My Beloved
(based on Song of Solomon 4:1-3)
Like the eyes of a dove
Are the eyes of my love,
And her hair like the goats on the mountain
Which step sure and light;
And her teeth are pure white,
Like lambs, shorn and washed in the fountain.
Lips like scarlet thread,
And her temples glow red
Like a piece of a ripe pomegranate;
Her sweet voice like a river
Makes my heart quiver;
She speaks, and I scarcely can stand.
The Warhorse
(based on Job 39:19-25)
Did you make the horse, so proud and strong?
See how his mane flows in the breeze!
He charges, fearless, through the throng,
And snorts contempt at all he sees.
The spear and lance he breaks like straw,
The battle fills his heart with joy.
When the trumpet sounds he bellows, “Aha!”
And swiftly runs to the captain's voice.
His power and fury fill men with awe;
But greater still is the power of God,
Who created the horse and all that is,
And all the might of heaven is His.
The Reason Why
I may not know the reason why
My steps through thorns and briars You've led,
But I do know that I can rely
On the God who keeps His children fed.
In the midst of the desert they want not bread,
And I know my needs You will supply.
The Virtuous Wife
(based on Proverbs 31:10-31)
What man can find a virtuous wife?
Rarer than rubies, her love hath no price.
She looks to her household with tender care –
Before the sun rises she is already there;
Her husband hath no cause for worry or fear,
For she tends to her labors and is always prepared.
The needy are fed from her bounteous increase,
And from her mouth flow words of wisdom and peace.
Though temporal beauty doth quickly depart,
A God-fearing woman hath beauty of heart.
Song of the Morning
The crickets sing in chorus,
Unmatched by any human choir;
The birds blend in their voices
Like soloists, their song sets the soul afire.
Their orchestra is the river
And the wind through branches blowing;
All nature praises the Life-giver,
Whose might, to which all are beholden,
Causes man to shiver
In awe of all that He has done.
Nathan Ruedinger, a native of Watertown, Wisconsin, is a senior history major at Andrews University.