, they set about to criticize His course.
\nJealous of His following, their anger knew no end,
\nUntil it festered into hate, in which death would descend.<\/p>\n
\nHe shares with men His gracious heart to coax them not to sin.
\nHe proves Himself a gentleman by giving men a choice,
\nAnd though He\u2019s kind and patient, He will have the final voice.<\/p>\n
\nThe True Temple<\/h2>\n
\nSo twenty years later when Haggai came, he dealt with the grievous fault.
\n\u201cWhile the temple lies in ruins,\u201d he said, \u201cyou dwell in your houses fair,
\nNo wonder the Lord cannot bless you now, for you act like you really don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThough problems arose, they muddled on through, but when finished, no one gave a shout.
\nAlthough the temple was finished and done, with the first one, it couldn\u2019t compare,
\nFor Solomon\u2019s temple outshone it by far, with all its accoutrements there.<\/p>\n
\nAnd in it, all nations of earth would be blessed as part of Israel\u2019s story.
\nFor it wasn\u2019t the building that would make Israel great, but Messiah would walk in its halls,
\nBringing the glory of heaven to all who would answer Christ\u2019s passionate calls.<\/p>\n
\nHe excels any building that one could erect, and He\u2019ll dwell with His people there.
\nFor although earthly temples were needed below, the true one is Jesus, our Friend,
\nWith whom we will worship with unrestrained joy in that city where time has no end.<\/p>\n
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