Johnie Elvin Baxter
1920 - 2010

A Poem by Johnie E. Baxter

This poem was found among the papers he had kept for all these years in an old filing cabinet. Judging by the other markings on the original paper, it was probably written during his studies at Christian Life School of the Bible in Rockford, Illinois. This is what he wrote:

The Lord is my strength,
in Him I will trust.

In Him I move, live,
and have my being.

The Lord is my strength,
from whom all blessing flow.

When my mind is blank,
and words won't flow,

I trust in Him, He knows
how hard I try,
His will to do.

I try to think but,
there seems a wall:

A part of self,
a lot of fear.

He gives strength
when we obey.

His word is truth,
the life, the way.

Strength is rewarding,
for it comes from the Lord.

His strength comes in the morning,
but it lasts all day.

The way gets dark,
when we follow self,

But how bright the way
when He is the light.

He is our strength
each and every day

To guide our walk,
our talk, our play.

Until this life we depart,
then into another we'll embark.

Through His strength we will go,
not our strength, works, or show,
but into a better land we'll go.

His strength comes fast,
it doesn't have to grow,
it's always present to flow.

When we submit to His plan,
the plan of God and not man,

His strength is unfailing,

His strength is marvelous,

His strength is magnificent, glorious.

His strength is mine.

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Roger Baxter
497 Shem Ct SE
Bolivia, North Carolina 28422 USA