Turning Bible Verses into verse

Some translations of the Bible make almost every verse  sound poetic, such as the King James Version, which can often be scanned into iambic pentameter (basically, five upbeats per line.)

 

Hebrew poetry, however, relies more on patterns of thought, such as a statement further developed to bring spiritual depth and insight. Often, these verses can readily slip into syllabic poems, which use a 5/7/5 count of syllables on three successive lines. 

When this type of poem focuses on God the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, I call them Highku, after the most High God but with a nod to the haiku form such as shown here:

 

 

Psalm 36:9

For with the Lord is

the fountain of life, and in

His Light we see light.

 

Romans 8:28

For we know all things

will work together for good

for those who love God.

 

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord our God is

in our midst! He rejoices

over us with song.

 

Or a verse can be paraphrased as shown in this example from Psalm 33.

 

Sing about God’s Word.

Believe in His promises –

each one meant for you!

 

Bible verses can also become free verse or a prayer-song as in this passage from Psalm 143.

 

Let me hear Thy loving kindness

in the morning, LORD,

for I trust –

oh, I trust in You.

 

Teach me The Way

in which I should walk,

for to You I lift up

my soul – my life!

For to You, I lift up my soul.

Nothing replaces Holy Scripture! Sometimes, though, a contemporary-sounding poem can speak to readers who might not ever open a Bible.

May God guide the work we've been given to do in Jesus' Name.

 

 

Mary Harwell Sayler

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Sayings Straight from the Bible

 

Have you ever run across a familiar expression while reading the Bible and thinking, “Oh, that’s where that saying came from”?

Almost every language is flexible and continually changing, yet biblical expressions have often kept their initial meanings intact. For example:

 

"Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9.

"Old as Methuselah," (see Genesis 5:27.)

"Apple of my eye," Deuteronomy 32:10.

"By the skin of my teeth,” Job 19:20.

"Out of the mouths of babes," Psalm 8:2.

"At wit's end," Psalm 107:27.

“Pride goes before a fall," Proverbs 16:18.

“A little bird told me," Ecclesiastes 10:20.

"Can a leopard change his spots?" Jeremiah 13:23.

"Let justice roll down like the rivers," Amos 5:24.

"Salt of the earth," Matthew 5:13.

"Go the extra mile," Matthew 5:41.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand," Matthew 12:25.

“The blind leading the blind,” Matthew 15:14.

“A laborer is worthy of his hire," 1 Timothy 5:18.

Isn't it a blessing and a comfort to know God’s Word continues to live in us and in our language today?

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The Power of “Let”

 

Have you ever noticed how often the word “let” appears in the Bible? Some translations say over a thousand time. Others report almost four thousand! Regardless, that little three-letter word caught my attention this week as though I’d never before seen it. Such a small word, yet defined by so many facets, for example:

 

Let permits or allows. “We let the kids stay up a while.”

 

Let provides an opportunity. “Their donation let us restock the pantry.”

 

Let adjusts what needs adjusting. “I let the hem out in those pants.”

 

Let shares a secret. “We let them in on our plans.”

 

Let expresses. “The new puppy let out a cry.”

 

Let commands. “Let me see that.”

 

Let sets free. “They let loose their laughter.”

 

Let releases. “Let go and let God.”

 

Permission, provision, adjustment, revelation, expression, command, freedom, release – those varied aspects of “Let” are inherent in the Bible verses below. As you read, notice especially how God permitted His creation to create!

 

“God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light,” Genesis 1:3.

 

“And God said, ‘Let the land produce seed-bearing plants and trees that bear fruit, according to their various kinds.' And it was so,” Genesis 1:11.

 

“Then God said, ‘Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth and across the sky’,” Genesis 1:20.

 

“God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so,” Genesis 1:24.

 

“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image and likeness, so they may have authority over the fish in the sea and birds in the sky, livestock and wild animals, and all creatures that move along the ground’,” Genesis 1:26.

And it was so!

 

In another creation account, we see a young virgin’s response to an angel’s news that God had chosen her to bear His Son.

 

“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed,” Luke 1: 38.

Mary’s “Let it be” and God’s “Let there be” are ways of agreeing or saying, “Amen,” which, in this unique incident, worked together to ensure the birth of Jesus.

The story doesn’t end there though. In the “image and likeness” of God, we, too, have the power to create and let things happen as wardens of the earth. Consider, for example, how the permissive, expressive, revealing, creativity of God continues as Jesus commands in the gospel of Matthew:

 

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so they can see your good acts and glorify your Father in heaven," Matthew 5:16.

 

Amen. 

So be it. 

Let it be in Jesus’ Name.