In my daily quiet times, I try to follow the Psalmist admonition to, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and come into His courts with praise." One old song reminds us to "Count your blessings, name them one by one..." Invariably after recalling God blessings, goodness, faithfulness, provision and protection, I often find myself with a spontaneous rhyme I sing back to the Lord. After all, aren't we exhorted to "Sing and make melody in our hearts to the Lord?"

What you're holding in your hands are a variety of poetic songs really; poems that invariably began during my own times of worship. I certainly don't claim to be a Poet Laureate, and I even hesitate to call them poems. I prefer to just call them rhymes. My hope in publishing them is that they will inspire you to reflect again on some aspect of God's awesomeness, power, and beauty. So often we rush through our times with the Lord and fail to "sup with Him" as He desires us to. Many have lost the art of meditation, not only on God's Word, but sadly, on God Himself.

Martin Luther taught his children to read the Bible as though they were looking for apples. "First, I shake the whole apple tree, that the ripest might fall. Then I climb the tree and shake each limb, and then each branch, and then each twig-and then I look under each leaf."

In the same manner that Luther instructed his children to read the Bible, we too should apply that diligence in our own approach to God's Word. It could well be that in looking under that last leaf we'll glimpse something life transforming that would be completely overlooked by the casual reader.

These songs/poems were not written for the speed-reader, but for the meditator. I trust they will inspire, teach, and (more than anything) help you to MAGNIFY the Lord with me.

-David Ravenhill