Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Continual Connection

"One lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even... This shall be a continual burnt offering... where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.... And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon.... And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning" (Exodus 29:39-42, 30:1-7).

Morning by morning and night after night,
A lamb would be offered, and God would speak there.
Likewise each morning the priest would ignite
The altar of incense that symbolized prayer.

These were the shadows portraying our walk,
Displaying the privilege of daily communion.
By one Lamb we meet and we hear the Lord talk;
We speak to Him also in prayerful reunion.

How great is salvation in all its perfection,
That we should have access to God in this way!
How great is our need of this daily connection,
That we should commune with our Lord everyday!

Monday, March 30, 2009

Lose your Life

"Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, it he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26).

Lose your life for vanity
Or lose your life for Christ.
How dark is the insanity
By emptiness enticed!

The One who came to save your soul
From its eternal loss
Has weighed the price to make us whole,
And paid it on the cross.

Christ decided we were worth
The life He would surrender.
That is why He came to earth
To be our great Defender.

Yet now we have a choice to make:
To follow Christ or not,
And some will make the great mistake,
Exchanging what He bought.

Come, follow after Christ the Lord,
For all who do shall find
That He shall be their great Reward
And give them peace of mind.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Foolish Forecasters

"He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowring. O hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16:2,3).

How is it that they have not known?
How is it that they have not learned?
The signs of times are clearly shown,
Yet even now are not discerned!

For when the sky is red at night,
They know the weather will be fair,
And when it's red at morning light,
For stormy weather they prepare.

The sky is viewed upon its face,
And confidently they forecast.
But now God bids them view His grace,
And put their faith in Christ at last.

What more could our Savior do?
What else could the prophets say?
His signs declare that He is true;
Seek and trust Him while you may!

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Come and Consider

"Come and see the works of God: He... turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in Him... Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul" (Psalm 66:5,6,16).

Come and consider the works of our God!
Recall that He turned the sea to dry land.
Moses was told to lift up His rod,
And God then divided the sea with His hand.

Come and consider His works of creation!
How great is His power wherever we look!
He made all things; He laid their foundation:
He spoke and it was; that's all that it took!

Come and consider His work of salvation,
And I will declare what He did for my soul:
He gave Himself for my justification!
His work on the cross paid my ransom in full!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Appropriate Approach

"O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away. Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee" (Psalm 65:2-4). "This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:8,9).

Thank you, Lord, for making plain
The way that You will purge:
For men's commandments are found vain,
Which mere traditions urge.

You've heard each humble sinner pray
To You, Lord Jesus Christ,
And all their sins You purged away
When You were sacrificed.

There is no other way to come
Than humbly as we are.
Religion may seem right to some,
But still their hearts are far.

By Your grace our hearts draw near,
And by Your grace alone.
Your perfect love has cast out fear
And drawn us to Your throne!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Declaring His Doing

"All men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of His doing. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in Him, all the upright in heart shall glory" (Psalm 64:9,10).

Let us declare the work of God here,
And wisely consider His doing today.
The wisdom from God begins with His fear,
And gladness attends all who trust and obey.

Let us declare the work of His power:
He spoke, and creation began to exist.
By Him all things are still to this hour
Upheld by His Word that none can resist.

Let us declare the work of His love:
To spare us from judgment and eternal loss,
He set aside His glory above,
And humbled Himself, enduring the cross.

Let us declare the work of His truth:
He kept His promise to rise from the grave!
To lofty and low, to old folks and youth,
Let us declare He is faithful to save!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Joy and Love of Jesus our Lord

"Thy lovingkindness is better than life" (Psalm 63:3). "The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field" (Matthew 13:44). "Jesus... for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2).

What was it, Lord, within that field
That gave Your heart such pleasure,
Compelling You for joy to yield
Yourself to buy its treasure?

It was Your lovingkindness, Lord,
That made You sacrifice
For souls that never could afford
Salvation's awful price!

It was Your joy unspeakable
That made you count the cost
And pay our ransom price in full
To save us who were lost.

Your lovingkindness, Lord, is better
Than all this passing life,
Your joy has broken every fetter;
And vanquished judgment's strife.

We thank You that Your love so kind
And joy toward us abound,
For we who once were lost and blind
Can see, and now are found!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Destined for Division

"The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way... The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn" (Matthew 13:24-30).

Though tares and wheat together grow,
They soon will be divided.
In harvest time the Lord will show
Their destinies decided.

Humanity is racing toward
That day of separation
Between all those who love the Lord
And those without salvation.

The tares may share their favorite verse:
"Judge not lest you be judged",
But they shall not escape the curse;
God's wrath shall not be budged.

The Lord is bidding all to come:
But tares will choose derision.
And thus they shall be parted from
The wheat by their decision.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Marvelous Murmurings

"When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings" (Psalm 61:2-4). "Blessed are your eyes, for the see: and your ears, for they hear" (Matthew 13:16).

In those times when I'm distressed
And overwhelmed within,
I may forget how much I'm blessed;
Then murmurings begin.

And when I am in such a case,
God knows what I require:
He leads me to that lofty place,
Up to the Rock that's higher.

From heights that reach eternity
I now can view my lot:
The shelter God has been for me,
And what His grace has wrought.

How marvelous my murmurings
In view of what God did!
He healed me by His sufferings,
And in Him I am hid!

With eyes that see and ears that hear
From heaven's point of view,
The blessings now are very clear,
That flow, O Lord, from You.

Forgive my murmurings, O Lord!
What was I thinking of?
My vantage point has been restored,
By Your amazing love!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Earnest Ears

"Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto My knowledge" (Proverbs 22:17). "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 13:9).

Come, bow down an earnest ear
To hear that which is wise!
Those who have the ears to hear:
This call to you applies.

Many simply will not fear
And have no interest now;
Those who have the ears to hear,
An earnest ear will bow.

The day is surely drawing near
When Jesus shall return.
Those who have the ears to hear
Will for His coming yearn.

Soon our Savior shall appear
And every knee shall bow.
Those who have the ears to hear
Will do so even now.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Weighing each Word

"But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in day of judgment" (Matthew 12:36).

There is a day we'll give account
For all the things we say.
God will reckon their amount,
And every word will weigh.

All the idle words we've said
While we are here on earth,
Before the living God are spread,
And He will weigh their worth.

A card or letter that we write
Of comfort to the weak,
Shall then be brought into the light
With every word we speak.

A word we said that wasn't true
Or thoughts that were unkind,
Shall all be weighed and in plain view
Of God's omniscient mind.

So let us also weigh what's heard
And speak the truth in love,
For God assesses every word
With perfect weights above.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Sincerely Sinful

"And he [Moses] took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient" (Exodus 24:7). "Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?" (Psalm 58:1). "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man, who can find?.... Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" (Proverbs 20:6,9).

"All that the Lord hath said will we do,"
The people in Moses' day said.
History proves that it just wasn't true,
When sin, like a cancer, had spread.

They didn't judge rightly the truth in their case,
Proclaiming their goodness that way.
Did they not rather require God's grace
To cleanse them and help them obey?

How great is our need for God's intervention
To cleanse us and pardon our sins!
Without His grace, our sincerest intention
Must fail before it begins!

We thank You, our faithful and merciful Savior,
For meeting souls' deepest need:
For paying the price for our sinful behavior,
And cleansing by grace whom You lead.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Changeless Chatter

"But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children" (Matthew 11:16-19).

To what shall we liken that old generation?
It's like our Lord Jesus so aptly portrayed:
A marketplace forum: a vain conversation
With those whom you never can charm or persuade.

We piped to you, but you still wouldn't dance.
We mourned to you, but you still wouldn't cry.
We showed you the way, but you wouldn't glance.
We told you the truth, but you called it a lie.

John came to baptize and thereby make straight
The way of our Savior; for this he was sent.
They demonized John and they could not relate
When he had insisted that they must repent.

Our Lord Jesus Christ then afterward came
With healing, forgiveness, redemption, and grace.
They hated Him more, they blasphemed His name,
They falsely accused Him, and spit in His face.

To what shall we liken this cold generation?
The marketplace chatter has not changed at all,
And still there is no other name for salvation
But Jesus our Savior on whom they may call.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Counted with Compassion

"The tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?" (Psalm 56:8). "The very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30).

God has counted every wandering,
When we walked not in His way.
He perceived our wayward pondering,
When our hearts had gone astray.

God has counted all our tears,
Recording each one in His book.
On our sorrows, doubts, and fears,
With compassion, He did look.

God has counted all our hairs;
He numbered each one on our head.
How good it is to know He cares,
And rest our faith on what He said!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Calling and Casting

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.... Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved" (Psalm 55:17,22). "A Friend loveth at all times, and a Brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17).

At evening, and morning, and noon will I pray.
I know God has heard me whenever I've cried.
He is my Friend at all times, everyday;
Born for adversity, for me He once died.

Call on the Lord as your unfailing Friend.
Cast on the Lord every burden of care.
Born as a Brother was Christ to this end:
To save you, sustain you, and hear every prayer.

How sweet the assurance: our Lord cannot fail!
Though adversity comes, He rules from above.
No powers against us can ever prevail
To sever our souls from His infinite love.

Monday, March 16, 2009

So Seen

"There came a certain ruler, and worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live.... When the people were put forth, He went in, and took her by the hand, and the made arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.... And the multitudes marvelled, saying, it was never so seen in Israel" (Matthew 9:25-33).

Never so seen, no, not to this hour,
Was mercy and majesty shown,
Than when our Lord Jesus unveiled His power,
And God with us then was made known.

Never so seen was such infinite worth,
Nor such a display of God's grace,
Than when our Lord Jesus descended to earth
To suffer and die in our place.

Never so seen was the marvelous love
That God in our Savior revealed,
Than when our Lord Jesus came down from above
In order that we might be healed.

Never so seen was the manifestation
Of power to conquer the grave,
Than when our Lord Jesus arose with salvation;
He lives, and He's able to save!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Perceiving our Pondering

"The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.... Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge?" (Psalm 53:1,4). "Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more, then, the hearts of the children of men?" (Proverbs 15:11). "And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" (Matthew 9:4).

We do not need to speak a word
For God to know our thought.
All our pondering is heard,
Though we may think it's not.

God has heard the thought of fools
Who say there is no God.
He hears that dogma taught in schools,
With logic false and flawed.

How is it that they have no knowledge,
And truth is never learned?
It does not matter how much college,
Or what degrees they earned.

Our God not only sees the hearts;
He sees their destiny.
The Gospel warning He imparts
Is spurned unceasingly.

Thank you, Lord, that You persist
In searching and revealing
The hearts of rebels who resist,
That they may find Your healing.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Mischievous Man

"Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually" (Psalm 52:1). "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of Man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!" (Matthew 8:26,27).

Why are you boasting, O mischievous man,
As if over God you'll prevail?
Your arrogant words and your misguided plan
Shall soon be defeated and fail.

You may convince others, O mischievous man,
That evil shall reign as the norm.
But God shall arise, and by His command,
Shall calm all the boast of your storm.

You may have forgotten what manner of Man
Rebuked both the wind and the sea.
He measures the heavens as merely a span;
He spoke, and it all came to be.

Why are you fearful, O child of God?
The mischievous man cannot win!
Don't let his mischief your own faith defraud;
Believe Him who saved you from sin!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Foolish Foundation

"Every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and DOETH THEM NOT, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:26-27).

Hear the account of the house built on sand
That serves as a warning from God:
For when the flood came that house could not stand,
Because the foundation was flawed.

This is the story portraying destruction
By which our Lord Jesus conveyed
The folly of hearing His urgent instruction,
Which thereafter wasn't obeyed.

Foolish foundation! How great is the fall
Of those who will build in this way,
Refusing the mercy of God's gracious call
To come to the Savior today!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Conflicting Counselors

"Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counselors of peace is joy.... In the way of righteousness is life, and in the pathway thereof there is no death" (Proverbs 12:20,28). "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13,14).

Counselors abound today
Who share conflicting points of view:
How then can we know the way
To sort out what is false and true?

Praise the Lord! We have His Word
To guide us on the narrow path,
To prove all things that we have heard,
And give us peace instead of wrath.

The gate is wide, the way is broad,
Now leading souls to their destruction,
Turning hearts away from God,
Deceiving many through seduction.

No wonder, then, we see the gate
That leads us to eternal life
Is narrow as the path is strait,
Opposing counselors of strife!

Thank You, Lord, for making known
The way of life through Christ our Lord.
Our peace is found from Him alone,
Who is our Ransom and Reward.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Truest Treasure

"They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother.... But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me" (Psalm 49:6,7,15). "Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death" (Proverbs 11:4). "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21).

Truest treasure is not wealth
In which so many sadly trust,
Which we shall lose by failed health,
Or else by thieves, or moth, or rust.

Truest treasure will redeem
The soul from wrath and from the grave!
Riches aren't what they seem:
They have no power at all to save.

Truest treasure will impart
What wealth upon this earth cannot.
God's redemption fills the heart
With joy and peace that can't be bought.

Truest treasure is in Christ;
There surely is no other place,
For He alone was sacrificed
To save us by His truth and grace.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Primary Petition

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.... For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:9-13).

Our God and Father, You are holy,
Yet You sent from heaven's throne,
Your Son, our Savior, meek and lowly,
To ransom those You call Your own!

Thus You brought Your kingdom near
When our Lord and Savior came.
Grace and truth were then made clear
When our Savior bore our shame.

Thus He taught us how to pray
As Your children by new birth,
That Your will be done today,
As in heaven, so on earth.

The first and foremost prayer, however,
Is that Your kingdom come again.
Come, Lord Jesus, reign forever;
Even so, Lord, come. Amen!

Thus we'll pray till You return
And labor till our days shall cease,
As we for Your kingdom yearn,
When Christ shall reign as Prince of Peace.

Monday, March 09, 2009

Ultimate Understanding

"God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding" (Psalm 47:7). "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10).

In all of the earth our God is the King,
No matter who does or who doesn't agree.
With this understanding we joyfully sing
To praise Him who rules by His sovereign decree.

In all of the earth our God is commanding,
Unerring and holy in all of His ways.
This is the knowledge that gives understanding,
That fills us with peace, and inspires our praise!

In all of the earth our God reigns supreme,
Even though now for a season we groan.
Be very sure, things are not what they seem:
Our God is the King, and He rules on His throne.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

Calm in the Chaos

"Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.... The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved.... Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us" (Psalm 46:3-11).

Though the waters all have roared
And the mountains have been shaken,
Be still and know that Christ is Lord;
We shall never be forsaken.

Though heathen rage has been outpoured
And the kingdoms have been moved,
Be still and know that Christ is Lord;
Nations soon shall be reproved.

Though God's Word may be ignored
And prosperity be halted,
Be still and know the Christ is Lord;
He shall come and be exalted.

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Heaven's Healer

"I am the Lord that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:26). "And Jesus went about... preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.... and they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and He healed them" (Matthew 4:23,24).

Heaven's Healer came to earth
With His power to make us whole.
With His preaching of new birth,
And His healing for the soul.

Heaven's Healer is the Lord
Who came with heaven's remedy
That only Jesus could afford:
He gave Himself for you and me!

Heaven's Healer will reveal
The Gospel of His great salvation.
Every sinner He will heal,
Responding to His invitation!

Heaven's Healer stands today
With His healing He imparts
To everyone who will obey
Receiving Him within their hearts.

Friday, March 06, 2009

Comanding Cause

"Lift up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it.... and Moses stretched his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided" (Exodus 14:16-21). "For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: by Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor unto them. Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances.... For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me" (Psalm 44:3-6).

Moses lifted up his rod,
And he stretched out his hand,
But the power was of God,
And the cause was His command.

Thus the waters were divided,
And the sea became dry land,
For the battle God decided,
And the cause was His command.

So it was for Israel,
Whom God thus made to stand,
In that land where they would dwell,
And the cause was His command.

I will not trust my feeble arm,
For now I understand:
By God alone I'm kept from harm,
And the cause is His command.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Standing and Starting

"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you today.... And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto Me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward" (Exodus 14:13-15).

There is a time for standing still
When we've done all we know.
There is a time to do His will
When God tells us to go.

God will teach us when to stay
And when to march ahead.
He will lead us in the way
To go where He has said.

God calls for obedience
From those who are His own,
And this shall be their recompense:
To make His glory known.

We may thus anticipate
That God will make it clear
When we ought to go or wait,
If we have ears to hear.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Emmanuel and Emancipator

"And the Lord went before them in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people" (Exodus 14:21,22). "And Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.... and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Matthew 1:21,23).

In a pillar of cloud by day
And a pillar of fire by night,
The Lord went before in the way
To thus lead His people aright.

Their Emancipator that came
To free them would stay with them too.
Our comfort today is the same,
In Christ Who is faithful and true.

The Emancipator who frees us,
Who saved us from all of our sins,
And gave Himself for us is Jesus:
This is where new life begins!

And He is Emmanuel,
"God with us" is what this name means;
For He will be with us as well,
As on Him His sheep safely leans.

Our Lord and Emancipator,
Our Shepherd, Emmanuel,
Jesus, Your name is greater,
Than our stammering tongues can tell!

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Past Paths

"And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that way was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt" (Exodus 13:17). "Lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5,6).

Looking back on how God led,
We can see in retrospect,
As the Word of God has said,
He was faithful to direct.

The paths beyond our understanding
We ourselves might not have taken.
But God was on the throne commanding,
And was never found mistaken.

Let us learn from what is past
To lean on Him who knows us best.
We shall surely find at last
That where He led, He also blessed.

Monday, March 02, 2009

Comfort of His Coming

"Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire; Mine ears hast Thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast Thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart" (Psalm 40:6-8). "He which testifieth of these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:17,20).

The sacrificial offerings that God did not desire,
Were only shadows of the One who came to do His will.
The Lord Himself declared "I come" to do what God required,
As written in the volume of the Book He would fulfill.

Indeed, the Lamb of God has come, and just as it was written;
What comfort this conveys to us, confirming thus His Word!
For He has said "I come" again, no longer to be smitten,
As written in the volume of the Book we are assured.

How thrilling, Lord, it is to read this promise in Your Book!
Even so, Lord Jesus, come; Your people say: "Amen!"
So as we labor in Your love, and as we us upward look,
We'll comfort one another with Your promise until then.

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Short Show

"Behold, Thou hast made my days an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before Thee" (Psalm 39:5). "These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants the things which must shortly be done" (Revelation 22:6).

God has accounted the years of my age,
As virtually nothing in His searching eyes.
How short is our show on life's transient stage!
Surely in vain do we think otherwise!

How fleeting is time as eternity nears,
Though we may think that our days have been long!
But days become weeks, and weeks become years,
And soon we conclude that our viewpoint was wrong.

The days of my lifetime shall shortly conclude;
What shall be shown for their toil and strife?
Let this be the one thing my heart has pursued:
To live for my Savior who ransomed my life!

The plan of the ages shall shortly be done.
Soon we shall look on our Lord face to face.
It only makes sense that Priority One
Should be to surrender to God by His grace.