Wind of Demise
Mark 4:37-4137 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still . And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
How many times in our lives do storms just “stir up” out of nowhere? In the midst of these storms many times it seems there is no deliverance, only doom. Being an Oklahoma native, I have witnessed the power of some of nature’s fury first-hand and I can tell you that staring at an approaching tornado is an awesome and frightful experience. When these wicked storms come into our lives it is then that we need to draw close to the Master of land and sea, the Lord Jesus Christ.
WIND OF DEMISE
Sunlight is drawn away
As darkness takes the sky.
Birds are singing in the trees
With strange and eerie cry.
Danger gathers in the distance,
But not too far away.
Scent of doom on heavy air
Prevails to steal the day.
Banging noise o’erflows my ears,
As nature’s fury birth.
Gentle rain begins to fall
Upon the hardened earth.
A distinct cool is all around.
Raindrops increase their speed.
Darkness now pours in my soul.
Harsh wind now takes the lead.
The rain is moving sideways
All I can see is but a blur.
The wind continues howling
Spinning wildly to a stir.
A crack, a shake, unbridled screams
Wind pounding in frenzied haste.
Flying objects hurled round me moan
Pile high as mangled waste.
And just a quickly as ‘twas hid
The sunlight breaks its chains.
All rain and noise they roll away
Like briskly moving trains.
The birds return to treetop height
Their joyous songs release.
In the aftermath of wind’s demise
The world’s at perfect peace.
(C) 2001 R.K. Richardson. All rights reserved.
July 9, 2001
Poverty Blessings
My soul sings in poverty, my Lord.
I don’t have anything,
And yet I have all.
Dear Jesus, you’re all sufficient.
You sustain and provide,
Thank you for making me trust in you more.
When I had plenty, and some left over
I was willing to give some to you.
But now that I have nothing
I’ve learned how to give it all to you.
I know the sting, the pain of being desolate,
But now my soul is stronger in you.
I’ve never prayed for hardship
And I’m afraid of my faith being tried.
I’m not even a strong warrior.
Its through the little things I now cannot afford
That you have taught me the greatest lessons…
Its in you I must have confidence.
There are many in this big world tonight
That have no food to sooth their aching bellies.
They don’t have adequate clothing to adorn,
No shelter from the wind or rain…
Perhaps clinging to an old newspaper or blanket.
I am so blessed—you’ve provided these for me.
It is hard to give to you, and yet I find it easy
The One who gave His all for me.
The greatest miracle was when You bore my sins.
Thank you God that I can sing “Count Your Many Blessings”
And with an uplifted head and smile on my face
My soul can sing in poverty!
(C) 1992 R. Keith Richardson. All rights reserved.
Selah
Your ways, O God, are righteous
You speak to me with power
Your Word is absolute to all
You are zealous that I trust in you.
Your ways, O God, are mysterious
You give me a love I do not understand
Your Word is necessary to my soul
You are from everlasting to everlasting.
Your ways, O God, are holy
You illuminate my finite mind
Your Word is reward to all
You are Virtue that I must follow.
Your ways, O God, are just
You fulfill my eternal longings
Your Word is quietness to my soul
You are the Great All-knowing.
R.K. Richardson
© 1992 R.K. Richardson. All rights reserved.
Unselfish Testimony
In the quietness of the prison house
I see him gently resting.
The tired, abused, and mistreated man
Now calmly slumbers, awaiting another day.
His skin is pale, his face disfigured
His eyes are dark with weary circles.
The clothes he wears are old and torn,
And his fingers are rough and stained.
Shhh—, be quiet—don’t rouse him yet.
Let him have another hour.
For when this lowest of God’s men awakes
He’ll pray, ever so long, then begin to write.
He is a great man, and yet he is no one.
By his own words unworthy
And yet a bolder, stronger man
I’ve never chanced to meet.
His voice is rough and cracked
But his words both grip and sooth.
He never speaks of his greatness,
All the time telling of another.
As the dawn of a new day approaches
I begin to grow eager, wondering what today
He’ll say or write or visit with someone about.
And still in my heart I know what will be said.
I’ve come to find no pride or great joy
In the task that I must do.
But as I sit and talk with him
I’m so glad I’m hear and near to him.
He told me of a time in his life
That made my strong heart shudder
And how one day he saw the Light
He changed—born anew.
He knows his clothes are torn
And that his body is a terrible sight.
In all the precious time I’ve been with him
I’ve never heard him complain, not one time.
I used to be so curious when
He would watch me and begin to write
And then he’d look at me again
Then lower his head and write some more.
One day he asked me to read
About the uniform I was wearing
It was on that same day that
I became a soldier for a greater army.
Well…it won’t be long now, he’ll be up
And seeing to his daily habits.
I’ve grown to love this dear little man
Too bad only a few will remember him…
(C) 1991 R.K. Richardson. All rights reserved.
Preacher’s Lament
Why does no one serve the Lord,
I’ve often thought and pondered.
Is it not important anymore,
I’ve often asked and wondered.
Why does no one carry the load,
I’ve often thought and pondered.
Is it not important anymore,
I’ve often asked and wondered.
Why does no one heed the message,
I’ve often thought and pondered.
Is it not important anymore,
I’ve often asked and wondered.
Why does no one talk with God,
I’ve often thought and pondered.
Is it not important anymore,
I’ve often asked and wondered.
Why does no one hear the call,
I’ve often thought and pondered.
Is it not important anymore,
I’ve often asked and wondered.
Why does no one weep for sinners,
I’ve often thought and pondered.
Is it not important anymore,
I’ve often asked and wondered.
Why does no one tell the lost,
I’ve often thought and pondered.
Is it not important anymore,
I’ve often asked and wondered.
Why does no one care anymore,
I’ve often thought and pondered.
Is it not important anymore,
I’ve often asked and wondered.
And then my Lord in His great wisdom
Spoke gently to my heart.
There are a few that still do,
And yes, it is very important.
R. Keith Richardson
(C) 1992 R.K. Richardson. All rights reserved.
My Friend In Silence
Jesus knows my deepest pain
In my life come sun or rain.
I’m so glad when comes the violence
Jesus is my friend in silence.
“Why does it hurt?” I asked the Lord.
My pain is so strong, my heart pierced with a sword.
Gently hold on to me—keep me now I pray.
My Lord, all this sorrow at your feet I lay.
It’s in the silence I feel my heart grasping for you.
It’s in the silence I speak, “Heal me and make me new.”
Lord grant me patience my life needs it so,
Lord grant me patience and help as I grow.
Thank you, my Lord, for I know you have heard.
You never left me alone while my life was disturbed.
Pain comes and goes In the paths I now trod,
But I’ll never face it alone, “Thank you, my friend, my God.”
Jesus knows my deepest pain
In my life come sun or rain.
I’m so glad when comes the violence
Jesus is my friend in silence.
R.K. Richardson
© 1992 R.K. Richardson. All rights reserved.
Only Child
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Sometimes we feel sad and over-burdened by the issues of life. Perhaps a friend has sliced open a wound with words. Perhaps your heart has been spurned, rejected.
I wrote this poem several years ago at a low point in my own life. It was through the words of the refrain, “. . . Your promises and love,” that I eventually overcame my hardship. You too will discover that when the storms of life rage that clinging to God’s Word is the only life raft we really need.
Only Child
O my Lord, I sorrow great
I left here full
And return empty and bitter.
Lord, You know my despair
You feel my soul aching
For springs of Living Water.
My tears fall easily and unrestrained
I feel like You’re only child.
So desperately I need to cling
To Your promises and love.
They say home is a place of love
But it is agony and alone-ness I feel
Lord hold me—cradle me close
I long to feel Your strong arms about
Another day I cannot face
My world is solitary, empty.
My tears fall easily and unrestrained
I feel like You’re only child.
So desperately I need to cling
To Your promises and love.
You are my Lord, my great Physician
The healer of my soul.
Only you can salve my sickened spirit
Please quiet my life…slow my heart.
Show me green pastures where I may graze
And rest peacefully by rolling streams.
My tears fall easily and unrestrained
I feel like You’re only child.
So desperately I need to cling
To Your promises and love.
(C)1992 R. Keith Richardson. All rights reserved.
For God So Loved…
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
I wrote this poem for my 9th grade English class which means it would have been sometime during the spring of 1979. I wanted to share this with you (grammatical errors in tact) to demonstrate that even a child of 14 can have a grasp of the goodness and fullness of God’s love. I hope it’s a blessing to you…
For God So Loved
It was Jesus Christ that came to earth one day,
To die for mankind, and for their sins He would pay.
While He was here many miracles He performed;
And to multitudes of people He was loved and adored.
As the days went by and the years past,
The Son of God knew the time of His death was coming fast.
Then one night, as in the garden He knelt,
Praying to God and telling Him how He felt.
The Roman soldiers came and arrested Him,
And Judas came quickly and kissed Him.
They mocked Him, tortured Him, and spit on His body.
And the crowd shouted, “Crucify Him,” each and everybody.
Well Jesus Christ gave His life on the cross
Because all mankind was deep in sin and was lost.
Alas! He was dead; and God turned His back toward Him.
The sun was blackened and the light was dim.
Now they laid Christ’s body down and put a seal on the grave.
But King Herod’s seal they could have saved.
Because after three days and nights, the angels proclaimed,
“Hallelujah, the Son of God is alive once again.”
I have written this story for one reason, and one reason only:
That you may know that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you because;
For God so loved…
(C) 1979 R.Keith Richardson. All rights reserved.
Just A Boy
Luke 2:41-49
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem ; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem , seeking him.
46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?
I wanted to write a song that would describe how Jesus felt on His first journey to Passover in Jerusalem. The Bible tells us He was about 12 years old and even though He was God, He was still filled with all the wonderment and horror of the sights He saw.
As He grew to manhood Jesus walked this entrance into Jerusalem many times, the same entry He would make during His passion. As God He foreknew all of this – I wonder what thoughts went through His mind each time He passed through the gates?
Here are the song lyrics, “Just A Boy.”
The days were dark in Israel then
The Romans held their grip.
It wasn’t safe for any Jew
To make the holy trip.
But to Jerusalem they came
In heed of God’s command;
To celebrate the Passover
They marched throughout the land.
It was a special year for Him
He’d waited oh, so long
The journey it was perilous
But His heart was filled with song.
And as they walked the Roman road
So many wonders seen;
They came upon a ghastly sight
That brought them to their knees.
What was going through His mind
As He looked up toward the sky?
He saw the suffering and the blood
Heard the crowd yell, “Crucify!”
As Jesus passed by on that day
Saw souls nailed to the tree
Knowing that in a short time
He’d die for you and me.
The travelers all were shaken
As they came near the town.
Men and women hung in death
No one dare take them down.
It was a dangerous, evil time
The soldiers merciless;
Jesus walked with parents close
As they continued their progress.
What was going through His mind
As He looked up toward the sky?
He saw the suffering and the blood
Heard the crowd yell, “Crucify!”
As Jesus passed by on that day
Saw souls nailed to the tree
Knowing that in a short time
He’d die for you and me.
He was just a boy
Still God of ages He
Love was stirring in His heart
As He neared Calvary . . .
As they came into the city
Down the same street He would trod.
Jesus bowed His head a bit
And spoke to Father God
It was quite a burden on that boy
Only He knew in His heart
Blood He’d spill on that old street
My salvation to impart.
What was going through His mind
As He looked up toward the sky?
He saw the suffering and the blood
Heard the crowd yell, “Crucify!”
As Jesus passed by on that day
Saw souls nailed to the tree
Knowing that in a short time
He’d die for you and me.
(C) 2008 R. Keith Richardson. All rights reserved.
Time To Shine
Psalm 127:3-5
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
If you want to get me choked up really fast, just ask me about my kids. I have three of the most beautiful and talented kids to ever walk the earth! I wanted to write a song that would express what I felt as I watched these dear little ones grow up into mature young adults. Although they are making their way in this life as God leads them, I still fondly recall the moment each one of them took their first breath.
Here are the song lyrics to “Time To Shine.”
So many years ago
Or was it just yesterday
A bundle of joy
First came my way.
A little blue bonnet
And blanket wrapped tight
My whole world had changed
As I kissed him goodnight.
Tiny kisses
Tiny toes
Tiny faces
With eyes aglow.
All grow up
With speed and haste
Soon the years
Become a chase.
O what wonders
The future holds
Pain and joy
Memories of gold.
Glory to this
Son of mine.
For now it is
His time to shine.
My tears joined with his
As together we grew
One day at a time
Filled with promises so true.
First talking – then walking
Every moment a surprise.
First haircut first tooth
First bad words and first lies.
Tiny kisses
Tiny toes
Tiny faces
With eyes aglow.
All grow up
With speed and haste
Soon the years
Become a chase.
O what wonders
The future holds
Pain and joy
Memories of gold.
Glory to this
Son of mine.
For now it is
His time to shine.
The years all rolled by
As fast as the wind
Riding bicycles and skates
Always on the mend.
School projects – girlfriends
Staying up way too late.
Football practice – crazy loud music
And then finally . . . a date.
Tiny kisses
Tiny toes
Tiny faces
With eyes aglow.
All grow up
With speed and haste
Soon the years
Become a chase.
O what wonders
The future holds
Pain and joy
Memories of gold.
Glory to this
Son of mine.
For now it is
His time to shine.
In a vapor of smoke
It happened so fast
O dear God he’s a man
Now his childhood is past.
Tiny kisses
Tiny toes
Tiny faces
With eyes aglow.
All grow up
With speed and haste
Soon the years
Become a chase.
Filled with pride
I see the man
That once I held
Within my hands.
Glory to this
Son of mine.
For now it is
His time to shine.
(C) 2008 R. Keith Richardson. All rights reserved.
Sweet Solace
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
The time we spend alone with God is very special and should never become routine or something done out of habit. Our dear Father loves to fellowship with us and enjoys it so much when we clear our minds of the heavy traffic of daily life and commune with Him.
I wrote a poem about this time a few years ago entitled “Sweet Solace” and I’d like to share it with you now. The word solace means “comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble; alleviation of distress or discomfort” and is a fitting description of the work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s heart when they open their soul and talk with God.
Sweet Solace
“Where do I find solace?”
I asked myself one day.
“It’s in the quiet times with God,
In my secret hideaway.”
A friend, closer than brother
The Lord, He is to me.
And when in private that we speak
My soul feels liberty.
He often finds me failing
It seems my course in life.
But He quickly rushes close to me
To wipe away all strife.
As His sweet grace surrounds me
My eyes are opened wide
I understand His love for me
When under His wings I hide.
And as I linger there a while
Dear friends, they come to mind.
I share their pain with my dear Lord
Blest be the tie that binds.
Each passing moment is so frail
The time so swiftly flows.
He stills my spirit, calms my life
Sweet rest His voice bestows.
And when at last it’s time to close
I hate to end it now.
But I promise, Lord, Your solace seek
‘Twill be to You my vow.
R. Keith Richardson (1993)
A Father’s Love
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
If there was ever a certain thing that we need in our society today, it would be for fathers to stand up and be the men and leaders in their families that God intended them to be – a real dad. Becoming a father was very important to me and I truly am thankful for and cherish each child that God has given me.
I wrote this poem many years ago about the birth of my first son and I thought it appropriate to share with you on this day that we celebrate love.
A Father’s Love
I’ll never forget that moment
When I first laid eyes on my son.
Our firstborn, the one we’d waited for,
And he made us very proud.
I was at his mother’s side,
The tears flowed down our cheeks.
This miracle I was holding
I could never explain how formed.
And yet I know that God had said,
We are all fearfully and wonderfully made.
He was indeed a miracle from God.
As I stood there I whispered… “Thank you.”
Not too many hours later
As I cradled our newborn gift,
I looked into his quiet little face
And I asked him what he was going to be.
He laid there silently in my arms
His eyes closed in peaceful sleep.
I loved our wonderful gift from above
With a love I had not known.
I counted fingers and toes to see that all were there.
I hugged and kissed him, put his tiny hand in mine.
It was at that moment I at last awakened
To the most precious gift from God—His Son.
I would not—could not give that child for anyone.
Not a single soul is worthy.
How could God, who loves so much more than I
Give His Son’s life for me?
O great God, I at last perceive how much
Your heart was broken, that day at Calvary.
I began to ponder in my heart
How could there be a father anywhere
Who could not see the great sacrifice?
The tears flowed down my cheek again,
Our heavenly Father loves us so.
R. Keith Richardson
(C) 1992. All rights reserved.
