The Light of Christmas Poem

Twenty centuries ago, in a manger lay
A special child of whom the prophet’s say

Would be the one that would bring light to all mankind
That if we would look, in Him we would surely find

Our hearts prepared, our eyes to see
The one who would come to die for you and me

His start was such a humble beginning
He would come into a world that was full of sinning

The spotless lamb who was born in a stable
This is truth, the Word, not just a fable

In a place no king should ever begin
Yet it seemed, there was no room in the inn

In a field that was not too far away
The Shepherds kept their watch after a long day

The angels appeared and a bright light around them shone
They were Told where to find the baby and then told them to go

As the came to the place of His miraculous birth
There They found a child that was of such great worth

There With His loving parents, the Christ child lay
It was at that glorious time, the first Christmas day

The gift that was wrapped there in His swaddling clothes
The shepherds did bow for, in Him, now they would know

That the Savior had come, into the world He was born
A time to rejoice and no longer to mourn

For the angels had declared good tidings of great joy
Because in a manger laid, God who’d come as a little boy

The incarnation, here was God who came in the flesh
The little Christ child had come to give mankind rest

Rest from the toil, and the weight of their sin
Now, He had come to make His home among them

So hard to understand why God would come down to us
But to redeem mankind, this birth was a must

For God could not save unless first He endured
and to overcome the temptations by which we’ve been lured

He had left Heaven and come to earth, so darkness He might fight
And Satan’s powers, so that we would have the light

As the prophet’s of old generations ago have said
One would come who would certainly rise from the dead

Arise Shine for Your Light Has Come
For now, the world beholds, Christ God’s Son

This Light of Christmas into our hearts does shine
Look to Him this Season and Him you will surely find

The babe in a manger, who would die for our sins
Look up, for one day soon, He will come again.

-Danny Cheney-


Check out Danny’s books, including his newest book, Cloud of Witnesses.


Where Did The Time Go?

Sunday, I preached on parenting, and it made me think of how often we take for granted the time we have with our kids while they are still at home. With only one year left of school for my youngest, Sonya and I are looking at the proverbial empty nest, sooner than later. Where has the time gone? I penned the following words during my sermon prep time, but I didn’t share it during the message.

LOST TRACK OF TIME

Where has the time gone?
How did it slip away so fast?
Although it has been three decades
We thought it would forever last.

They entered the world with the blast of a cry.
Then the joyful laughter of a playful child
The hugs and kisses of an afternoon snuggle,
To the outdoor play of a kid gone wild.

But slowly they grew past the age of wonder.
Discovering the world and all its pain
Finding that life is too often harsh.
And hurts come again and again.

But with time maturity always comes
And they learn how to cope.
They build a life for themselves.
And this one thing we’ve come to know.

That though time went fast.
God had them in His hand
The world tried to take them.
But Jesus became their friend.

They made mistakes and stumbled along the way.
We, too, have many regrets and blunders that we made.
Yet, in the end, we are proud of what they have become.
And as we look at them, we can truly say.

We did our best with the little we knew.
And with God’s gracious help, we made it through.
What a privilege it is to raise them up!
For God gave them to us so we could love.

And love we have, that only a parent can know.
One that is witnessed by God Almighty
A Father of all Fathers
One who loves so immensely.

So, thank you, Lord, for what you have given.
We will certainly never take it for granted.

-Danny Cheney-

Poetic Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be Your Name
I sing aloud with my voice
I am declaring your fame

Your Kingdom Come
Your Will Be Done
I will follow your plan
And this race I will run

On earth as it is in Heaven
For You know what’s best
I will live your way
And then your blessings manifest

Give us this day
Our daily bread
Food on our table
A roof over our head

Forgive us our sins
For they are not a few
You gave your life
That I might be made new

Forgive others
Who have caused us pain
Hold it not against them
Lord help them to change

Lead us not into temptation
For there are many all around
Deliver me from evil
In holiness let me abound

For yours is the Kingdom
For everything is yours
All the glory, and the power
You, my God, are forevermore

-Danny Cheney-

Winter’s Snow Christmas Song

As a part of our Christmas season, our church does various Christmas songs as a part of our services. The RFA worship team is par none and I am grateful for such a gifted team of musicians and singers. God has truly blessed us as a church. This year, my daughter, Hannah had a solo, singing Audrey Assad’s song, Winter’s Snow. It is such a beautiful song and I wanted to share the video with you.


Check out Danny’s books, including his newest book, Cloud of Witnesses.


A Wounded Heart – POEM

All of us experience wounded hearts. We feel pain that is often caused by those closest to us. But God has healing for our broken hearts. He provided His Son, to minister to us in our brokenness. If you are hurting. Jesus understands and will give you peace and healing.

A WOUNDED HEART

There is a pain that is difficult to bear.
Some have said that I shouldn’t even care.

Let it go, forget about the wrong that was done,
But I remember it happened to me, more than just once.

It is ever on my mind and the wound breaks my heart,
It drove a wedge between us, it drove us far apart.

With the offender, I was counted as a friend,
How could they hurt me, over and over again?

Will the pain ever cease? Will this hurt ever decrease?
If time heals all wounds, Why does this hurt seem so new?

But then I see a glimmer of hope, from one so pure,
With nails in his hands and feet, I think I see a cure.

He paid the price for my healing and for my hurt,
It is only His blood, through His suffering, that this will work.

So, I release my pain to the one who died for me,
So that from this aching wound I might finally be free.

-Danny Cheney-


Check out Danny’s book page.


Poem – A Brand New Page

Here it is a brand-new page,
Nothing written for it is a new day.

The pen of my life is filled with ink,
How will I write, is what I often think.

The regrets of yesterday are ever present,
The wounds of my past even more malevolent.

But what shall I do with this empty page,
Will I make the most of this brand-new day?

I carry all my worries and my cares I still shoulder,
It seems I get worse rather than better now as I get older.

But all these years it has done me no good,
So, I will cast them off, like long of go I should.

I will not write about yesterday on this empty page,
I will make my mark only with this brand-new day.

As I turn the paper to see the unfilled lines,
I leave the offenses that I have carried all this time.

The hurts that have been caused, the pain I still bear,
The resentment its bore, the rub on my soul it wears.

Yet, I will choose to forget and not write it on this page,
I will choose forgiveness, which is seen on this new day.

I am walking much lighter, already it does seem,
Anticipating a new day, with a brand-new theme.

My heart is free, my burdens much more light,
I should have done this long ago, that would have been right.

I am thankful for the fresh start of this unused page.
There is so much hope, with the dawning of this new day.

-Danny Cheney-


Get a copy of my new book, The Cloud of Witnesses.


Is God Enough?

The Levites labored for the Lord nearly night and day.  They were in charge of the tabernacle and its service.  To be a Levite was not an easy labor job.  It was often a hard task considering they sacrificed animals daily.  It was not for the weak stomached. 

In the book of Joshua, Joshua is dividing the land for the Israelites inheritance.  One tribe would get one place, another would get another piece of choice land.  What did the Levites inherit?  Nothing physical!

Here these great men, served the Lord daily and administered the rites of worship, yet they inherited nothing…well, nothing but GOD!

Joshua 13:33 records, “But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them.”

The Levites had no inheritance but God Himself!  I believe God is enough for them and for us!  So often, we think in terms of a temporal blessing or inheritance.  I would rather have God Himself than a piece of land!  God is more than enough.

So, what do you long for?
Are you in a pursuit for more?

Chasing dreams and buying possessions
Even climbing the ladder of your profession

What is it you live for?
Is it this constant pursuit of more?

Not more of God, but more things
Filling our treasures for that is our dream

Why do we do this? Why do we pursue?
The wrong things daily, that won’t satisfy you.

A little of this, a little of that
So people will envy the place you are at

Is it stuff we are after or the position we can have?
Is it prestige we long for and the recognition we can grab?

In light of eternity, does this really matter?
When life is over, can we take it to the hereafter?

Is it the temporal things that we truly love?
Or would you say, “that God Himself is enough?”

-Danny Cheney-


Grab a copy of my latest book, Worry Less. WORRY FREE.

What In The World?

What in the world is going on?
Where is God? Is He still on His throne?

The world around us is in turmoil, in great despair
Has He forsaken us, doesn’t He even care?

Wars, famines, disasters are all around
If you listen closely, in the distance you hear a sound

What could it be that our ears seem to behold?
Could it be Jesus coming back for His fold?

Does God care about this world anymore?
The signs we see are God knocking on our heart’s door

The things that our eyes are gazing on
Reveal His mercy to us before this world is gone

The pages of the Word reveal the times in which we live
For this reason, His Son, God willingly did give

It is His mercy that has held Him back so very long
Through His blood, He will return for His ransomed throng

Look up, look up! For our redemption draweth nigh
How long? How long? Until He splits the eastern sky?

This may be the day, this may be the hour
His Son, Jesus, will be revealed with great power

We do not know the day or even the time
But we must repent of all the sins in our life

If it be today, tomorrow or even many years
If our heart is right, there is no need to fear

-Danny Cheney-

 


Grab a copy of my latest book, Worry Less. WORRY FREE.