Truth about Transience

“LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.  Behold, Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before Thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.  Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.  And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in Thee… O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more” (Psalm 39:4-13). 

How transient is life on this earth! 

How short is our measure of days!
How little our impact is worth,
Unless it results in God’s praise!

Our age is a moment that’s brief,
A vapor that passes away. 
Our riches will fall like a leaf
And burn in a heap of decay.

But life doesn’t have to be vain

Or spent in a petty pursuit.
The path of salvation is plain
Producing eternity’s fruit.

We cannot reclaim what is wasted,

But why should we waste any more?
The goodness of God has been tasted,
So what are we now waiting for?

Lord, all of our hope is in You:

O spare us from wasting Your time! 
Our moments on earth are so few:
But You can make each one sublime!

As long as we have any breath,

Before we’re transported above,
Lord, cause us in life and in death
To live in response to Your love.

Real Religion

“Only by pride cometh contention” (Proverbs 13:10).  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning… Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath… If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:17-27).

God’s Word instructs us to be meek

With self-control upon our path: 
Be swift to hear, be slow to speak,  
And also to be slow to wrath. 

How vainly mere religion fails

To bridle tongues that will offend.
The mouth with no restraint unveils
A prideful heart that will contend.

A pure religion, undefiled,  

Is NOT religious in this sense: 
We love it when our Lord has smiled;
We hate religion’s vain pretense.

The blessings coming from above

Are given to us to impart
Expressions of our Father’s love
To thus communicate His heart.

O Lord, we thank You for correction

Reproving motives and behavior. 
Religion offers no protection: 
Our confidence is in our Savior!

Destiny of our Desires

“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Psalm 37:4).  “Be content… for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee… Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:5,8). 

The safest place for our desires

Is surely found in trusting God.
It’s not in things that wealth acquires. 
It’s not in things that men applaud.

The things of earth will soon depart;

Their glory soon shall pass away. 
Christ satisfies the longing heart,
Delighting those who will obey.

Contentment in our Lord is wise

As we are led by His instruction,
But fools will be content with lies
And be destroyed by their seduction.  

Our Lord has said He won’t forsake

The souls He graciously will lift.
There is no costlier mistake
Than to refuse our Savior’s gift. 

There is no power that can sever

The souls from Christ that He will claim.
For yesterday, today, forever,
His hand that holds us is the same.

O Lord, we thank You that You gave

Assurance of our destiny,
For souls desiring Christ You save
For time and all eternity!

Consider Christ

“O LORD… the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings… They shall be abundantly satisfied… and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.  For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light” (Psalm 36:5,9).  “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30).  “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God… Consider Him” (Hebrews 12:1-3). 

There is a Place to put our trust 

Where peace is found that heaven brings:

We run to Christ, for so we must,

Who shelters us beneath His wings.

There is a Fountain where we drink

To find our fullest satisfaction: 

We worship Christ and on Him think,

Who turns our eye from vain distraction.

There is a Wisdom that we find

Persuading souls that we may win:

We pray that Christ prepares their mind,

Convincing them to turn from sin.

There is a Light in which we see 

The heart of God and His pursuit:

We ponder Christ at Calvary,

Who died for us to bear much fruit.

There is a Second Wind we gain 

As we are called to run our race:

We look to Christ, who will ordain

Our strength by His sustaining grace.

O Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ,

As we consider Your endurance,

Your grace, which on the cross sufficed,

Is all we need for our assurance. 

Robed in His Righteousness

“Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation… And my tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness and of Thy praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:3,28).  “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death” (Proverbs 10:2).  “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 61:10).  “Noah, being warned of God… prepared an ark to the saving of his house… and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith” (Hebrews 11:7). 

How kind is my Lord’s affirmation;

How good is His word in my ear: 
He’s saying, “I am Thy Salvation.”
That’s all that I needed to hear! 

I’ll speak of His praise all day long;

His righteousness only make known.
I’ll magnify Him with my song
And give Him the glory alone.

How worthless are treasures on earth

To souls that are never redeemed!
How great is God’s righteousness worth,
Which fools have so lightly esteemed!

Behold now these garments He gave,

Exchanged for the rags of our shame:
His righteousness only can save,
And that’s why our Lord Jesus came!

How great is our reason for gladness:

We’re clothed in our Lord’s own perfection!
Depriving the grave of its sadness,
He points us to our resurrection!

As Noah found grace in God’s eyes

When he was preparing the ark,
We’re pleading with souls to be wise:
There’s no hiding place in the dark!

We thank You, O Lord, for Your grace

With righteousness that You would win
In order to justly replace
Our garments so soiled with sin!

Tasting Together

“O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together… O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him” (Psalm 34:3,8).  “Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.  Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding… The knowledge of the Holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:5-10).  “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee” (Isaiah 60:1).  “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24,25).

Together let us magnify

The reputation of our Lord:
The Lamb of God who came to die
By all His people is adored!

O taste and see how good He is,

Together let us praise His name! 
Declare the grace that makes us His
Because He bore our sin and shame. 

Come, eat His bread and drink His wine,

The tokens of His sacrifice: 
The debt He paid was yours and mine;
What love it was that paid that price!

Together we are called to bless

Our Lord who suffered in our place
To satisfy His holiness
And save us with His truth and grace!

Together let us shine His light,

As we exalt His reputation:
Upon His cross He fought our fight
And gave Himself for our salvation. 

Together let us search His love

Exhorted now as sisters, brothers,
To fix our eyes on Christ above,
Exalting Him above all others.

O Lord, we praise You now together,

As we can see the signs are clear
More surely than forecasted weather,
That Your return again is near.  

Until the day of Your return,

Together we would daily taste
Your goodness, Lord, as thus we learn,
To use the time we would not waste.

Creator's Craving

“Let all the earth fear the LORD… for He spake, and it was done… The thoughts of His heart [stand] to all generations… Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death” (Psalm 33:8-19).  “From everlasting…or ever the earth was… My delights were with the sons of men” (Proverbs 8:23-31).  “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you… therefore His arm brought salvation” (Isaiah 59:2-16).  “He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:26-28). 

Let all the earth now fear the Lord:

Behold creation by His breath! 
Behold His heart and eye toward
Delivering our souls from death! 

From everlasting ages past,

Before the earth existed then,
The Lord could see what He at last
Would do to save the sons of men.

He saw then our iniquity

Which would impose a separation.
He saw His cross at Calvary,
The awful price of our salvation.

Our Savior counted then the cost,

Esteemed us worth His sacrifice,
Determining to save the lost,
Redeeming us at such a price!

O Lord, it’s hard to take it in!

The price, Lord, was unspeakable
You paid to take away our sin
By tasting death for every soul!

We know, Lord, You will come to earth

With precious souls that You so craved
That You esteemed their souls were worth
Your sacrifice to see them saved. 

Creator of the stars in space,

The earth, and sea which we explore,
We’ll thank You for Your saving grace
And worship You forevermore! 

Guile or Guidance

“Blessed is the man… in whose spirit there is no guile.…. I will guide thee with Mine eye” (Psalm 32:2,6).  “And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought… and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not” (Isaiah 58:11).  “I will put My laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people” (Hebrews 8:10-12). 

It’s guile or guidance:  we must make a choice!

There’s no neutral ground now between these positions. 
If God isn’t guiding, we heed our own voice,
And led by our guile, we make our decisions. 

Praise God!  There’s a way to escape our own guile!

We don’t have to wander in darkness and stumble!
We need only live in the light of God’s smile,
Obeying His Word with a heart that is humble.

How great is our need of the guidance of God!

Without His instruction, our hearts quickly harden
Like ground without water, like unbroken sod,
Which God, by His counsel, would make like a garden.

Thank God for the guidance He puts in our mind

By writing the truth of His Word on our hearts!
How rich are the treasures of wisdom we find
By searching His counsel that Scripture imparts.

O Lord, we give thanks for Your unending love

That sent You to earth where You suffered and died  
That we might be with You in heaven above
And have You on earth as our God and our Guide.

Protected in His Presence

“Into Thine hand I commit my spirit… My times are in Thy hand… Oh how great is Thy goodness… which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!  Thou shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence” (Psalm 31:5-20).  “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” (Isaiah 57:15).  “Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him” (Hebrews 7:25).  

My spirit is safe in my Lord’s mighty hand;

My times in His hand have been kept from my youth.
In His secret presence He calls me to stand,
For He has redeemed me with mercy and truth. 

How great is His goodness which He has displayed

Protecting the souls who have trusted in Him! 
The cup of our blessings is full, yet not stayed, 
With mercies that flow even over the brim.

He dwells in the highest and loftiest place:

Eternity’s throne room is His habitation.
His judgments are holy, yet He extends grace
To all who will trust Him, receiving salvation.

We find, as we ponder eternity’s height,

That there is another place where He will dwell:
With those who are humble and truly contrite
He lives to revive and deliver from hell! 

O Lord God Almighty, the King of all kings,  

How great is this confidence that You afford,  
Since You are protecting us under Your wings
In Your secret presence where You are adored.

Senseless Silence

“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;  to the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee forever” (Psalm 30:11,12).  “We… lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus” (Hebrews 6:18-20). 

Does not our silence seem absurd

In view of what our Savior did?
Should not our hearts with joy be stirred
With gladness which cannot be hid? 

How can our silence be explained  

In view of God’s victorious plan?   
The cup of wrath by Christ was drained;
He tasted death for every man!  

Salvation’s cup, which we now hold

Is filled with blessings to the brim! 
Our Savior’s riches are untold
Bestowed on those who trust in Him! 

We’re clothed in garments of salvation;

Christ took away our rags of sin! 
We’ll join with heaven’s celebration,
Yet here on earth we should begin!

We have an anchor of the soul

Both sure and steadfast from our King. 
We have a joy that He makes full.
We have a reason now to sing!

Behold the veil that portrayed

The place where sin could be atoned. 
We see our Savior, thus displayed,
Has entered in and is enthroned!

Our hope is anchored in the Lord;

How senseless now has silence seemed!
Our gladness grows as we’ve explored
His grace bestowed on those redeemed!

O Lord, as we thus celebrate,

Our silence surely has no place! 
It seems so senseless now to wait
To clearly speak of saving grace!

Lord, let the silence in this season

Be now assigned to senseless stone. 
We are redeemed!  We have a reason
To make Your great salvation known!

Heavenly Hearing

“The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty… The LORD will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:4,11).  “Hear, O My son, and receive My sayings… keep them in the midst of thine heart” (Proverbs 4:10-21).  “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.  For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:7-9).  “We have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing” (Hebrews 5:11). 

We hear our Lord’s majestic voice

Throughout the Holy Scripture’s pages. 
We rightly tremble and rejoice
To hear Him speak throughout the ages.

We hear Him speak with tenderness

To every soul who will take heed,
And those who hear Him, He will bless,
As He supplies their every need.

We need to keep within our heart

His sayings, seeking comprehension
To do His will and not depart
From giving Him our full attention!

He calls the wicked to forsake

Their thoughts and their unrighteous way
And thus avoid the great mistake
Of souls who choose to disobey. 

How gracious is His invitation,

To have His thoughts above our own, 
And so adorn our meditation
With things of heaven He makes known!

How foolish, then, it is to harden

Our hearts against His wondrous love,
Since He abundantly will pardon
And give us thoughts like His above!

And we, Lord, who belong to You,

Convinced that You have saved our soul,
Yet know it may be sadly true
That we have hearing that is dull. 

We thank You, Lord, for admonition

That calls our hearts to now return,
So You may heal our condition
To do Your will that we discern. 

Indication of Indifference

“Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, He shall destroy them, and not build them up” (Psalm 28:5).  “Surely He scorneth the scorners: but He giveth grace unto the lowly” (Proverbs 3:34).  “All Thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of Thy children” (Isaiah 54:13).  “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it… Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:1,16). 

There is a fearful indication

That hearts have chosen to be hard,
When they’re indifferent to salvation
And give God’s judgment no regard. 

The operation of the Lord

To give, through Christ, a saving path,
By many souls is still ignored
Since they do not regard His wrath. 

Yet God has sent His Holy Spirit

To prompt each soul to seek His face. 
His Gospel saves those who will hear it,
Who turn to Christ, and find His grace. 

The Lord is calling every heart

To turn from their indifference,
To trust in Him, and to depart
From self-deception and pretense. 

The Lord will never cast those out

Who are His sheep; they are redeemed.
But if indifference casts a doubt,
Make sure your prayer is what it seemed.

We ought to therefore truly give

Some thought to how we have behaved. 
If there’s no change in how we live,
It could be we were never saved.

We may not relish this conclusion,

But we had better pull this curtain,  
Than face the outcome of confusion
When death reveals what is certain!

Let us therefore now draw near

While time affords today the choice
To come to Him, thus moved by fear,
As sheep who hear the Shepherd’s voice.

O Lord, we thank You for Your grace

Which calls us out of apathy
And into Your secure embrace
Which holds us for eternity!

Preeminent Priest

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after… to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).  “Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:5).  “But He was wounded for our transgressions… when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin… He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5-11).  “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (Hebrews 3:1). 

The preeminent Priest that our Lord has required

Is found in the Savior for us sacrificed.  
There’s only one thing in His temple desired:
To see and to ponder the beauty of Christ. 

His beauty is great in these shadows we trace,

For Christ is depicted by all that’s within.
Behold there the Priest in the Most Holy Place,
Who offers the blood, the atonement for sin.

The Lord gives us knowledge to now understand

That all of these things in the temple portray
Our Lord Jesus Christ and His salvation planned
For He is the beauty these shadows display.

How great is His beauty!  How wondrous these lessons

Which all point to Christ and His salvation wrought! 
Christ Jesus was wounded for all our transgressions,
So He is the Priest and the Sacrifice brought!

Behold on the altar our Savior’s travail,

Foreseeing the cross where He suffered and died. 
We see there His purpose He knew would not fail
That He would accomplish and be satisfied!

O Lord, we consider Your work as High Priest,

And we are astounded as we see Your beauty!
O may our devotion to You be increased
As we are constrained by Your love in our duty!

Seeing Salvation

“Thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes” (Psalm 26:3).  “Whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil” (Proverbs 1:33).  “The LORD hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God… Behold, My servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high... His visage was so marred more than any man… the kings shall shut their mouths at Him: for that which had not been told them shall they see” (Isaiah 52:10-15).  “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?… We see Jesus…crowned with glory and honor; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man” (Hebrews 2:3-9). 

What lovingkindness we can see

In Jesus Christ before our eyes!
His truth forever makes us free;
His grace forever justifies.

We see in Christ there is a place

Where sinners now may safely hide.
In Him alone is saving grace
Which God in mercy will provide.

We see the Lord made bare His arm

Before the eyes of every nation:
To save us from eternal harm
He came to purchase our salvation!

We see God’s Servant and our Savior

In Jesus Christ, God’s precious Son.
We see His everlasting favor
In our salvation that He won.

We see Him now exalted high,

And yet His visage was so marred!
His wounds in heaven testify
With hands and feet by nails scarred!

We see there is no saving path

When God’s salvation is neglected. 
The only option left is wrath 
When Jesus Christ has been rejected.

We see what Christ our Savior did

That He might thus redeem our souls, 
And shall our love for Him be hid,
Whom all of heaven now extols? 

We see You, Lord, with glory crowned,

Adored by multitudes above.
We worship, too, since we have found
Salvation in Your wondrous love.