Sunset to Sunrise

From sunset to sunrise
I look to You O Lord
I find my security in You alone
 
My stomach churns in these uncertain times
Is this fear or anxiety
No, I think this is what grief feels like

I know You are at work in my circumstances
But what exactly what You want to accomplish
I don’t know, I can’t see it from here

May I trust You with the unknown future
May I remind myself You are good
You are and always will remain faithful

As the sun sets and darkness falls
Once again, I see fresh beauty anew
As if painted from the hand of the Creator

Help me to trust You O God
To bring beauty from these ashes
Reveal Your purpose in the pain


by Susan Wachtel
December 15, 2015

Faithful & Sudden

Prayers uttered in faith
Recalling God’s faithfulness in the past
Counting on His trustworthiness in the future
My God, He never changes

Days turn into weeks
Weeks into months
Yet, still there is no answer
My God, He is at work in ways we cannot see

One day, there will be a breakthrough
One day, His answer will come
Suddenly, swiftly
I must be prepared to move when He says go

Tonight, when there seems to be silence from heaven
When deliverance is far from my sight
I pray and I will praise my God
Confident, that one day soon, my deliverance will come


By Susan Wachtel
November 29, 2015

The Broad Road Church

My spirit is sobered
When I read Your Word
Only to find the prophesies
That some will abandon the faith

Even now I see signs of heresy
Apostasy
Blasphemy uttered from lips
Of those who call themselves Christian

It’s visible in the pulpit
Pastors and teachers
Even worship leaders are not immune
Leading astray the unwise sheep who sit in the pew

Seminaries once strong
No longer bastions of truth
Heretical teaching is commonplace
Unbelieving professors are wolves in sheep’s clothing

The full counsel of God’s Word is not taught
It’s been replaced with feel good “sermons”
God’s clear condemnation of sin is ignored
Immorality and unrepentant sinners embraced

Men are given the title of pastor
The truth be told
Some are nothing more than motivation speakers
Catering to the audience and tickling their ears

Pastors, there’s no need to study hard
Or accurately divide the Word of truth
Instead, find a readymade sermon online
Buy it today, preach it tomorrow

Even pastors who once seem solid
Elevate themselves; not God
Read their own books from the pulpit
Set aside the inerrant Word of God

There’s another book to hock
CD albums are ready to sell
Is the Word of God free and unfettered
No, but it’s available for a small fee

Preachers who should know better
Align themselves with false teachers
Come alongside those whose motivation is tainted
Fueled by pride, applause and the love of money

Sin is seldom mentioned
Truth, no longer spoken
For fear of causing offense
Or driving away those with deep pockets

Salvation found through Christ alone
Is so very narrow minded
The narrow road that leads to life is not mentioned
By those on the broad road leading to destruction

Father, You have forewarned us
Of the deception that will take place
The falling away of those who were with us, but not of us
Evidenced in fact that they did not remain

Father, may we abide and remain in Christ
Keep us in Your Word daily
Holy Spirit, give us wisdom and discernment
Raise up men who will unashamedly preach the Word


by Susan Wachtel
November 6, 2015

Departed

Jesus and His disciples
Departed for the other side
To the Gadarenes
For a divine appointment was in store

Two demon-possessed men
So wild and violent, no one dared to pass by
They lived among the tombs
The spiritually dead among the physically dead

When they saw Him
They knew, it was God incarnate
The Son of God stood before them
The One Whom they had rebelled against in eternity past

They knew their day was coming
For torment and eternal punishment
They cried, “What have we to do with You, Jesus”
They begged Him, “Cast us into the herd of swine”

He commanded, “Be gone!”
The demons obeyed, departed and entered the swine
At breakneck speed they hurled themselves
Over a cliff, headlong into the sea and drown

Quickly the herdsmen departed
Made their way into the city
They declared all that had happened
Including a tale about tormented men set free

The townsmen made their way to Jesus
They witnessed for themselves
Two formerly demon-possessed men
Now clothed and in their right minds

They were overcome
With great fear
Urgently pleaded with Jesus
Depart from here

Before Jesus departed
One man begged to come with Him
“No,” He responded, “Depart”
“Proclaim to all you encounter what God has done for you.”


By Susan Wachtel
November 3, 2015

Once Again Come Spring

My heart is a little bit sad
As I bid my hummers adieu
Yesterday, I had one last glance
But I didn’t know it was goodbye

One drank from the feeder
Another hovered above
As if to bid her to come
For the time has come to go

Take one last sip for the flight
Follow me little one, let’s go
Once again, make our long trek
Fly to our warm winter home

In spring I delighted
When I set out our feeder
Only to see it in use
Just a short while later

At first there were two
Then four, before long there were more
Of course we accommodated
Strategically placing more feeders

Each morning it was my delight
To sit on the patio so quiet
Soon the hummingbirds would appear
For their early morning feedings

So beautiful and delicate
A testimony to God’s marvelous creation
How can one so tiny
Be so feisty and fierce

As spring moved into summer
Our feeders went from nonstop busy
To frenetic feeding
And now there are none

I will fill the feeders
One last time
In case a tiny migrant flies by
In need of energy for his flight

Even now my heart looks forward
Once again come spring
When the little hummers will return
Come, drink and stay for a while

Until then, have a safe flight
My little feathered friends
Enjoy your stay
In a warm sunny place


By Susan Wachtel
September 21, 2015

Coming from southern California, I was used to having hummingbirds in our yard year round.  One of the attractions about north Texas is we have real seasons.  Along with those seasons some of the birds come and go.

One of my favorite spring and summer birds are the black-chinned hummingbirds we have in our area.  Even now I look forward to springtime when they will return.

Prayer at Gethsemane

 

Christ’s final hours were upon Him

The disciples waited nearby

His closest, Peter James and John

Were invited to watch and pray

Jesus shared His overwhelming grief

And went off alone to pray

He called out to the Father

If possible, let this cup pass from Me

Yet He submitted Himself

To His Father’s will and plan

When He returned

He found fast asleep those He asked to pray

Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour

For temptation is coming your way

To resist your spirit needs to be strengthened

Jesus went again to beseech the Father

He returned only to find

His three closest friends asleep on their watch

They had no idea what to say

No excuse is given, they remain silent

A third time

Jesus goes alone to Father and prays

When He returns it’s no surprise

He finds His disciples asleep on their watch

His time with them has come to an end

For His hour is at hand

His betrayer will come with throngs

And greet Him with a kiss

Jesus arises

He knows what’s to come

And the great suffering He will endure

Instead of fleeing

Jesus Christ rises

To meet those who seek to kill Him

He stands ready to accomplish the Father’s will

He is alone

Soon His prayerless disciples will flee

The angles are restrained

As the Son of God is betrayed

Given over into the hands of evil men

The Father is silent in His resolve

His plan will be accomplished

Sin will be punished

Those bound by sin and death will be set free

Grace and mercy will be offered

Not to those who deserve it

For there are none

But salvation will be given

To those hell-bound sinners who repent

To those who confess Christ Jesus as Lord

They will be saved

by Susan Wachtel

September 16, 2015

A Year with the LORD

A year has passed

  Which held changes

    We never could have imagined

Nor could we have

  Gotten through the challenges

    On our own wisdom and strength

At every turn

  God met us

    With just what was needed

Before we could even ask

   Or know what to pray

    God directed our steps and met our needs

At times it seems surreal

  I’m sure I’ll wake up

    From this dream

But another day dawns

  Here I am

    In a new place we call home

By Susan Bunts Wachtel

September 7, 2015

September 6^th, marked our one year anniversary when we left our family, friends, church and home in southern California and moved 1,500 miles to Texas. 

In so many respects it’s been an amazing year.  Especially when we look back and see God’s faithfulness and help at every turn. 

We are most grateful to God and for our family and friends who supported and prayed for us as the Lord moved us from the place we called home for many years. 

Operation Condemnation

Captain Deceit, I’m reporting for duty
Do come in lieutenant, I have your next assignment

Your next target is a woman
She is a believer in our Enemy

Years ago she recognized her sin and repented
Then the Adversary snatched her from Satan’s clutches

The so called Holy One forgave all her sins
He even credited Christ’s righteousness to her account

While we are powerless to change her eternal destiny
We can assault her here on earth

I want you to rack her with guilt and condemnation
Daily, focus her mind on her many sins, past and present

Help her to see her willful sin
And the utter depravity of her heart

The pièce de résistance
Will be sins committed after she came to Christ

May she focus on her own wretchedness and unworthiness
Even question if she is really saved

Instead of being filled with joy and peace
Because Christ paid her sin debt

She will be burdened with guilt and brought low
And never desire to share the Gospel

May she be bound with chains
Link after link, memories of her sin

Distract her
So she can’t focus her mind

Do not let her open God’s perfect and inerrant Word
Or let her hide the Enemy’s truth and promises in her heart

Do not let her read or remember
There is no condemnation to those in Christ

Nor walk in freedom
For whom the Son sets free is free indeed

May those hell-bound unbelievers around her
See a fool burdened under the weight of her sin

May she not harken the door of a church
Where the Word of God is taught without compromise

Instead direct her to man’s wisdom
A life of self-effort and temporary rewards

May she not be encouraged and strengthen
By the body of Christ

Whatever you do, don’t let her pray
For her God will hear her prayers and answer

Like the vulnerable lamb who wanders from the flock
Attack and devour when she is alone

Do not let her put her hope in God
Instead cloud her mind with condemnation and defeat

Whatever you do, do not let her be filled with joy and peace
Or give praise, honor and glory to God

Remember, He is our ultimate Enemy
Who desires to save all those who are perishing

Good luck on your assignment lieutenant
Once you succeed, there are many more we need to defeat

by Susan Wachtel
May 14, 2015

Looking Back

How could that dark day be called good
Except by God Who knew what would be accomplished

A divine appointment

Set from before the foundations of the world

The sinless, spotless Lamb of God

On the cross He bore the sin of man

He was nailed to the cross by sinful man

The ones He came to save

His punishment and death

Paid our sin debt in full

With His last breath He proclaimed “It is finished”

The veil was torn in two from top to bottom

Through His death

He made a way to the Father for those who believe

The Father’s great desire

For all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth

Christ Jesus alone provided the way

  To be forgiven

  To be cleansed from sin and made white as snow

  To have His righteousness credit to our account

  To come boldly before the throne of grace

  To call God our Father Abba

Won’t you believe and be set free

From the crushing weight of sin

From the penalty that await those who refuse to believe

By Susan Wachtel

April 3, 2015

The Destruction of a Gossiping Tongue

Woe is the destruction that comes
From a gossiping tongue

Like the devastation wrought
By an out of control wildfire

So too when the gossip’s tongue speaks
A match is lit and many will be burned

Like the person who rolls down the window
Carelessly tosses out a lit cigarette

It will ignite flames of fire
And quickly be driven by the wind

Nary is a thought given
To the damage that will ensue

Wounds inflicted
Burns and scars that may take a lifetime to heal

What pride and arrogance
When words of judgment and condemnation are spoken

The unbeliever hears and declares “hypocrite”
I don’t want to be like that Christian

It breeds mistrust, anger and bitterness
The wounded soul struggles to forgive

Souls for whom Christ died are hurt
The body is divided

God dishonored
Reproach brought upon the body of Christ

Remove the log from your own eye
Be broken over sin and seek forgiveness

Instead may you use your tongue
To praise and worship God, bring Him honor and glory

Now may you pray for the brethren
Speak words of encouragement, life and truth


Susan Wachtel
February 5, 2015