Ben was mistaken – v4

In a land of thinkers, of revolutionaries

breaking free of an empire, needing their wits

their guile, to hide behind trees, rocks,

rather than being in the open, exposed.

The concept might have made sense -

“God helps those who help themselves”;

but Ben was wrong; he missed the point

nothing of salvation, of grace, in these words.

We are as Adam, as Lot, as David, as Paul

doing that which we hate, living of the world

dying in sin; rising by faith, by grace alone

nothing we could do to restore our souls.

By grace we are given hope,

our works pale in comparison

we are not self-made,

we need the help of God, of others.

Clay only on the Potter’s wheel

by His hands alone made worthy vessels

By grace we give grace to others

as we walk in life.

====

edited March 5, 2015

Ben was mistaken – v4

(editing original again)

edited June 30, 2014

Ben was mistaken – v3

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/06/ben-was-mistaken-v3.html

June 30, 2014

Ben was mistaken – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/06/ben-was-mistaken-v2.html

July 20, 2008

Ben was mistaken

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2008/07/ben-was-mistaken.html

Romans 5:1-5

and Sermon by Rev. Huntley Halvorson,

“Murphy Was Wrong”,

Suncook United Methodist Church, Suncook, NH

Murphy’s Law - “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong”

&

“God helps those who help themselves”,

by Ben Franklin (not the Bible)

http://www.ushistory.org/Franklin/info/

Poor Richard's Almanac in 1757

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Poor_Richard's_Almanack#1757

&

other information on the source this quote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_helps_those_who_help_themselves

http://www.gotquestions.org/God-help-themselves.html

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 36,029+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Ben was mistaken – v3

These words were a lie

the falsehood of enlightenment

the self-made man an illusion

the stuff of smoke and mirrors, a canard,

as if we on our own are good enough

The words sound like Proverbs

on first blush, evident, our belief as Americans,

of purpose in life, perhaps from the Bible

that we somehow earn heaven, that

“God helps those who help themselves”.

In a land of thinkers, of revolutionaries

breaking free of an empire, needing their wits

their guile, to hide behind trees, rocks,

rather than being in the open

easy enough to believe

The concept might have made sense -

“God helps those who help themselves”;

but Ben was wrong; he missed the point

altogether wrong, not knowing God

His infinite mercy, His boundless grace.

We are as Adam, as Lot, as David, as Paul

doing that which we hate, living of the world

all of us Prodigals, not all coming home,

dying in sin; rising by faith, by grace alone

not by our hands, our intellect, our work.

By grace we are given hope,

our works pale in comparison;

Clay only on the Potter’s wheel

by His hands alone worthy vessels;

His sacrifice gives us life.

====

edited June 30, 2014

Ben was mistaken – v3

June 30, 2014

Ben was mistaken – v2

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/06/ben-was-mistaken-v2.html

July 20, 2008

Ben was mistaken

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2008/07/ben-was-mistaken.html

Romans 5:1-5

and Sermon by Rev. Huntley Halvorson,

“Murphy Was Wrong”,

Suncook United Methodist Church, Suncook, NH

Murphy’s Law - “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong”

&

“God helps those who help themselves”,

by Ben Franklin (not the Bible)

http://www.ushistory.org/Franklin/info/

Poor Richard's Almanac in 1757

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Poor_Richard's_Almanack#1757

&

other information on the source this quote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_helps_those_who_help_themselves

http://www.gotquestions.org/God-help-themselves.html

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 30,820+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Ben was mistaken – v2

The words sound like Proverbs

on first blush, evident, our belief as Americans,

of purpose in life, perhaps from the Bible

that we somehow earn heaven, that

“God helps those who help themselves”.

In a land of thinkers, of revolutionaries

breaking free of an empire, needing their wits

their guile, to hide behind trees, rocks,

rather than being in the open

The concept might have made sense -

“God helps those who help themselves”;

but Ben was wrong; he missed the point

altogether wrong, not knowing God.

We are as Adam, as Lot, as David, as Paul

doing that which we hate, living of the world

dying in sin; rising by faith, by grace alone

not by our hands, our intellect, our work.

By grace we are given hope,

our works pale in comparison;

Clay only on the Potter’s wheel

by His hands alone worthy vessels;

His sacrifice gives us life.

====

June 30, 2014

Ben was mistaken – v2

July 20, 2008

Ben was mistaken

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2008/07/ben-was-mistaken.html

Romans 5:1-5

and Sermon by Rev. Huntley Halvorson,

“Murphy Was Wrong”,

Suncook United Methodist Church, Suncook, NH

Murphy’s Law - “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong”

&

“God helps those who help themselves”,

by Ben Franklin (not the Bible)

http://www.ushistory.org/Franklin/info/

Poor Richard's Almanac in 1757

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Poor_Richard's_Almanack#1757

&

other information on the source this quote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_helps_those_who_help_themselves

http://www.gotquestions.org/God-help-themselves.html

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 30,820+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

Ben was mistaken

In a land of thinkers, of revolutionaries
breaking free of an empire, needing their wits
their guile, to hide behind trees, rocks,
rather than being in the open

The concept might have made sense -
“God helps those who help themselves”;
but Ben was wrong; he missed the point

We are as Adam, as Lot, as David, as Paul
doing that which we hate, living of the world
dying in sin; rising by faith, by grace alone

By grace we are given hope,
our works pale in comparison
Clay only on the potter’s wheel
by His hands alone worthy vessels
By grace we give grace to others

July 20, 2008

Ben was mistaken

http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2008/07/ben-was-mistaken.html

Romans 5:1-5

and Sermon by Rev. Huntley Halvorson,

“Murphy Was Wrong”,

Suncook United Methodist Church, Suncook, NH

Murphy’s Law - “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong”

&

“God helps those who help themselves”,

by Ben Franklin (not the Bible)

http://www.ushistory.org/Franklin/info/

Poor Richard's Almanac in 1757

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Poor_Richard's_Almanack#1757

&

other information on the source this quote:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_helps_those_who_help_themselves

http://www.gotquestions.org/God-help-themselves.html

All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 30,820+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.