Confidence is the result, of the faith I have in God.
In God, I find myself; who I am, and who I am supposed to be.
In God, I find trust, and a peace that surpasses me.
In God, I grow in compassion, and I learn how to love better. I even learn how to love myself, which is well-needed.
If I want to grow in confidence, all I need to do, is focus on Jesus, the finisher and perfector of my faith, and he will guide me, to the place where I need to be, to be the best version of myself, and where confidence will be, more of a normality than a rarity.
This poem and all the other poetry and content on this page belong to Gineke van Keulen! Do not use without permission! Thank you!
How can I describe, the look in Your eyes, full of a wisdom, I do not understand.
The unpredictable life, springing from a fountain, of what seems like, an eternal youth, can only be seen, through Your eyes.
I read the words, You have written down, and try to wrap my mind, ever so carefully around it, but it feels so pointless, because I do not possess, the divine wisdom, that You have.
So, all I can do is trust You, and take Your hand, because You are the only one, who know the best steps, to get me into the promised land.
This poem and all the other poetry and content on this page belong to Gineke van Keulen! Do not use without permission! Thank you!
This morning as I was continuing my bible study journey through the second book of Chronicles, I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to look into the word ‘Repentance’. It is an interesting word. One I always felt was quite clear. In my understanding, repentance was simply apologizing to God for something you did. But my research showed me that repentance is more than this.
First, let’s look at the meaning of the word in the dictionary. My Longman Dictionary told me this about repentance, “To repent means to be sorry for something and wish you had not done it – used especially when considering your actions in a religious way.”(end quote) Apparently, repentance goes beyond being sorry for something. Repentance is also wishing you had not done it in the first place. So in order for my apology to God to become repentance, I have to wish in my heart that I had never done it to begin with.
Then, I looked at the bible. And the bible goes further. The bible connects bearing good fruit with repentance. In Matthew 3:8, John the Baptist says, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”(end quote) John explains that repentance is vital for your faith, and without repentance one cannot bear good fruit. I think, I can safely say that repentance is at the heart of faith in Jesus. One cannot face Christ without feeling the need to confess ones sins and change their ways in order to live right for Him.
What I understand is this, repentance goes further than a simple apology. It asks me to change my behavior and actions. A few years ago Jesus gave me the following words that I am reminded of today, He said, “And apology is merely a collection of words, only a change of heart can redeem the soul.” (end quote) I never forgot those words, because they became a lifeline for me. Whenever I wanted to apologize to God or to others, I was always reminded of this. For my guilt, and apology to be genuine, I have to change my behavior, my life choices, and my actions.
Repentance is vital in the life of a Christian. When we give our life to Christ for the first time, it starts with repentance and the forgiveness of our sins. And during the rest of our days on earth, we keep repenting, and bringing our hearts back to God. Because that is the thing about this life, we live in a broken world, and we, or should I say, I, need to repent every single day, because I will never truly get it right, on this side of heaven. It is exactly why Jesus dies on the cross, because He knew how much humanity falls short of the glory of God.
If you do not believe in Jesus, what can you learn of this? Well, the next time you need to apologize to someone over something you did, ask yourself this question, ‘How sorry am I? Sorry enough to change? To never do it again?’ Because how much is your apology worth, if you will do it again? When you apologize, take it as a learning opportunity. Learn to grow in maturity, and change. The change of your behavior give power to your words.
Jesus died for us, but in order to produce good fruit, and be right with God, we still need to repent. We need to do it now because Jesus said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (end quote, Matthew 4:19) Jesus is coming back, and before He comes, we need to confess, and change for Him. Are you with me?
This bible study and all the other content on this page belong to Gineke van Keulen! Do not use without permission! Thank you!
Allow silence, to enter your mind. Capture your thoughts, and make them, obedient to Christ. Grab the hand, of the Shepherd, and allow His staff, to guide your path.
You are a sheep, lost without guidance. Wandering around, you tried to find, your own way, but you got lost. Come back to me, to the Shepherd, who dearly loves you, and let Him guide you, all the way!
This poem and all the other poetry and content on this page belong to Gineke van Keulen! Do not use without permission! Thank you!
Sitting at Your feet, You braid my hair like a laurel wreath, while the rosary is in my hands. I sing a song on the breath of a nightingale, until a small bird falls asleep in my lap.
A waterfall of pure light, covers me in Your sweet kisses, where Your love covers me with laughter. The sweet joyful sound, that comes from deep within my heart, awakens the rainbow-colored butterflies.
My head rests against Your chest, where I hear the soft beating of Your heart. The soft fabric of Your robe comforts me, like a blanket against the bitter cold. Your arms are my deepest safety, where I am guarded like a precious pearl.
Your words of wisdom nestle in my soul, where it builds golden castles on a green meadow. We run between the daisies, as I hold on tightly to my rosary, and my giggles blend with the scent of roses.
A gift is a memory of love, that reminds you of the giver. As I softly fall asleep on Your lap, the rosary is still in my hands, where I keep it as a memory, of You.
Thank you for reading my poem today! I truly appreciate it, that you took the time to read my work. Once again, thank you! It takes time and effort to write these words. The poems are a piece of my own heart and soul, so I would appreciate it, if you would either ask for permission if you want to share my work, my poems, or give me credit! Thank you very much! Have a lovely day!
Gineke van Keulen 