Previously Published Poems Vol. III
YET, WILL I REJOICE
Can I say, "Yet, will I rejoice"
No matter what comes my way?
Will I be able to face the trial
That is certain to come some day?Can I say, "Yet, will I rejoice",
When my worldly goods are gone?
Will I be able to pick up the pieces
And bravely carry on?Can I say, "Yet, will I rejoice",
When my body is wracked with pain?
Can I take it with grace and joy
And know it is for my gain?Can I say, "Yet, will I rejoice",
When my dearest one is brought low?
Will I have the strength to take
The heart-wrenching blow?Can I say, "Yet, will I rejoice",
When a loved one is taken in death?
Will I have the grace to die,
When it's time for my last breath?Oh, God, give me the grace I need
To face these trials in my life.
Give me strength and fortitude
To rejoice over stress and strife.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~"Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
neither shall fruit be in the vines; the
labor of the olive shall fail, and the
fields shall yield no meat; the flock
shall be cut off from the fold, and there
shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will
rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God
of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:17.18
ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER
It is human nature to rebel
Against the negatives that come our way.
Temptations and trails besiege us.
We have to face them day by day.God tells us in His Holy Word
That all things work in our good.
This is difficult to understand
And we would erase the bad if we could.If we accept temptations,
Disappointments and denials;
If we can overcome heartaches
And withstand all of our trials,Our loving God will take them
And work them for our good.
He'll make us stronger through them,
Just as He said He would.So, look for reasons to praise God
Though circumstances seem grim.
He'll reward you for your patience
And you'll grow closer to Him.~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"All things work together for good to
them that love God.." Romans 8:28THE HAND OF THE LORD
Can we look at life and say,
"The hand of the Lord hath wrought this?"
Or do we complain against what comes
And think our Master is remiss?That awful jolt He allows to come
Is never a mistake.
It was sent to bring us closer
And for our 'good's' sake.It is difficult for us to see
With our faulty human eyes
Why certain things come our way.
But our God is all-wise.He knows what is best for us,
Just what will bring out the best.
If we accept it as His will -
We will be bountifully blest.He will be glorified through it all.
It will bring honor to His Name.
We will mature as He wants,
And we'll never be the same.~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"The hand of the Lord hath wrought this."
Job 12:9"Stay firm and let thine heart take courage."
Psalm 27:14DON'T BORROW TROUBLE
Don't borrow trouble from tomorrow,
Today has enough of its own.
Have faith to trust that our God
Will never leave you alone.
Have a song in your heart
To chase away the blues.
Be thankful when the sun returns
And God your joy renews.
The bridge that stretches through tomorrow
Is not to be crossed today.
If you trust your God to lead,
Your tomorrow will be okay.
If you remember that God is with you,
You can always sing and say,
"I'll bear the sorrow that comes tomorrow,
But I'll borrow none for today."
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"Be content with such things as ye have:
for he hath said, I will never leave thee
nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly
say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not
fear what man shall do unto me."
Hebrews 13:5,6
A FAITH THAT IS STEADFAST
Have you ever seen someone,
Who when a great trial has passed
Is closer to the Master,
With a faith that is steadfast?
Trials should bring us closer
And never drive us away.
God's strength and His marvelous grace
Will keep us from going astray.
When the storms of life rage 'round us
And we don't know where to turn,
It's then God has a special lesson
For His wayward child to learn.
We're stronger for the experience
He has allowed us to go through.
He can now use us more effectively
In the work He has called us to do.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"In everything ye are enriched by Him."
I Corinthians 1:5
THE RIGHT TIME
God hears your every petition.
He chooses the right time to send
The blessing that you prayed for.
On His promise you can depend.
Has he not answered you before?
Do not doubt that He cares.
When it is the right time
He will answer your prayer.
His timing may not coincide
With what you think you need,
But in the right time
Your expectations He will exceed.
He won't allow one trial too many.
He knows at what point you'll break.
He will come at the right time.
His child He will never forsake.
Do not grieve Him by your doubt.
Let Him know you trust His love.
Know that He knows the right time
To send your answer from above.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
THE HARD PLACES
I would not erase the hard places
Which have come into my life.
The times of pain and sorrow,
Of distress and strife.
The rocks I stumbled over,
The grief, the fears, mistakes,
The times of loneliness and solitude,
The sickness and the aches.
They came at times in my life
When I needed a closer tie
To my Lord and Master.
My soul had to learn to fly
Above the trials of this earth
And soar to heights above,
To lean upon God's shoulders
And to bask in His comforting love.
Those rocks were needed to build a stairway
That leads to my Heavenly home.
I'm stronger when I walk with Him
Instead of facing my trials alone.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"For things that have happened unto me
have fallen out rather unto the furtherance
of the gospel."
Philippians 1:12
HOPE
What would we do without hope?
Hope for the dawn after the night?
Hope for the coming spring?
Hope that the dark will turn into light?
The hope that love will bring?
Mankind cannot survive without hope.
Hope for the next fleeting breath.
Hope for the joy that will come.
Hope for life after death.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him."
Psalm 42:5
THE WORK WE DO
The work we do may go unknown
By humans upon this earth.
But what we do for our God
Will have eternal worth.
We may never know the praise of men,
Nor receive crowns of reward.
Flowers may never strew our path,
Our efforts constantly ignored.
But if we're always true to His work,
Someday our Lord will say,
"Well done, thou good and faithful one."
Our sacrifice He will repay.
We cannot be weary in the task
He's called us to do alone.
If we keep working day by day,
We'll reap what we have sown.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"And let us not be weary in well doing:
for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Galatians 6:9
A GLORIOUS DAY
What a glorious day that will be
When all God's children unite.
When we gather in His Heaven,
Where there'll be no more night.
They will come from all over,
From the jungles - dark and deep.
From the islands in the oceans,
He will His harvest reap.
From great cities and the farm lands,
From the hot lands and the cold.
Wherever His saints have been working,
Wherever His story has been told.
What a great celebration
When the saints receive their reward
For the gathering of the millions
When God's kingdom is restored.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"Unto Him shall the gathering of the people be."
Genesis 49:10
RAIN ON MOWN GRASS
God's Spirit is soothing to a wounded soul,
Just as the cool, soft rain is to new mown grass.
When we feel we are forsaken,
We hear, "This, too, shall pass."
We take on new and vibrant life,
Ready to face what may come.
God, in His mercy, will relieve
That 'thing' that is troublesome.
As it is necesary for the mower's scythe
To pass over the summer field,
God knows sometimes we need to bear
Pain and anguish to make our stubborn spirit yield.
Because we are hurt or saddened
Is no sign that our God is not near.
He never forgets His wayward child
And He's never too distant to hear.
So, as He sends rain on the wounded grass,
He will never fail to send relief
To the wounded spirit of His child.
His loving grace will heal our grief.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"He will come down like rain on the mown grass."
Psalm 72:6
MAKE YOUR PETITION
Make your petition large,
Let God decide what is best.
His love is o'erflowing.
In trusting, you will be blest.
Make your petition now,
Claim all that God has for you.
Know that He will fulfill your need
And satisfy many of your wants, too.
He already knows what's needed,
But He wants to hear your prayers.
He will supply your needs
And let you know that He cares.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~HE SENDS HELP
We may be cruelly tossed about
On the rough seas of life;
Afflicted and sore dismayed,
Plagued with stress and stife.God's ways are not our ways,
His thoughts far above those of men.
He knows what's best for each of us,
He sends help again and again.We cannot always know
The reasons for what He sends,
But if we trust Him with our life,
Our expectations He always transcends.~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
JESUS KNOWS ALL ABOUT ME
Oh, how wonderful it is to know
That Jesus knows all about me.
That He walks before to prepare the way,
And waits where I can't see.It matters not if I can't see Him,
If my faith is strong enough to believe.
He knows what is best for me
And my discomfort He will relieve.He made my pathway smoother
As He trod the rough, narrow way.
He took my troubles upon Himself,
And is there to answer when I pray.I do not know what this day will bring,
Whether sorrow, joy or fame,
But I am certain that I will ever
Honor His precious Name!~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
IF YE SHALL ASK
Jesus promises to do what we ask,
Although we are warned not to ask amiss.
If we ask in the wrong way for the wrong reason,
His blessing we possibly will miss.
You must never doubt His truthful Word
Or the fact that He loves us so much.
He will give us what is best for us,
And we can feel His tender touch.
Anything we ask in His Name,
Sincere in our desire to please,
Will be granted - as He said He would.
He sets our fearful hearts at ease.
It is God Who has made this promise
To each child of His, with love.
It is God Who will send the answer
From His heavenly home above.
He waits to hear from His children,
To know that we depend upon Him.
If we seek His wisdom and ask for right things,
He will see that we receive them.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"If ye shall ask...I will do."
John 14:14
"Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that
ye may consume it upon your lusts."
James 4:3
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much."
James 5:16
"Men ought always to pray and not to faint."
Luke 18:1
"I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up
holy hands, without wrath and doubting."
I Timothy 2:8
HE WILL HEAR AND ANSWER
Does your daily request
Seem an impossibility?
Where is your faith in God?
He'll hear and answer your earnest plea.
He promises in His Holy Word
To provide your every need,
But He wants to hear you pray
And know that to His Word you take heed.
Though the mountain may be high,
He can tunnel through.
Though your request may be great,
He will hear and answer you.
If you pray in faith believing,
With thanksgiving for His care,
He will answer "exceeding abundantly
Above all" you ask for in your prayer.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"Is anything too hard for God?"
Genesis 18:14
ABANDON ALL TO GOD
Do we dare abandon all to God?
Is our faith strong enough to know
That He will take what we give Him,
Use it and make our faith grow?
Only complete abandonment
To God and to His will.
Will bring true contentment
And our wants and needs fulfill.
He alone knows what's best for us.
If we, childlike, in His arms repose,
He will calm and soothe our spirit
And His perfect will disclose.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"I plead with you therefore, brethren, by the
compassions of God, to present all your faculties
to Him as a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to Him.
This with you will be an act of reasonable worship.
Romans 12:1 (Weymouth Translation)
ONLY HE COULD PAY THE PRICE
Jesus was born in the poorest of circumstances,
But the air was filled with hallelujahs from the
heavenly host.
His lodging was in a lowly manger
But in His presence distinguished guests were engrossed.
His birth broke all the laws of Nature.
He owned no real estate here on earth.
Yet His love was precious to the multitudes.
There is no way to humanly measure His worth.
All Nature honored His abbreviated life,
Yet sinners rejected His sacrificial love.
He alone was pure enough to be
The representative of His Father above.
His redeeming blood was shed at Calvary
For sinners who will accept His sacrifice.
Only His blood could cover all our sins.
Only He, the Son of God, could pay the price!
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
IF I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE!
If only I could have been there
To witness the Christ Child's birth,
If I could have been one of the angels
Who announced His coming to earth.
Or even one of the lowly shepherds
Who faithfully watched their sheep.
What joy would have filled my soul,
What memories mine to keep!
But I am much more blessed today,
Jesus lives within my heart.
He is my constant companion
And He never will depart.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
QUESTIONS???
Unbelievers say the story of the wise men
Does not make common sense.
How could three men pick out one star
From a sky so immense?
How could a virgin give birth?
How could the lowly shepherds find
A Baby born in a manger?
How could His blood save all of mankind?
How could He die on the cruel cross
And in three days rise from the grave?
How can God accept sinners
Because of the precious life He gave?
We cannot with our finite minds
Understand the reason or the way
God provided salvation for His children.
But we can believe and celebrate on Christmas Day!
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"For unto you is born this day in the city of
David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:11
FORGETTING - REMEMBERING
Forgetting all those things behind me,
The sorrows and the pain,
Remembering God's great goodness,
The victories I did attain.
Forgetting all of my doubts,
My disappointments and discontent.
Remembering the times God gave me faith,
And all of the good times of merriment.
Forgetting all unkindness
Shown by someone on the way.
Remembering each word of encouragment
And the promises to pray.
Forgetting those days before
Christ came into my life.
Remembering the wonderful fellowship
As I overcome my fear and strife.
Forgetting days before I enjoyed
God's Word and fellowship in prayer.
Remembering His precious promises
And His presence everywhere.
~Fer Hanlin Coberly ~
"...forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things
which are before."
Philippians 4:13
LEAVE IT ALL IN HIS HANDS
Leave it all in His hands,
Do not worry and fret.
He is in control of all things.
You'll never have cause for regret.
Let His mind rule your mind,
Every thought, every plan.
He knows what's best for you,
He has known since time began
"Why take ye thought for tomorrow?""
He already knows your way.
Why worry about which step to take?
He'll instruct you as you pray.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
"Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 2:5
HAVE FAITH
We humans are often prone
To doubt and question why
When the answers do not come.
Have faith - they will by and by.
We may not always understand
And in our questioning find
That life is often difficult
And others not always kind.
But we must have faith
That our God knows all.
That He cares for His child.
He is there to help when we fall.
Have faith in God whatever comes,
Know that His love is sure,
And then wait until His answer comes.
He'll give us grace to endure.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~
TODAY IS TO LIVE
I cannot live in yesterday
With all of its pains and aches.
They have all passed on
Along with all of its mistakes.
I cannot undo an act I've done
Or take back a word I've said.
I cannot erase the thoughts I've had
Or delete the words I've read.
There is no need to worry
About what has happened in the past.
The good the bad have ceased to be.
None of it will last.
Today is filled with its own tasks.
I journey one day at a time.
I will run my race as I trust my Lord
And choose my own mountains to climb.
Tomorrow has its own cares,
Its own burdens and heartaches,
Its promises and rewards,
Its own failures and mistakes.
I'll leave it in God's loving hands
To bring into my life what is best.
Whether it be good or bad I will know
That I've been greatly blest.
~ Fern Hanlin Coberly ~