For me, the lone tree speaks of God’s wonderful handiwork, not only representing His gift of nature, but brings to mind that His redeemed are not alone, but safely tucked within His Might eternally. And as the brilliance of the sun pierces boldly through the dark-ending of the storm, one thought leads me to another — remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection. Then speaks to His beloved redeemed: the “things” of this world are now more clearly seen through the light of His Salvation! We must daily pause to remember…
Kay Cude is a poet whose sensitivity to the glorious salvation of Jesus Christ is uniquely expressed through poetry and picture. Here is her latest offering, in which she explains her thought process. Enjoy
—————————–Kay Cude—————————–
If you look closely at the tower, you’ll see a tiny figure of someone, which refers to the statement, “As gazed I o’er the valley fair, to there below from tower high.”
That little figure caught my eye, as well as the city lighted up and the storm approaching from the left (approaching spiritual death). So I began to write. The city represents the safety of true salvation in Christ and understanding His Gospel.
The people represent those captured by a “different gospel” suggested as the “real” place of safety. Even though they “know” God’s truth — they are persuaded to run to false teaching and reject Christ.
Christ’s refuge is known to them and still stands in its truth, but when extreme peril approaches, they are convinced by someone’s whim (spiritual deception), to flee to eternal death and separation. Even the donkey digs in his heels against the “unknown” way,” and the dog barks at their sudden rejection.
Their end is eternal separation and eternal living death because they quickly deserted Christ’s truth for a distorted gospel.
To all the mothers out there reminiscing over the time that has passed and your sons and daughters are now older, perhaps having left the nest, flying off to new skies and making nests of their own. The sweet time of little hugs and precious moments fly by. Cherish them.
Kay Cude did just that, revising a poem she had written long ago as she remembered just such a moment treasured in her heart.
Artist’s statement:
I had written this poem for my son many years ago to recount our sweet time together when he was a two-year old.
Poetry by Kay Cude. Kay Cude is a Texas poet. Used with permission.
The following is the Artist’s Statement.
The credit for the direction of my thoughts and words is not mine. I account it to the merciful pricking of my spirit as well as the instruction available to all of the redeemed through God’s great men of sound Biblical doctrine, unshakable faith, and enduring conviction, past and present.
We know that the redeemed of God through Christ are the beloved, but our hope, desire, and urge to live for His Glory while living in Satan’s economy (which is temporary) is oftentimes exhausting. This war, now heightened and intensified during these end of days, will continue up to the moment we see Christ Jesus face-to-Face. Until then, some of us may wander towards (or in) “a” wilderness that is connected to our trials. Some of us will encounter despondency, loss, or worse. Yet we know and believe that God and Christ are faithful to rescue the redeemed out of those wilderness episodes.
I am so grateful He has purposed them to be instruction that opens our eyes and ears and leads us to repentance and/or greater understanding. It is from there that we can gain purposeful insight and maturity in Him. Surely all of the redeemed agree; for we know that we cannot live without God, nor do we wish to. We need and desire our Saviour to work in our hearts, life-experiences, and circumstances hour-by-hour and day-by-day. This sentiment is deeply indwelt truth that resides within the very core of the spirits of “we,” the redeemed of Christ.
Finally, when any of us go through “wanderings,” and when we “bump” into the profoundly lost or into fellow brethren who are also in the distress of wandering, we want the evidence of God’s drawing us back to Him through instruction, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation to be the hope and evidence of God’s grace and mercy to rescue “whosoever” to repentance that lead to salvation, or to the redeemed’s restoration to fellowship with the Father and the Son.
May the Lord our God use all “wanderings” as a powerful testimony of how great is the draw of God and how profound Christ’s rescue, for the lost and for the saved.
I recommend John Owen’s works. Admittedly, his writing is dense and difficult, being 350 years old. However, there are many helps available to aid understanding of his writing, many notes and modern language updates. Here is one from Meet the Puritans. It is very much worth it to pursue a study of Owen’s monumental books.
Here is Texas Poet Kay Cude with her thoughts sprung from Owen’s work Mortification of Sin. Used with permission. Right-click to open larger in new tab.
