Tag: FaithAndWriting

Seeking First, Trusting Always

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I’ll be honest with you—sometimes I get ahead of myself. I’ll be sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, and instead of enjoying the quiet morning, my mind is already two weeks down the road. I’m worrying about bills, appointments, the weather for an upcoming trip, or what-ifs that haven’t even happened yet. Before I know it, I’m living in tomorrow’s storm instead of today’s sunlight.

Jesus knew this about us. That’s why His words in Matthew 6:33–34 feel like a gentle hand on the shoulder:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

It’s almost like He’s saying, “Friend, take a deep breath. You’ve got enough on your plate today. Let Me handle tomorrow.”

Chores, Blessings, and Bumps

Each day brings its own mix, doesn’t it? Some days are full of simple chores—laundry, phone calls, errands. Other days bring blessings we didn’t expect—a kind word, a meal with family, or the smell of fresh-cut grass drifting in through the window. And then there are the bumps—the flat tire, the doctor’s report, the misunderstanding with a friend.

Jesus doesn’t promise us a trouble-free life. He says plainly, “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” But tucked right before that is the invitation: seek Him first.

What It Means to Seek First

Seeking first the kingdom of God isn’t about ignoring our responsibilities or floating through life without a care. It’s about priorities. It’s about waking up and saying, “Lord, before I chase my to-do list, I want to chase You. Before I scroll the headlines or worry about next week, I want to sit in Your presence.”

When we start there, it changes the way we carry today’s burdens. It doesn’t erase them, but it puts them in their proper place.

Trusting Him with Tomorrow

I think about the old farmers I grew up around. They’d get up at sunrise, put on their boots, and tackle what the day brought. If it rained, they worked in the rain. If the tractor broke, they fixed it or found a way around it. They weren’t worrying about whether next Tuesday’s forecast might ruin the hay crop. They trusted that God would give them the strength for the day they were in.

That’s a good picture for us. We don’t ignore tomorrow—we just don’t let it rob today.

A Gentle Reminder

So here’s my encouragement: Seek His kingdom first. Give Him your today. Trust Him with your tomorrow. Because when Jesus is at the center, the rest has a way of finding its place.

Friend, today’s got its chores, its blessings, and its bumps. Walk through them with Him, and let tomorrow worry about itself.

Grace and Peace
Jimmie

Did you enjoy this article? You can find more of Jimmie Aaron Kepler’s non-fiction books at NONFICTION and his speculative fiction books written as Jim Kepler at FICTION.

What Makes Poetry Christian?

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1. Root of Christian Poetry

Christian poetry is defined less by its form and more by its orientation. 

At its heart, it is poetry written from a Christian worldview—pointing to God, Christ, Scripture, or the life of faith. It doesn’t always have to be a direct retelling of Bible passages, though it can be.

2. Scripture-Based Christian Poetry

Some Christian poetry directly restates or paraphrases Scripture. Think of it like a psalm in modern verse, or a meditation on John 3:16. 

This type of poetry is devotional and often aims at reinforcing biblical truths in lyrical form.

Example:

“The Lord is my Shepherd—
I walk a path of still waters,
where shadows stretch, but fear dissolves.”

This is clearly tied to Psalm 23.

3. Theme-Based Christian Poetry

Other Christian poetry takes Christian themes—love, grace, forgiveness, hope, redemption, suffering, eternity—and weaves them into verse without quoting a single line of Scripture. It’s Christian because the imagery, message, or worldview reflects the Gospel.

Example:

“At the edge of my weakness
grace builds a bridge—
stronger than fear,
wide enough for me.”

No direct Scripture, but undeniably Christian in theme.

4. The Litmus Test

  • Does it align with the Christian story? (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration)
  • Does it reflect a biblical worldview? (God-centered, grace-filled, Christ-honoring)
  • Does it speak hope, truth, or spiritual reflection consistent with faith?

     

If yes, then it’s Christian poetry, whether it cites a verse or not.

5. Freedom of Style

Christian poetry doesn’t have to sound like a sermon or hymn. It can be contemplative, narrative, even experimental in style—as long as the voice behind it is shaped by Christian faith.

In short: Christian poetry doesn’t have to be Scripture restated. It can simply be poetry that springs from Christian faith, themes, and worldview.

The Purpose of Poetry

1. To Distill Experience

Poetry takes the big, messy fullness of life and condenses it into concentrated language—like espresso for the soul.

A few words can hold a lifetime’s worth of grief, joy, or wonder.

2. To Give Voice to the Unspeakable

There are moments—grief, awe, love—when ordinary prose falters. Poetry helps us express what we feel but can’t easily say.

3. To Bear Witness

Poets often write to record truth: personal, communal, or divine. It preserves memory, culture, and faith for generations.

4. To Connect the Human and the Divine

Especially in Christian poetry, verse becomes prayer, worship, or meditation bridging Earth and heaven.

The Value of Poetry

1. Emotional Healing

Reading or writing poetry can bring comfort, release, or catharsis. (Think of the Psalms—ancient poems that still soothe hearts today.)

2. Clarity and Insight

Poetry can help us see old truths in new ways. A single metaphor can crack open a fresh perspective on God, life, or self.

3. Beauty and Delight

Sometimes the value is simply aesthetic: the rhythm of words, the dance of images, the pleasure of sound.

4. Community and Shared Language

Poems can unite people—whether in worship, in song, or around a kitchen table. They give us words to say together.

5. Legacy

A poem outlives the poet. It’s a way of leaving behind a sliver of one’s soul for future readers, much like how David’s psalms still speak across millennia.

In Conclusion

The purpose of poetry is to name the unnamable and make the invisible visible.

Its value lies in how it shapes hearts, deepens faith, preserves stories, and brings beauty into our everyday lives.

Some of the Most Influential Christian Poets of the Last 500 Years

1. John Donne (1572–1631)

  • Anglican priest, later Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral.
  • Early works explored love and wit, but later works (Holy Sonnets) wrestled with mortality, sin, and redemption.
  • Famous poems: Death Be Not Proud, Batter My Heart, Three-Person’d God.

2. George Herbert (1593–1633)

  • Anglican priest who viewed poetry as part of his ministry.
  • The Temple (1633) is entirely devotional, with poems about prayer, obedience, and grace.
  • Famous poems: The Collar, Love (III).

3. John Milton (1608–1674)

  • Deeply religious Puritan who believed his poetry was service to God.
  • Paradise Lost retells the Fall of humanity; Paradise Regained and Samson Agonistes also carry strong biblical themes.
  • Famous for combining epic poetry with Christian theology.

4. Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672)

  • Puritan living in New England, considered the first published American poet.
  • Poems often reflect on mortality, God’s providence, and eternal hope, alongside domestic themes.
  • Famous poems: Verses Upon the Burning of Our House, Contemplations.

5. John Bunyan (1628–1688)

  • A Christian, and a Puritan preacher in 17th-century England.
  • His most famous book, The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), is an allegory of the Christian journey of salvation. It has sold over 250 million copies. He is the all-time best selling Christian author.
  • Bunyan also wrote poems with strong devotional themes. His allegorical verse and prose have sold millions worldwide and have been translated into over 200 languages.
  • His writings consistently point to his deep personal faith in Christ, his commitment to Scripture, and his desire to encourage believers to persevere through trials.

6. Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889)

  • Jesuit priest, deeply influenced by Catholic sacramental theology.
  • Developed “sprung rhythm” and wrote poems celebrating God’s grandeur in nature.
  • Famous poems: God’s Grandeur, The Windhover, Pied Beauty.

7. Christina Rossetti (1830–1894)

  • Devout Anglican, wrote devotional and hymn-like verse.
  • Her faith permeates even non-explicit works, with strong undercurrents of sin, redemption, and grace.
  • Famous works: Goblin Market, A Christmas Carol (“In the Bleak Midwinter”).

8. T.S. Eliot (1888–1965)

  • A Christian poet (after conversion). Converted to Anglicanism in 1927.
  • Early works (The Waste Land) are bleak and fragmented, but later poetry (Ash Wednesday, Four Quartets) reflects deep Christian meditation.
  • Famous poem: Four Quartets (a Christian exploration of time, eternity, and salvation).

9. C.S. Lewis (1898–1963)

  • A Christian poet, apologist and novelist.
  • Early poetry collection Spirits in Bondage (1919) shows a pre-Christian struggle, but later verse reflects Christian imagination and theology.
  • His poetry complements his prose works. Lewis wrote four long poems: Dymer, Launcelot, The Queen of Drum, The Nameless Isle. His more lyrical and shorter poems: After Prayers Lie Cold, An Expostulation, As the Ruin Falls, On a Vulgar Error, On Being Human, and Prelude to Space.
  • Best known for The Chronicles of Narnia (over 120 million copies sold). Also wrote Christian classics like Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce.
  • Between his fiction, poetry, and apologetics, Lewis is widely considered the best-selling Christian author of the 20th century.

9. Calvin Miller (1936–2012)

  • A Christian poet. Southern Baptist pastor, seminary professor, and writer.
  • Famous for The Singer Trilogy (1970s), an allegorical retelling of the gospel in epic poetry, which sold over one million copies. Very impactful and influential during the revival that swept across the United States in the late 1960s and 1970s that is most widely and officially known as the Jesus Movement (or sometimes the Jesus People Movement).
  • His works aimed at making faith imaginative and lyrical. Other books of Miller’s poetry include: Apples, Snakes, and Bellyaches and When the Aardvark Parked on the Ark

10. Madeleine L’Engle (1918–2007)

  • A Christian writer, poet, though better known for her fiction. Her poetry infused with her Christian faith.
  • Her crossover appeal in both secular and faith markets boosted her poetry sales.
  • Her poetry collections include: The Ordering of Love, Lines Scribbled on an Envelope and Other Poems, A Cry Like a Bell, The Weather of the Heart, and Penguins and Golden Calves.

11. Luci Shaw (1928– )

  • A Christian poet. Contemporary contemplative poet whose work integrates faith, nature, and creativity. Known for meditative, faith-filled verse still being written today.
  • Frequent collaborator with Madeleine L’Engle.
  • Books include Harvesting Fog and Eye of the Beholder.
  • Famous Poems are:  Made Flesh, Mary’s Song, Breath, Landscape With Dunes, God Speaks in Whispers, and Ghostly.
  • Her Notable Poetry Collections are: Accompanied by Angels: Poems of the Incarnation, Polishing the Petoskey Stone, Eye of the Beholder, and The Generosity.
  • Her poems embody her gift for blending theology with tactile, natural imagery.

 

Write It Down: Lessons for Writers from Exodus 24:4

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Write It Down: Lessons for Writers from Exodus 24:4
By: Jimmie Aaron Kepler

Exodus 24:4 – “Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.” 

I’ve always loved how Exodus 24:4 puts it so simply: 

“Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.”

It’s plain. Straightforward. Almost easy to miss. But stop and think about it a second. Moses didn’t just nod along, figuring he’d remember later. He didn’t say, “I’ll get around to it when the time feels right.” He didn’t even leave it to chance. No—he wrote it down. And because he did, we still hold those words in our hands today.

Now, I don’t know about you, but that gets to me. It makes me wonder—what would’ve been lost if Moses hadn’t put pen to parchment? How much wisdom, how much truth, how much of God’s guidance might have slipped through the cracks of human memory if he’d walked away and just assumed he’d recall it later?

Friend, there’s a sermon in that for all of us who write.

Moses and the Writer’s Call

Moses wasn’t setting out to become a bestselling author. He wasn’t looking to climb the literary charts or even leave a legacy. He was just being faithful. He was obedient to capture what God had spoken, no matter how ordinary or inconvenient the task might have seemed at the moment.

That’s the call for us as writers, poets, storytellers, and dreamers. Maybe you’re wrestling with words that won’t come out right. Maybe you’re staring at a blinking cursor that feels more like a dare than an invitation. Or maybe you’ve convinced yourself nobody needs your story anyway.

But here’s the truth—your words matter. Just like Moses’s did.

Writing as Preservation

Writing isn’t just self-expression; it’s preservation. Think about all the moments you’ve lived through—joys that lit up your heart, heartbreaks that nearly undid you, lessons you learned the hard way. If you don’t write them down, who will?

I think about my own journals, scratched out in coffee shops and quiet mornings before the world got noisy. I didn’t write them thinking anyone else would read them. But every once in a while, I’ll flip back through and find a note, a prayer, or a thought that feels like a lifeline thrown across time from my younger self.

That’s what happens when we write—we preserve what God is teaching us. We anchor fleeting thoughts before they drift off. And sometimes, we leave behind a trail someone else can follow when they get lost in the dark.

Somebody’s Waiting

You may never know who your words are meant for. Could be your grandchild reading them fifty years from now. Could be a stranger on the other side of the world stumbling across your book, blog, or poem. Could be a friend sitting in the same pew, needing a reminder that they’re not alone.

But make no mistake—somebody’s waiting for your story. Somebody’s waiting for your words.

Start Where You Are

You don’t need perfect grammar, a polished manuscript, or a book deal to begin. You just need to start. Moses didn’t wait until conditions were perfect—he wrote it down as it came. And look at the difference it made.

Maybe today it’s just a sentence scribbled in a notebook. Maybe it’s a half-finished poem on your phone. Maybe it’s an essay that will one day grow into a book. Whatever it looks like, start where you are. Write what God has laid on your heart.

Because words unwritten eventually vanish. Words written can live on and on.

So next time you find yourself hesitating, remember Exodus 24:4: “Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.”

That wasn’t just a historical detail. It was an invitation. An example. A reminder that what we write today might be the very words someone else needs tomorrow.

So go ahead. Grab that pen. Open that laptop. Write it down.

Grace and Peace,
Jimmie

Did you enjoy this article? You can find more of Jimmie Aaron Kepler’s non-fiction books at NONFICTION and his speculative fiction books written as Jim Kepler at FICTION.