Lately, I have been challenged through the preaching of God's Word to take a stand for God. For the past few weeks on Sunday nights, Josh has been preaching on Baptist History. It is amazing to me how people groups like the Baptists have stood for God even in the face of persecution. The recurring theme has been standing for God.
I started writing a poem a long time ago about standing after Dad had preached a message on it, but it did not quite turn out. I had written a few poems before, but I had not met with much success. The first poem I wrote as a young teenager was quite short, but repetitive. The guys in my family thought that I did not know how to write a poem. I was always insecure about my poetry anyway and did not write much. I liked reading certain types of poetry like old Christian hymns and poems, but I was not good at writing them.
Well, at the beginning of this year, the Lord led me to write a poem on keeping my heart. I love how the poem turned out, but I only shared it with a few people. Also, in March when the COVID pandemic had just started, God led me to write a song after I was encouraged by Tabitha who wrote hers. Then recently, Josh has been preaching about Baptists and their stand for God. I was reminded of that poem on standing that I had started writing a while back. This week the Lord really started working on my heart about my stand for Him. You see, lately I have been struggling spiritually. I would keep going back to my bad habits, and this caused my time with the Lord to suffer. The Lord showed me this.
Saturday night I listened to Josh's message from the Sunday before since I had been in the nursery that night. He kept going back to that stand they had to take and challenged us to stand for God. The Lord reminded me of my poem. It all came together then. Between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, I rewrote the poem and added to it. After I finished, I gave a copy to Josh and also showed it to my family. Then Dad said something, I did not think I would hear. He said to print copies to pass out at church. I was so nervous.
That night as Josh started preaching, it all fit together. It was definitely a God thing. The story of bold Baptists was so convicting. At the end of the message, Josh started reading my poem. I was shocked. I was half embarrassed, half pleased that he was reading it. I got that shy smile on my face. Then I started crying. I knew that it was all God - it was not I that had written this poem. It was because of Him. After Josh finished preaching, I fell on my knees at the front row, convicted of my stand for God. When the service was finished, several people told me that the poem was a blessing. That night as our teens and young adults gathered in our living room after eating pizza, we shared how the Lord had worked on our hearts through the preaching that day. I said that I was convicted to take a stand for God beginning with my walk with Him. For before we can ever take a stand for God, we must first learn to kneel.
This morning, I finally went on a prayer walk. I had not walked outside to fellowship with the Lord in a long while. That was when God started breaking my hard, stony heart, so He could start molding it to be more like Jesus. Then God gave me a sign that He loved me. I looked up and saw a cardinal (my sign that He loves me). Would I have seen it if I had not looked up? Probably not.
I am so amazed that God wants to use me. He used me to write a poem to touch even a few when I had been struggling spiritually with my walk with the Lord. Then I thought - how much more God can use us when our hearts are right, and we are pleasing Him.
I hope this poem is a blessing to you as it has been to me.
(As a side note, be forewarned: it is kind of long 😊 )
Fighting spirits, stories of old
But the half has not yet been told
The martyrs stood through thick and thin
Because they had the courage then
Another hour, another day
Just keep standing all the way
You might be torn, you might be bruised.
But do you not want to be used?
Remember those who took their stand;
They kept the Word of God at hand.
Peter and Paul are some, not all
Of Baptists too we stand in awe.
Roger Williams, Holmes, and Clarke –
These are they who left their mark.
They were like the Lighthouse Who
Stood for me and yes for you.
Oh, won’t you keep standing too?
Some were flogged, even whipped.
There were some who well-nigh slipped.
Some may say, “Oh you can just sit,”
But that is when you must not quit.
Now you can be a beam of hope
And give someone a saving rope.
Standing tall for our God and all
Helps even one or few not fall.
So stand up tall with all your might.
Just please do not give up the fight.
It may take all you have to stand,
So hold onto the Master’s hand.
The time for standing strong is now.
Look to those who showed us how.
The time to stand is not tomorrow.
Waiting then will just bring you sorrow.
Take the armor of God in hand
And having done all to stand, stand.
If you stand tall just one more day
You may keep standing all the way.
If you stand strong and gain a crown
To Jesus give as you kneel down.
When at His feet before His throne
You’ll be glad you stood your own.
When this race on earth is run
He will then say, “Child, well done.”
May you stand for God, dear reader.
That is my desire for you.
Elisabeth
Kristine Gimenez
