Shall Tomorrow Bring a Fifth? Four Apples of Gold in a Silvered Day’s Quiet Roll by Debbie Harris

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Proverbs 25:11 (KJV)
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

In the hush of this silvered day,
four apples of gold have quietly rolled—

one slipped from a laugh at the morning’s first light,
one tumbled in answer to questions of night,
one bloomed as comfort when tears would not cease,
one lifted another, esteeming them higher than self.

Four golden orbs in pictures of silver,
spoken, then caught in the listener’s mirror.

No more, no less—
just four small suns today,
wrapped in the cool alloy of what we say.

Tomorrow, will you seek to speak a fifth—
a word so fitly chosen, so humbly given,
that another’s heart might glimpse the gold
and carry it into their own quiet dawn?

The Parable Of The Pearl Of Great Price by Debbie Harris

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Through oceans vast and markets crowned with light,
Where lesser pearls in shadowed heaps were pressed,
Yet none could stir thy soul to pure delight.
Then burst the One—a blaze of sovereign grace,
Defying gold, outshining every throne,
Whose glory shattered sin’s confining chains
And crowned the seeker king in realms unknown.

With shouts of victory he flung the old away—
Fields, fortunes, all—in rapturous release,
To seize the pearl where endless glories sway,
The conquering gift that bids the captive cease:

Salvation—born again, the soul made new—
No cost too dear to win this pearl so true.

Behold the Gift Unconquered: The Triumphant Beauty of Salvation Where Endless Glories Keep by Debbie Harris

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Summary of the poem
Behold the Gift Unconquered: The Triumphant Beauty of Salvation Where Endless Glories Keep

The sonnet opens by confronting the grim reality of humanity’s fallen state: the grave’s insatiable hunger, death’s dominion, and the curse of sin that held every person in bondage and defeat.

The dramatic turn comes with Christ’s resurrection—“O thunderclap of dawn!”—portrayed as the decisive, thunderous victory. Crowned with His own scars, Christ shatters death’s gates, tears the temple veil, and transforms utter defeat into everlasting light.

The poem then exults in the nature of the gift itself: salvation is not a partial or tentative pardon, but complete and unconquerable dominion. It clothes the believer in an imperishable robe of righteousness and places upon them an unbreakable crown—images of beauty, security, and royal splendor that no decay or enemy can touch.

The closing couplet acknowledges the universal fact of physical death (“Though every flesh must die, though all must sleep”), yet immediately triumphs over it. For those redeemed by Christ, death is merely a gentle sleep, and the true outcome is glorious gain: entrance into heaven, where “endless glories keep” forever.

In essence, the sonnet is a victorious celebration of salvation as Christ’s ultimate, radiant gift—conquering sin and death, remaking the believer in imperishable beauty, and securing for the redeemed an eternal, triumphant home in heaven’s unending glory.

What though the grave once yawned with hungry jaw,
And death’s black banner waved o’er every field?
What though the curse had written every law
In blood and bondage, making all men yield?
Yet Christ arose—O thunderclap of dawn!—
The Victor crowned with scars that shame the night;
He broke the gates, He tore the veil withdrawn,
And turned defeat to everlasting light.

Behold the gift: not pardon half-bestowed,
But full dominion, beauty without end—
A robe of righteousness no moth can erode,
A crown no tyrant’s hand can ever bend.
Though every flesh must die, though all must sleep,
Heaven is gained—where endless glories keep.

Fidelity To God: The Joyful Journey On The Strait And Narrow Road Of His Word by Debbie Harris

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John 15:10-11

10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

In throngèd paths where fleeting fashions reign,
The crowd pursues the glitter of the age,
Their voices loud with pleasure’s sweet refrain,
Yet hollow echoes fill the gilded stage.
True faith to God demands no mimic art,
No bending knee to idols of the hour;
It scorns the tide that pulls the fainting heart,
And walks the way upheld by higher pow’r.
When popular waves crash with mocking scorn,
And compromise whispers soft and sly,
The soul that clings to heaven’s ancient horn
Rejoices still, though few the path descry.
For loyalty to Him who rules above
Means joyful journey on the narrow road of love.

True Silver And Gold by Debbie Harris

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Psalm 12:6
The words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver purified in a crucible,
like gold refined seven times.

Psalm 19:10
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.

Psalm 119:72
The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

These capture the purity (Psalm 12), the surpassing value and delight (Psalm 19), and the personal declaration of priority (Psalm 119).

Here’s your poem presented with verses leading in:

Psalm 12:6
The words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver purified in a crucible,
like gold refined seven times.

Psalm 19:10
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold…

Psalm 119:72
The law from your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

Your word oh lord
is the true silver and
gold of this world.

From Trembling to Triumph – Hold Your Peace: Sonnet Inspired by Exodus 14:14 by Debbie Harris

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  • NIV (New International Version): “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
  • KJV (King James Version): The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
  • NLT (New Living Translation): The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.
  • ESV (English Standard Version): The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.

When Pharaoh’s chariots thunder at our back,
And angry waves before us rise in might,
The heart cries out in terror, spirits quake,
No path revealed within the gathering night.
Yet Moses stands amid the people’s dread
And speaks the word that stills the frantic throng:
“The Lord Himself shall fight where we now tread;
Ye need but hold your peace, and wait, be strong.”
Be still, O soul, when tempests rage and roar,
When enemies draw near with fierce intent—
The battle belongs to the Lord forevermore;
His hand shall bring the promised end.
So cease thy striving, lay thy burden down:
In quiet trust, behold deliverance come.

Thrones Shaken, Hearts Besieged: The Grand Epic of the War in Heaven, the Fall of Man, and the Triumph of the Lamb (written in heroic couplets) by Debbie Harris

The poem is written in heroic couplets: rhyming pairs of iambic pentameter lines (AABB rhyme scheme), delivering a crisp, rhythmic, and classically elegant narrative flow.

This epic poem, recast in heroic couplets of rhyming iambic pentameter, traces the cosmic and personal saga of spiritual warfare from the dawn of creation to the final victory of righteousness. It opens with the radiant Light-Bearer’s prideful rebellion in heaven, igniting a cataclysmic war among angelic hosts; Michael leads the loyal, but the Son, in blazing chariot, casts Lucifer headlong into the burning lake of his own making. The conflict shifts to earth, where the serpent’s cunning whisper tempts Eve in Eden, shattering innocence and bringing exile, toil, and death—yet embedding within the curse the promise that the Woman’s seed will crush the serpent’s head. Across the centuries, the unseen battle rages within every human soul: a joyful home of laughter and fellowship becomes a target for envious shadows that seek to extinguish light and turn peace to dread, while the besieged mind faces arrows of doubt and flames of fear—yet the faithful stand armored in truth, righteousness, and unyielding faith, quenching the Accuser’s fiery darts. The poem crescendos to apocalypse: the many-headed dragon roars accusations before the throne, but the Lamb’s shed blood silences him; the Lion returns in terrible glory to tread the winepress of wrath, hurling the ancient foe into eternal fire. In the end, righteousness reigns unchallenged—no more tears, no night, no tempter—every knee bows to the eternal Lamb who was, is, and is to come, restoring all things in unending light.

In realms unseen where primal light first shone,
A star arose, most brilliant, called the Son
Of Morning—Light-Bearer in glory bright,
Whose wings eclipsed the dawn of endless night.
Yet pride, that venom old as sin’s first breath,
Coiled in his heart and whispered: “Equal death
To Thee who reigns! Why bow when I might claim
The throne eternal in Thy holy name?”

So Heaven trembled; crystal vaults rang loud
With clarion wrath as loyal hosts were cowed
No more. Michael, with flaming sword in hand,
Led forth the faithful through the empyrean land.
Rebel ranks clad in armor forged of spite
Met them in fury, shadows piercing light.
Spears of black envy flew; the fields of gold
Became a carnage where bright seraphs bold
Bled streams of glory, not of mortal blood.
Three days the strife endured in fire and flood,
Till He who sits upon the sapphire seat
Spoke once: “Enough.” The Son arose to meet
The rebel storm in chariot of flame,
And with one glance hurled Lucifer to shame—
Headlong through spheres of crystal, void, and fire,
Into the burning lake of his desire.

Yet war did not conclude with Heaven’s peace;
The serpent slithered earthward, seeking cease
No more in subtlety. In Eden’s green
He found the woman fair, the man serene.
No trumpet blast, but whisper soft and sly:
“Did God indeed say you shall surely die?”
The fruit hung tempting, sweet upon the tongue;
One bite, and innocence forever flung
Away. Righteousness stood naked, shamed,
Accused by winds that through the garden came.
Exile ensued—thorns, sweat, and dust—but still
A promise lingered in the ancient ill:
The Woman’s seed would crush the serpent’s head
And turn the curse to blessing in its stead.

Through ages vast the unseen battle runs,
In every heart where joy and light are won.
A home of laughter, where loved ones abide,
Where songs ascend and peace flows like a tide—
Yet shadows prowl the threshold, envious, cold,
Seeking to enter, snuff the flame, unfold
The feast in dread, and leave the halls forlorn.
In every mind a fortress, battle-worn,
Where doubt shoots arrows swift, and fear ignites
Like wildfire—yet faith stands guard through nights
Of siege, the shield no fiery dart can breach,
Quenching the Accuser’s lies in truth’s own speech.

The dragon roars, vast-headed, sweeping stars
From heaven’s vault with blasphemous scars.
He accuses day and night before the throne,
Yet Lamb’s own blood outcries him, overthrown.
The end draws near: the Lion roars once more,
The slain Lamb rises in the skies to pour
Wrath’s winepress down upon the ancient foe,
And hurl him into fire prepared below.
Forever bound in consequence he chose,
While righteousness in splendor ever grows—
No tears, no night, no tempter’s voice to fear;
All knees shall bend, and every tongue declare
The Lamb who was, who is, who is to come,
The Alpha, Omega, the victory won.

Thrones Shaken, Hearts Besieged: The Grand Epic of the War in Heaven, the Fall of Man, and the Triumph of the Lamb (blank Verse) by Debbie Harris

An epic poem in blank verse that chronicles the timeless spiritual warfare between righteousness and evil, spanning from the primordial rebellion in heaven to the final triumph of divine good. It begins with the fall of the proud Light-Bearer (Lucifer), whose envy ignites a cataclysmic war among the angels, culminating in his expulsion by the Son in blazing glory. The conflict then descends to earth, where the serpent’s subtle temptation in Eden fractures human innocence, ushering in exile, suffering, and the promise of ultimate redemption through the Woman’s seed. Through the ages, the battle rages invisibly in every human heart and mind—portrayed as a joyful home besieged by envious shadows or a fortress under assault by doubt and fear—yet the faithful soul stands armored in truth, righteousness, faith, and the Word of God, quenching the Accuser’s fiery darts. The poem builds toward the apocalyptic climax: the dragon’s wrathful accusations are silenced by the Lamb’s blood, the Lion returns in terrible splendor to crush evil forever in the winepress of wrath, and righteousness reigns eternally in a restored creation where every knee bows, tears cease, and light endures without night.

In regions veiled from mortal sight, where light
First broke into choirs of flame and endless song,
A star rose brightest, called Light-Bearer once,
Whose wings outshone the newborn galaxies.
Yet pride—that ancient poison—stirred inside:
Not born of dark, but of self-exaltation—
And whispered, “Equal to the Throne I stand;
Why bow when I could rule?”

So Heaven quaked.
The crystal vaults resounded with pure wrath
As Michael, sword aflame, led loyal ranks,
While rebel hosts in blackened armor massed,
Forged in the fires of their own envy. Spears
Of shadow flew; the empyrean fields turned
To fields of slaughter where bright seraphim
Bled glory, not mere blood. Three days it raged,
Till He who reigns upon the sapphire throne
Spoke once: “Enough.”
The Son, eternal Light from Light, arose
In chariot of storm and living fire,
And with one glance cast Lucifer headlong
Through ninefold spheres into the burning lake
Of consequence he chose.

Yet war endures.
The serpent slithered earthward, subtle, cold,
And found the Garden green, the woman fair.
No trumpets now, but whispers: “Did God say…?”
The fruit was sweet; the bite brought bitter death.
Righteousness stood naked to the wind
Of accusation. Exile followed—thorns,
Sweat, dust—but not abandonment. A promise
Hid within the curse: the Woman’s seed
Would crush the serpent’s skull.

Through ages runs the battle, unseen yet real—
In every heart a home of light and laughter,
Where loved ones gather, songs rise, peace abides,
But shadows prowl the threshold, envious,
Seeking to enter, snuff the flame, disrupt
The feast, and turn warm halls to empty dread.
In every mind a fortress under siege,
Where doubt flies like arrows, fear like wildfire—
Yet faith stands sentinel, the shield no dart
Can pierce, quenching the Accuser’s fiery lies.

The dragon roars on, vast and many-headed,
His tail sweeping stars from heaven, mouths
Blaspheming still. He accuses night and day
Before the throne—yet Lamb’s own blood
Outcries each charge. The end is scripted, though
The fray continues: the Lion roars, the slain
Lamb returns in glory terrible, to tread
The winepress alone, and hurl the ancient foe
Into fire prepared for him forever.

Then righteousness, long-besieged, shall reign—
No tears, no night, no tempter’s voice—
And every knee in all creation bend
To Him who was, and is, and is to come.

Iniquity Abounds, Love Grows Cold: Yet Christ Redeems Us from All Iniquity, and the God of Peace Shall Bruise Satan Under Our Feet Shortly by Debbie Harris

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2 Thessalonians 2:3 — Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

2 Thessalonians 2:4 — Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

2 Thessalonians 2:6 — And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 — For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

2 Thessalonians 2:8 — And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

2 Thessalonians 2:9 — Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

2 Thessalonians 2:10 — And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Matthew 24:12 — And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

1 John 3:4 — Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

1 John 4:3 — And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:4 — But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

2 Corinthians 3:16 — Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

Titus 2:14 — Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Hebrews 10:17 — And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

The mystery of iniquity doth work,
Already stirring in the sons of night;
Yet to the born again, no shadow lurks—
The Spirit renders all things plain and bright.
We are not children of the dark, but light,
Nor shall that day o’ertake us as a thief;
The unction of the Holy One grants sight,
To pierce the gloom and know the coming grief.
Men spurn His statutes, trample His decrees,
Exalt the lie, and scorn the ancient path;
But ye, anointed, in the Spirit see
The spirit of rebellion in full wrath.
Though lawlessness now breathes with brazen breath,
Christ redeems us—Satan crushed beneath our feet.

His Lovingkindness Commands the Day, His Song Fills the Watches of the Night by Debbie Harris

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Psalm 42:8 (KJV)
Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

Yet shall the Lord in daytime’s golden light
Command His lovingkindness to descend,
A tender mercy falling pure and bright,
To shield and succor till the day shall end.
And when the night enfolds the quiet earth,
His song shall rise within my spirit’s keep—
A melody of more than mortal worth,
To guard my heart while all the world lies asleep.
Thus day and night my prayer ascends on high
Unto the God who gives me life and breath;
No darkness quells the hope that cannot die,
Nor drowns the voice that triumphs over death.
So love by day and song by night abide—
My soul’s true refuge, where my trust resides.