Lamb in the Light

“He setteth an end to darkness… and the thing that is hid bringeth He forth to light” (Job 28:3-11).  “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness” (Psalm 112:4).  “What shall we say then that Abraham… hath found?... What saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness… Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him, but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:1-25). 

The Lord sets an end to the darkness of night,

By turning the earth everyday

To see and to feel the sun’s morning light

That chases the darkness away. 

He causes the light to arise in our hearts

Whenever our Lord enters in,

For where He is ruling, the darkness departs,   

And we are delivered from sin!

We see the great light of the Gospel was found

By Abraham when he believed

Who trusted the Lord and he thereby was crowned

With righteousness freely received. 

Now it was not written for his sake alone

That righteousness thus was awarded,

But also for us, for the Lord has made known

His Gospel in Scripture recorded. 

For what does the Scripture now say to us all 

Concerning our Lord Jesus Christ? 

As Abraham’s Seed, He would answer the call

To die as our Lamb sacrificed! 

How bright is this grace in the light of the Lamb

Whom prophets declared would be smitten!

By Christ we are justified, like Abraham,   

Since also for us it was written!

O Lord, we give thanks for our justification

Now freely received by Your grace,

Beholding Your light as the Lamb of salvation,

Which Abraham also could trace.

We worship You, Lord!  In Your light we rest,

As Abraham likewise could do,

Rejoicing that You have been raised to attest 

That our righteousness is from You!

Placing our Pleasure

“The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein… He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered... He sent redemption unto His people” (Psalm 111:2-9).  “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified… But now the righteousness of God…is manifested…even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ… that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:20-26). 

The works of our Lord Jesus Christ in creation

Are great beyond searching, too boundless to measure!

His works of compassion which brought us salvation

Exceed comprehension and fill us with pleasure!

Consider His righteousness seen in the Law

Which shows us a standard we never could meet. 

Our need of a Savior He clearly foresaw:

No wonder remembrance of Christ is so sweet!   

His Law manifested the sinner’s great needs

Thus met by our Savior for us sacrificed.

We know we’re not justified now by our deeds,

But rather by trusting our Lord Jesus Christ.

In Christ, and Christ only, we place all our trust,

For He is the Savior who purged all our sin!

He justifies sinners, and yet He is just!

We rest in His love and have pleasure therein.

O Lord, we give thanks for the joy we have known

As You have unveiled Your works in our sight.

How great is this favor we find at Your throne

Of placing our pleasure in You with delight!

Pondering His Power

“He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing... By His spirit He hath garnished the heavens; His hand hath formed the crooked serpent.  Lo, these are parts of His ways: but how little a portion is heard of Him?  But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26:7-14).  “Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power, in the beauties of holiness” (Psalm 110:3).  “The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens… He giveth grace unto the lowly” (Proverbs 3:19,34). 

He gave the stars and planets birth

And He has set them in their place.

He hangs and He propels the earth

On nothing, thus upheld in space.

He garnished space with just a word  

That formed majestic constellations,

And yet how small a portion heard

Is pondered in these observations.

Behold!  There is a greater power

That Christ our Lord and Savior boasts:

We see His wondrous grace now tower

Above creation’s starry hosts!

How great His power is to save

And draw us near who once were far!  

His grace is stronger than the grave

And higher than the highest star!

His grace is given to the lowly,

To us who surely would have perished,

But now His power makes us holy,

Because we were so greatly cherished.

O Lord, we worship You today,

And ponder powers of Your hand

In all creation on display,

Much greater than we understand.

We see our finite limitation,  

O Lord, becomes so obvious

As we explore Your great salvation,

So beautiful and glorious!

We’re pondering Your power, Lord,

Declared by Your creation’s thunder,

Yet grace we scarcely have explored

Now leaves us lost in breathless wonder!

Justly by Jesus

“How then can man be justified with God?” (Job 25:4).  “I will greatly praise the LORD… For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul” (Psalm 109:30,31).  “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth… For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16,17).

Now how can we ever find justification

When all of our sin is unmasked?

And how can God justly extend His salvation?

The Lord answers those who have asked! 

The Lord now assures us that He is the Savior

Who speaks on behalf of our soul.

He stands at our right hand confirming His favor,

For He paid our ransom in full.

How great is this Gospel that we have proclaimed,

That souls may be thus justified!

We boldly declare it!  We are not ashamed

Of truth that so many deride.

Indeed there our mockers at this very hour,

As prophets foretold there would be,

Rejecting the Gospel of God’s saving power  

And blindly refusing to see!

The just live by faith, for now justly by Jesus

Their souls are redeemed by His cross!

There’s no other name under heaven to free us

And rescue our souls from such loss.

O Lord, we give thanks that Your love found a way

To justify souls lost in sin!

How great are the tidings of joy we convey

To souls we are seeking to win!

Closed and Clueless

“Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know Him not see His days?” (Job 24:1).  “I will pour out My Spirit unto you; I will make known My words unto you… But ye have set at naught all My counsel, and would none of My reproof” (Proverbs 1:23-25).  “[Paul] expounded… persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.  And… they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers, saying… The heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Acts 28:23-28).  

The times are not hidden from Almighty God;

He knows what the future will hold.

That many don’t see this is certainly odd,

In view of what prophets foretold.

The Lord has declared that He’ll make His words known

To all who will hear His reproof.

How is it that some yet refuse what He’s shown,

And many stand blindly aloof?

When Paul had expounded from morning till night,

Persuading those gathered to hear,

He magnified Jesus in prophecy’s light

With words unmistakably clear.

Some people believed, and yet others did not,

Refusing the truth for their lies.

When they were departing, Paul added this thought,

That they were thus closing their eyes. 

Isaiah forewarned of a people so blind

With eyes they would willfully close

Because they already had made up their mind,

And thereby the truth would oppose.

O Lord, we are seeing those Scriptures fulfilled

In those who are clueless today!

Refusing Your mercy, they walk on self-willed

As blindly they’re going astray.

Lord, send us with truth to the ears that will hear it,

To eyes that by grace will yet see,

So by the persuasion of Your Holy Spirit,

Your Gospel will then make them free.