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“He Restores My Soul”

Poems of Encouragement

By: Tamika Wells

“He Restores My Soul” are a selection of poems that speak of life’s hurts, disappointments and brokenness pointing us to the hope and healing than can only be found in Jesus. Tamika writes with a passion and insight that comes straight from her heart and life.

When He Came Into My Life

Inspired by Acts 3:19

Dear friend,

Since Jesus came into my life

Yes, it’s obvious He’s changed me.

People always say,

“The Lord has rearranged me!”

But I feel You deserve more than a cliché.

So I open my heart and share

Some of the deepest parts within.

When I was livin’ in sin.

My will, my way seemed so right.

I ignored stops signs, hunger pains,

And even ran a few red lights.

I mean, if I wanted it, I grabbed it.

If you desired something in life,

I probably had it.

But still waking up

In the middle of the night, hungry.

Walking in the day light, thirsty.

Drivin’ the car of life so fast,

That, with all the windows down,

I couldn’t get enough air.

Then…….CRASH!!!!!!!

Still ignoring the warnings,

I found myself in situations that

If I weren’t so enslaved,

I would not be there.

I said, if you weren’t so Enslaved

You know, I know,

We wouldn’t go there.

(Chorus)

Lord You changed me

Rearranged me

When You came into my life

Now I have liberty

In Christ I am free indeed

Since You came into my life

Like water in a shattered vase

I found myself leaking into cracks,

Into any dirty, dark place.

Then one day,

While picking up pieces

Of my broken life from the ground.

I touched His feet.

I didn’t know why but

I began to weep.

My wounded soul was found.

Jesus reached down to me

As I looked up.

I gave Him my hand and

He picked me up.

He embraced me,

As filthy as I was.

Washed me and healed me

With His flesh and His blood.

He showed me how He yearned for me,

He called me home

And time and time again, I refused.

And His heart cried for me.

He showed me the way of His love

And how He died for me.

And when I thought I was alone

He was fighting for me.

And when I was abused,

And beaten as a child,

He was there crying beside me.

(Chorus)

Oh, let me tell you how gooooood

The Lord has been to me!!

Since I have become His,

I’m no longer fatherless

I have a Father in heaven

Who guards me & keeps me.

When I’m hungry, He feeds me.

When I’m thirsty, His love fills me.

My cup is overflowing!!

When I’m in my Lord’s presence

I can’t stop glowing.

Everything I lost out in the world

He has restored, sevenfold.

Holidays are not even the same!

When my Lord gives back,

It’s not cheap or lame

I’m telling you, it ain’t the same.

Since the day, He gave me His name.

My life has not been the same!!

I was blind, but now I see.

All things that glittered, to me.

Weren’t gold, in the world.

The clubs, the music, the clothes

The videos, the one-night episodes…

Selah (pause)

To a hungry man, even the bitter tastes sweet.

But let me tell you,

There’s nothing out there that can compete!

There’s nothing that can compare!!

I don’t care what you buy

I don’t care what you try

I don’t care what you drive

I don’t care where you live

I don’t care what you lay with…

The high is temporary.

It sends you back for more.

My God, my Father, my King, my Lord

Gives me more than I can ask for!!

What kind of love

Lays down His life for a friend?

Friend? Your “friends”?

When the drama begins

Your ends are spent

The police are comin’

And your “friends” start runnin’…huh?

What profits a man to gain the world

Lose his soul and can’t stop the hell that’s comin’?

Selah (pause)

As I said, my life has been changed,

Since Jesus is on the throne of my heart.

I took you within some of my inner, deepest parts

And here we stand at the crossroad.

I told you the path I choose.

Everyday is not easy and it’s narrow.

But by following Jesus, I can’t lose.

But to go with the flow

Do what everybody else is doin’

I’ve done that before, I know.

The path is wider and much easier

They both have eternal destinations

Choose wisely, which way you will go.

(Chorus)

In Exodus 32:15,16, God meticulously describes the tablets the Law was

written on. He reiterated how they were written on both sides. It

reminded me of Romans 8:28 where the writer says, "And we know that all

things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who

are the called according to His purpose." The very things we struggle

with or have struggled with in the past, the skeletons that we try to

hide in our closets, God helps you, delivers you and heals you. And when

you look over your life and you see where He brought you from, you can't

help but praise Him!!! Hint-the devil can't stand your praise.

Therefore, He uses that testimony to glorify himself and His majesty. I,

also, noticed that the Law is called the Testimony with a capitol T.

That reminded me of Revelation 12:11 that says we defeat the enemy by

the blood of the Lamb and the power of our testimony. Our testimony?

Hmm...when was the last time you shared your testimony? It's something

that the enemy of our souls always tries to corrupt and mess up so that

he can say, "See, you ain't no Christian, look at what you just did!!!"

But the Lord rebuke him!! He is a liar!!!! As a believer in Christ

our Savior, our testimony is a powerful thing if we use it. It tells

people that you're not perfect, you can relate to them and God is more

than able!! God calls us to be light and salt as said in Matthew

5:13-15. Who knows how our obedience to God affects someone else when

they are discouraged??? Unless they testify, they tell you. Be blessed.

The Testimony-Both Sides of the Story

God has covenanted with me.

I am His living Testimony.

In anger, disgust, but love,

God has broken me.

In sadness He saw His work,

His craftsmanship, defiled.

But praise God!!

The story is written on both sides!!

It proves God's love revives.

I know what it's like to be good

And to be bad.

I know what it's like

To be happy and sad.

I know what it's like

When you ought to do good,

But your flesh keeps you

From doin' what you should.

Not saying this is an excuse

To stay where you are.

Jesus says if you're not following Him

You're living in the dark.

If you love the world.

You are God's enemy.

So don't let compromise

Destroy your powerful testimony.

So who am I to say?

The voice crying in the wilderness?

You say,

"Who do you think you are to tell me this?"

God has called me to be bold.

To speak what His word says.

Tell you what you've already been told.

Because like the stone tablets

God's law is two-fold.

If God is saying it to you,

Trust, that He is talking to me.

For every blessing

Comes great responsibility.

For God's word is living

And powerful, sharper

Than any double-edged sword.

And God knows the inside.

Though you change the outward.

So hear this word.

And change your wicked ways.

Freedom is not freedom

If you are still enslaved.

Worshipping at the feet of man.

Afraid to speak

What God put in your heart.

Quenching the fire

That God tries to start.

Yes, He’s speaking to the sinner

And the saved.

Hiding behind scars

Not receiving the healing

He already gave.

Burying talents out of fear.

Afraid of what people will think or say.

Afraid of the end of your

Popularity days.

Choosing mediocrity

When God called us off the beaten path.

Fearing mans disdain

Instead of the Almighty’s wrath.

Yes, I’m guilty of it, too.

Not heeding what God is telling you.

Afraid if you dance

They’ll think you’re crazy.

Afraid if you sit,

they’ll think you’re lazy.

Afraid to sing

Because you don’t sound like another.

Not knowing your

Praise might uplift your brother.

Being a stumbling block

In the way of what

God is trying to do.

Doing what best suits you.

Not thinking who you are misleading

Not thinking why Jesus died bleeding.

He died pleading

For you and for me.

So we could turn from iniquity;

Step out of our comfort zones.

To not be like the Pharisees and the Scribes.

Then we get a little title

And we think we’ve arrived?

And we’re supposed to be there

The rest of our lives?

If we are of the Spirit,

Rooted in God’s word,

We move with the wind.

Not so immovable in our ways

We provoke our brethren to sin.

So why do we

Go ‘round the mountain

Over and over and over again?

Why can’t we embrace

A young man’s vision?

Sin.

Polluting the hearts of men.

Causing them not to listen

To women.

Causing them not to pay

Attention to abased things.

But didn’t God reach down from heaven?????

So, in this body, this lump,

How spoiled is the leaven?

If we overlook the things of God

And give priority

To the respect of persons, personalities.

“And what’s his title?

What can so and so do for me?”

That is a trick and plan of our foe.

Splitting us, dividing us

After the ways our hearts wish to go.

Instead of the straight and narrow,

Following with the remnant

In Spirit and in Truth,

Worshipping God as if still in our youth.

But, instead, we are nailed to the floor

By the pride in our nice hair and suits.

God help me!!!!

God help us to turn our hearts, our motives

Back towards You!!!!!

To give You /All/ the glory.

Then we can be transparent,

Sharing both sides of the story,

In Truth!!

Overcoming the enemy

By the blood of the Lamb!!

Going on a Holy Ghost rampage!!

Busting down the enemies camp.

Shattering the web of lies and timidity!!!

Conquering the adversary

With the word of our Testimony.

A Weary Warrior

Searching my life for meaning.

Trying to see where I belong

Analyzing so hard

My eyes start bleeding.

Along with the flood from my heart.

My soul finds itself in pools of blood.

My heart dripping to no end.

No wonder my brain hurts.

Smiling, masking the pain within.

Jesus, bind my broken heart

Before I waste away.

You bled on the cross already

For my sin and shame.

You, no my pain.

Jesus, heal me, make me whole again.

Tear down these walls

My false sense of security.

Hurry rescue me

Before I waste away

Marring and hurting others

As if they caused me all this pain.

I’ve built these walls

To keep them out and keep me in.

If someone could look

Beyond my face and skin

They’d see fortresses, bricks

Barriers and shells

Prisons, dungeons, bars and cells.

A closet of guilt, insecurity,

And another for shame.

Oh God, tear them all down

In Jesus name!!!!

Shake me, break me

Make me whole again.

Deliver me from the darkness within

Wash me, cleanse me from all sin.

Forgive me.

Help me to forgive myself.

Help me to take my faults off the altar

And put You, God, as #1 on the shelf

Of my heart. Rebirth me.

Renew me, refresh me.

Your warrior; weary and weak.

So while I get through this

All I can speak

Is the goodness, the greatness

Of you love.

Amen.