An Outstretched Hand Grace waits patiently for everyone like Charon beside the River Styx. But Grace requires no coinage for sin's payment has been nixed. The sound of a boulder's rumble, louder to the soul than deafening thunder, is the receipt for the cost of transgression, paid in full. It leaves even angels still in wonder at the depth of love that bears such a brutal toll. Grace holds her breath with an outstretched hand, the pinnacle choice of life for every man. Grace's hand is still open to you. Will you take it? Justin Farley
Tag Archives: spiritual poetry
Happiness is Fleeting A Poem About Being Content with Life
Happiness is Fleeting If happiness is your goal you'll never be whole. Always be rolling on a raging river of emotion completely out of control. For happiness is fleeting, receding like the waters on a creek bank after a storm, never even warned that the moment one desire is fulfilled a new one is born. Seek to make contentment your aim. For it's constant through the winds of change; its heat still warms the soul though the fire's flame waxes and wanes. For contentment accepts life as it is. Realizes there's as much to be grateful for in pain as in bliss. Discontentment always follows happiness. Justin Farley
They Say…
They Say... They say follow your heart, but I'm thoroughly convinced mine doesn't know where the hell it's going. They say the heart wants what the heart wants. Mine wants to pull down the shades and get rip-roaring drunk. They say love yourself. I think if I love myself any more I'm going to join Narcissus at the bottom of that damn pool. They say put yourself first, but I'm so far in the lead that there's no one left for me to pass. But He says I'm broken beyond belief, that my heart is deceptive, and can't be trusted. He says that only fools follow the desires of the heart because they lead to bottomless pits, never satisfied. He says quit staring at yourself in that mirror, that my hope isn't found in self love, it's in the depth of His love. He says the first shall be last and to love my neighbor as myself, to help pick up the wounded runners rather than worry about what place I finish in. I love my heart, which is why it's so painful to admit that His Word sounds like truth, and culture sounds like childish chatter. Justin Farley
The Song of Life Inspirational Poem
The Song of Life The rhythm of my soul beats with joyful contentment. Gratitude Awareness Openness are the melodies my heart sings. The song of life is playing every second of every day. Lean in. Listen. Closer... until it moves your heart to dance. Justin Farley
Planting – A Poem About Using Your Talents and Gifts For God
Planting These seeds I sow, I know not whether they'll grow or remain dormant without ever seeing the light of day. Whether they'll wither and die or if they'll take root and thrive matters little; I am a planter - I leave the harvesting to You. I keep my heart open to the wind on whose instructions I depend to know which grounds You ordain for the work of my hands. These seeds I sow - I know not whether they'll grow. But the crop is Yours to use whether large or small. Justin Farley
Plucking Beauty – A Poem About Life and Eternity
Plucking Beauty I once plucked beauty out of experience serendipitously like wild flowers in the country, delighting in what new joy life was going to allow me to discover and show off in vases upon my windowsill. But my curiosity is stagnant and often vanishes, jaded over what I know I'll find - that everything alive is already withering, beautiful for an instant but quickly crumbling to dust. And yet, it is not beauty that has changed. It still shines as bright as when the Logos called it out of the void. It is my limited vision, this human decision to make everything about me and interpret the world through selfish eyes. In an instant gold is tarnished, gifts become entitlements, and beauty looses its brilliance when it's used for self-indulgence. I once looked for beauty because I found you there. You spoke to me out of your creation like any great artist does. Now I find myself tumbling off the path and stumbling towards naturalism. Beauty is not beautiful because it is fleeting. It does not speak to the human heart because it is temporary. No. Beauty speaks because it's divine intuition, nudging us towards the eternal reality, reminding us that there is something beyond the material world that Never dies, Never withers, Never decays, Never says good-bye. Life loses its luster when our lives are reduced to merely grains of sands upon the beach of time. The breath of God resides within each one of us; never lose sight of paradise. -Justin Farley
Hello, everyone! I have recently published my first chapbook of Christian poems titled “A Voice in the Wilderness – A Chapbook of Poems about God”. This has been developed and polished over the past six months or so. I am happy with the final product and hope you find encouragement in the poems but also a validation that the spiritual life is not all sunshine and rainbows. We all struggle. We all have periods of questions and/or doubt. But it is the yearning that keeps us coming back for more and allows us to experience joy.
You can purchase either on Amazon or on my own bookstore (it is cheaper and has free shipping on my store) and is available on the Kindle and in paperback.
Amazon: Kindle Paperback
Inkspiration Books (my bookstore): Paperback
Thank you for your support!
Poem About Peace, Love, and Faith
You Will Find
You will find peace
when nothing but this moment matters…
when you forgive yourself and others for the past
and stop obsessing over the worries of tomorrow.
You will find contentment
when you seek communion with the divine…
when the eternal fire of truth burns brighter
than wealth, social status, or material possessions.
You will find love
when you become loving…
when you live outside yourself
and believe there’s worse things than a broken heart.
You will find joy
when you purposefully seek it…
when you silence your complaints
and paint your gratitude upon each morning.
And you will find faith
when you dare to dream again…
when you see the world with your heart
and witness the pulsating beauty of possibility all around you.
-Poem Written by Justin Farley
Selfish Poetry – Poem About Worldly Desires, Greed, and Being Self-Centered
The Feast of Fools – Poem On Selfishness, Worldly Desires, Greed, and Being Self-Centered
Gather ’round for the Feast of Fools
Where all fantasies are fulfilled,
No demand is too extreme,
and all desires are devoured.
So pull up a chair
And take your seat at the table.
Your wish is thy command.
Whatever you are starving for will be served.
Oh, don’t worry
About restraining your selfish desires.
We’re happy to prepare whatever
It is you’re seeking.
“I’ll take a million dollars,” one man said.
“A million…that’s all?” said another.
“I’ll take a billion –
I’m absolutely starving.”
“I’ll take an innocent, young girl –
One that’s just turned 18.
I’ll put some experience in her, huh?”
He said, nudging the man sitting next to him.
“Forget that,” said the man next to him.
“She won’t even know what she’s doing.
Give me the one that’s open to anything
And has no shame.”
And the demands continued around the table.
“Serve me up some success.
I want to be the head of the organization
And take orders from no one.”
“Give me that red sports car
I’ve always wanted.
I just know I’ll finally be happy
Once I get it.”
“Serve me up a man
Who makes me feel special everyday,
Comes loaded with cash,
And willing to do whatever I say.”
“Build me a mansion so big
That I can parade around like a king.
Fill it with expensive toys
And butlers to fetch my every need.”
And as the men and women shouted their orders
From the lines of chairs at the table,
Desires became real
And appeared before them on their plates.
Each person sank their teeth
Into their meals
And sucked their cravings
Down to the bone – no crumbs remained.
“The Feast of Fools is complete.
Thank you all for coming.
Dinner will be served in the hall
Tomorrow, same as always.”
The people left the hall with bulging bellies,
But still weren’t full or satisfied.
Each silently reminded themselves
To ask for a larger meal tomorrow.
– Poem Written by Justin Farley
Behind the Poetry
It is easy to look at the danger of worldly desires and selfishness in the lives of people at the top. But the inspiration for this poem did not come from judging rich, selfish celebrities, but from judging my own self-centered, worldly desires. What is it in your life that you would ask for at the feast? There is nothing that you can devour that will bring you happiness or fill you up externally; it is only going to continue to leave you starving and hungry. Anytime we believe we can digest a worldly meal and think that it can fix us, we’re eating a feast for fools. Hopefully you enjoyed this poem.
photo credit: Jared Zimmerman via photopin cc
Along the Barren Road 