Saturday, May 31, 2008

Merciful Mouth

"O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy" (Psalm 107:1,2). "Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.... A virtuous woman... openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness" (Proverbs 31:8-10,26).

Open your mouth and give thanks to the Lord;
If you are redeemed then you ought to say so.
If on you the mercies of God have been poured,
Then surely you ought to let others know.

Open your mouth; plead the cause of the poor;
The poorest of all yet face condemnation.
If you are redeemed, then how much the more
Should you be conveying the way of salvation.

Open your mouth with wisdom and kindness,
Like the wise woman that Proverbs displays.
A word that is timely may heal the blindness
And open the mouth of the dumb to give praise.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Old but not Obsolete

"Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said we will not walk therein" (Jeremiah 6:16).

Stand in the ways that you may behold;
Ask for the old paths, and there guide your feet.
Walk in the good way, for though it is old,
God has assured us it's not obsolete.

For there is the good way that God has provided,
And this is where we shall find rest for our souls.
Yet many refuse to walk where He's guided,
To walk in their own paths and follow their goals.

Walk in the old paths; come, follow the Lord!
Above every other, His way is sublime.
For He is our Treasure, He is our Reward,
And His way is perfect and tested by time.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Our Hour

"When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against Me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.... And the men that held Jesus mocked Him, and smote Him" (Luke 22:53,63).

What a horrifying hour,
When sinners mocked our Lord!
What a cruel, satanic power
Of darkness was outpoured!

Why did our Lord endure the shame
He surely could have ended?
This was the cause for which He came,
For sinners He befriended.

Across the span of history,
This was our cruelest hour:
When Christ became for you and me
Our Refuge and our Tower.

Satan, like a lion, roared,
And sought then to devour,
The Lamb of God, our loving Lord,
By dark and hateful power.

Yet that hour came and went;
That power was defeated.
The throne from which our Lord was sent,
Is now where He is seated.

Our finest hour yet ahead
Will be to see His face,
And thus be with Him, as He said,
Forever changed by grace.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Forsaken Fountain

"My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jeremiah 1:13).

Why has this age forsaken Him,
Who gave us living waters
And filled our cups beyond the brim
For us, our sons, and daughters?

Oh what a foolish generation
Would thus forsake this Fountain
That fills our desert with salvation
Like rivers from a mountain!

And how indeed do we replace
This Fountain never dry?
With broken cisterns of disgrace
That cannot satisfy!

Lord, we come at last to You;
(Why didn't we come first?).
For what can broken cisterns do,
But disappoint our thirst?

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Remember our Redeemer

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits... Who redeemeth thy life from destruction" (Psalm 103:2,4). "And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:19,20).

Forget not all His benefits
We find in the embrace
Of Jesus Christ who never quits
Amazing us with grace.

The tokens of the bread and cup
Are symbols we have used
That we might at His table sup,
As on Him we have mused.

For these are figures that He gave,
And by them testified
That He would give His all to save
The souls for whom He died.

Things were not what they had seemed,
When Christ died on the cross.
For by that victory He redeemed
Our souls from endless loss.

Forget not what He did for us
And what He does today.
Remember that He bids us thus
Remember Him this way.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Changeless Champion

"Of old Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment, as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end. The children of Thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before Thee" (Psalm 102:25-28). "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (Luke 21:33).

Heaven and earth shall surely be changed,
But our Lord is forever the same.
His words shall not fail or be rearranged,
As changeless as His faithful name.

His children continue before Him forever,
Because He declares it is so.
He promised to never forsake us; no never!
And that's all that we need to know.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Implementing the Impossible

"Who then can be saved? And He [Jesus] said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:26,27).

In view of who and what we are,
Who then can be saved?
We search the world near and far,
Yet all are found depraved.

The leopard cannot change his spots,
Nor can we wash away
Our sinful deeds, our words, our thoughts,
And failure to obey.

But things for us impossible
Are possible with God.
For Jesus paid our debt in full
Beneath God's judgment rod.

Hallelujah! God has done
What we could not begin:
He gave His own beloved Son
To wash a away our sin!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Affected by our Affliction

"I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us.... For He said, Surely they are My people... so He was their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old" (Isaiah 63:7-9).

What a tender, sweet conviction
Our God brings into view:
In all our trials and affliction,
He is afflicted too.

He's touched with our infirmities
That no one else may feel,
Was bruised for our iniquities,
And by His stripes we're healed.

And when we thought we were alone
Things weren't what they seemed:
We could not hear our Savior's groan
For those He has redeemed.

Oh the lovingkindnesses
Our Savior has bestowed!
He gave to us His righteousness
And paid the debt we owed!

And oh what pity and what love
Yet carries us by grace!
Until we meet with Him above,
We're in His sweet embrace.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Pointless Persuasion

"If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead" (Luke 16:31).

Your can talk with a wisdom that heaven has aided.
You can speak till there's simply no more to be said.
If not by the prophets and Moses persuaded,
They will not believe though One rose from the dead.

Students of prophecy, study the Word!
Be ready to answer each one who will ask
The reason that you have believed what you heard,
For God has commanded it; this is your task.

But know this, in spite of the best dissertation,
Mockers shall come who will simply not hear.
For many, therefore, the strongest persuasion,
Shall never succeed, though your reasons are clear.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Garments of Gladness

"Give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.... I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:3,10).

He gave beauty for ashes, joy for my weeping,
And garments of praise for my soul's heaviness:
What did I have that was even worth keeping?
I gave up my sin for my Lord's righteousness!

My soul is now joyful and constantly brags
On Jesus now raised for my justification.
The best I could offer was my filthy rags
Exchanged for the garments of so great salvation!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Year to Yearn

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn" (Isaiah 61:1,2). "And He [Jesus] began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears" (Luke 4:21).

The acceptable year of our Savior is here;
In fact it began when our Lord came to earth.
The day of His vengeance is yet drawing near;
We yearn in the present for every new birth.

The day of His vengeance shall bring tribulation,
And then He shall reign as the King of all kings.
Yet now is the age of His grace and salvation;
The once brokenhearted thus healed now sings.

And now is the time when the captives are freed,
As prisons are opened to them that are bound.
Thus we proclaim Christ is risen indeed,
And in Him the blessings of heaven are found.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Compel them to Come

"Come, for all things are now ready.... Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord it is done as thou has commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled" (Luke 14:21-23).

Come, says the Lord, for all is prepared,
And yet there is room at His table for more.
So many invited have simply not cared,
And spurn the salvation they choose to ignore.

Yet God has commanded His servants to find
The poor in the streets and the lanes of the city.
Bring in the maimed, the halt, and the blind,
Show them what God has prepared in His pity!

Yet there is room! Oh how can it be?
How is it possible? Why won't they hear?
With so much to lose in eternity,
Why aren't they moved, and why won't they fear?

Go out in the highways, compel them to come,
For God has commanded, and so He has willed.
By any and all means, let's work to save some,
Steadfast in love that His house may by filled.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Time and Testimony

"Soon... we fly away. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.... And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it" (Psalm 90:12,17).

Value every single day,
Considering its worth.
For very soon we fly away,
Departing from this earth.

Thus mindful of our destiny
To stand before our Lord,
Let's seize each opportunity,
And reap its rich reward.

So let this be our daily norm
And focus of our duty:
That each day we may be conformed
More to our Savior's beauty.

For in this way, and only thus,
Our testimony stands,
And God establishes in us
The labor of our hands.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Lofty and Lowly

"Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face" (Psalm 89:14). "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isaiah 57:15).

Justice and judgment establish His throne
Whose name is exalted, the Lord high and holy.
But though He is lofty, He dwells with His own,
To lift up the spirit of those who are lowly.

How wondrous this is! How great is His grace
That found out a way to afford us salvation!
Mercy and truth ran ahead of His face
To rescue our souls from our just condemnation.

Our Lord is so high, beyond comprehension,
Yet lowly and meek: how fantastic the span!
Love was the cause of His great condescension;
Mercy and truth knit together His plan.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Divine Division

"Lover and friend hast Thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness" (Luke 12:18). "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay, but rather division: for from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law" (Luke 12:51-53).

What could be worse than a household divided?
That's easy: A family that's going to hell!
Surely there's worse things than being derided
For sharing the Gospel that we ought to tell.

If souls may be saved, then bring on division!
Let love be the blade of this God ordained sword.
And pray that your light may provoke a decision
To turn from destruction and trust in the Lord.

A father divided against his own son,
A mother estranged from he daughter she reared,
May be what it takes that souls may be won,
And ties be unbroken when Christ has appeared.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Ruined by Riches

"And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:19-21).

There is an expression that says "money talks."
Beware of the message it sends to your soul:
For riches deceive by their strange paradox,
For we may be poor, though our pockets are full.

Yes, we may believe that we have many years
To spend what we lay up however we please.
The soul may delight in the counsel it hears
To eat, drink, be merry, and thus take your ease.

But God sees the night that our soul is required.
And He will not ask if this fits in our plan.
The soul may be ruined by riches desired,
If poor toward God, though rich toward man.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Keep the Key

"Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy name" (Psalm 86:11). "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7). "To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?... By His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:1,5). "Woe unto you, lawyers! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered" (Luke 11:52).

Keep the key that will unlock
The door of knowledge here
And teaches us the way to walk:
It is God's holy fear.

Do not make the sad mistake
That others made before,
Of letting foolish talkers take
This key to wisdom's door.

The arm of Christ that God reveals
Is surely plain to see,
To those He saves, to those He heals,
To those who hold this key.

Unite our hearts to fear Your name,
O Lord, as we explore
The treasures of the Christ who came
To open heaven's door.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Space to Speak

"I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people" (Psalm 85:8).

I will hear what God will say;
I will give Him space to speak.
For prayer should never be one way,
But to listen and to seek.

I'll never find the peace I need
By hearing myself talk.
So I will watch where God will lead,
And therein I will walk.

Lord, you know my tendency
To ramble on in prayer,
And sometimes it occurs to me,
I pray like You're not there.

But You are there, so I will wait
To hear what You will say,
As on Your Word I meditate
And hasten to obey.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Consider the Comforter

"I, even I, am He that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass, and forgettest the Lord thy Maker that hath stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth?" (Isaiah 51:12,13).

Who are we that we should fret
For fear of man that dies?
How is it that we soon forget
Our Lord who made the skies?

Our Comforter is God who made
The earth and its foundation,
And this is also He Who paid
The price for our salvation.

Consider Him who bids us cease
To fear mere mortal man.
He is our Comfort and our Peace,
Who holds us with His hand.

For though He reigns upon His throne
In awesome majesty,
He is the Lover of His own
For all Eternity.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Making my Morning

"Blessed is the man that heareth Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the post of My doors" (Psalm 8:34). "The Lord God hath given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary; He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned" (Isaiah 50:4). "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see. For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them" (Luke 10:23,24).

Morning by morning I hear the Lord's voice.
Daily I watch at His beautiful gates.
Making by morning, He makes me rejoice
In wisdom He gives for which my heart waits.

How blest are the eyes that see what we've seen,
How blest are the ears that hear what we've heard,
As morning by morning from Scripture we glean
The counsel imparted from God's precious Word.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Laborers of Light

"They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness" (Psalm 82:5). "I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6). "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest" (Luke 10:2).

God has been faithful to make His way known,
Though many have chosen to not understand.
How vast are the ways in which God has shown
The truth that delivers by His mighty hand.

Yet wide is the path that leads to destruction,
For this is the path which many will walk.
Instead of God's truth, they are choosing seduction.
They walk on in darkness; the light they will mock.

But God is still longing to show His salvation
To all who will hear Him and heed what is right.
And thus we are called us by His ordination
To be to the world His beacons of light.

The harvest is ready. The fields are white.
We are God's laborers, though we are few.
Called by His Spirit, renewed by His might,
Let's shine in this darkness until we are through.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Desire v. Disinterest

"Oh that My people had hearkened unto Me, and Israel had walked in My ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies.... and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee" (Psalm 81:11-16). "Oh that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea" (Isaiah 48:17,18).

How can we possibly yawn in the face
Of God who is pleading with us?
In view of His passion, how great our disgrace
That we should respond to Him thus!

Can we not hear His depth of desire?
Has apathy deafened our ears?
Can we be cold in the light of His fire?
And are we not moved by His tears?

"Oh that My people had listened to Me!"
Our passionate Savior has cried.
For then by His hand would our enemies flee,
And thus would we be satisfied.

Then shall our peace like a river thus flow
And our righteousness be as the waves.
Then shall our Savior be pleased to bestow
The passion our spirit now craves.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Compare and Contrast

"To whom will ye liken Me, and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like? Remember the former things of old: for I am God and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure" (Isaiah 46:5,9,10).

To whom will you compare our God,
That they may be the same?
In every time and place abroad,
Now who can match His fame?

Who, like God, the end declares
Before it has been done?
No one to our God compares;
There is not even one!

Who, like God, who dwells above
Would come down to this earth
And dying, demonstrate His love:
Now who can match His worth?

How incomparable the measure,
To every contrast shown,
Is Christ who thus fulfilled His pleasure
By ransoming His own!

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Obscurity of the Obvious

"Verily, Thou art a God that hideth Thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior... Thus saith the Lord.... I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.... Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:15,19,22).

There is a strange obscurity,
In view of what is clear,
As God yet speaks with clarity,
Though many will not hear.

Salvation surely is not hidden;
God shows it in His light.
As all the ends of earth are bidden,
He tells them what is right.

Yet those who rather would not find
What God would have them see,
Shall to the obvious be blind
And find obscurity.