Bulwark of His Blessing

“The LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee” (Deuteronomy 23:5).  “God is my Defense, and the God of my mercy.” (Psalm 59:9).  “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverb 10:22).  “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man” (Luke 17:26).

The blessing of our God and Savior

Is greater than our hearts can tell. 

The mighty bulwark of His favor

Deflects the darkest curse of hell. 

Because the love of God is great,

Far greater than we comprehend,

No curse can ever separate

Our souls from Christ, our mighty Friend.

Though we as sinners once were cursed,

Christ turned our curse into blessing. 

Because our Savior loved us first,

He died for us who were transgressing. 

We have no other confidence

Apart from Christ in whom we rest.

The Lord alone is our Defense,

By whom we are forever blest. 

He bore the curse of sin and shame

And gave His blessing back instead. 

We triumph now in Jesus’ name,

Our Savior risen from the dead! 

As Noah in God’s eyes found grace

Within the ark which he prepared,

In Christ we find our Hiding Place,

And in His bulwark, we are spared. 

O Lord, for such amazing love

Which covers us with Your salvation 

With countless blessings from above,

Receive our endless adoration!  

Divine Answer to the Deaf Adder

“The wicked are… like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear, which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely” (Psalm 58:3-5).  “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee… The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom… If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it” (Proverbs 9:8-12).  “There was a certain rich man, which… also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments… If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:19-31). 

The souls who will not be alarmed

By Scripture’s great prophetic warning

Are like the adder, deaf, uncharmed: 

They stop their ears and go on scorning. 

When sinners scorn, they will not hear

The Gospel that reproves their sinning.  

It’s only as they learn to fear

That wisdom has its true beginning. 

The one who scorns resists the favor

Which God extends in His salvation.

There is no hope without the Savior

Who rescues us from condemnation!

Our Savior drew aside the veil

For ears to hear and eyes to see

That hell is not a fairy tale;

It is a stark reality! 

We see the rich man when he dies,

Who in his life had prospered well,

But then he lifted up his eyes  

In torment in the flames of hell. 

The truth of hell won’t go away

In order to oblige the jaded. 

Be sure of this:  there comes a day

When every heart shall be persuaded!

What more could God provide the lost

Than prophecies with such perfection? 

They still refuse the count the cost,

Though Christ fulfilled His resurrection! 

O Lord, we see such strong delusion

In spite of all Your evidence! 

But You have answered their confusion,

And so they are without defense.  

Lord, till the day we’re home with You,

We answer with the proof You gave

To show Your Word Divine is true,

And those who will repent, You save. 

Calamity at Calvary

“If a man have committed a sin worthy of death… and thou hang him on a tree… he that is hanged is accursed of God” (Deuteronomy 21:22,23).  “In the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.  I will cry unto God Most High; unto God that performeth all things for me… God shall send forth His mercy and His truth” (Psalm 57:1-3).  “Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).  “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).

The curse of sin has rendered death. 

Since all have sinned, we all were cursed!

The God from whom we borrow breath

Has seen us at our very worst. 

Can we escape from our disgrace?

What hope for sinners can there be?

Behold, there is a Hiding Place

In Christ who died at Calvary!

The Law declares our condemnation

And yet provides God’s wondrous plan

By which He offers His salvation

Through Christ who died for sinful man!

We find our refuge now in Christ

Who covers us beneath His wings. 

Behold our Savior sacrificed

Now seated as the King of kings! 

We cry to God who thus performs

The things that we could never do! 

He shelters us through all our storms;

His mercies every day are new! 

He purged our vile sins as dross

With grace and truth which by Him came.  

He ransomed us upon His cross;

How rightly do we praise His name! 

In our calamity, O Lord,

You gave Your life in our defense! 

Forever You shall be adored

By every sinner who repents!  

Wander in Tears or Walk in Truth

“Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?... This I know; for God is for me.  In God will I praise His Word: in the LORD will I praise His Word.  In God have I put my trust… For Thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?” (Psalm 56:8-13). 

We wander in tears - or obey;

Two choices exist, not a third. 

We’ll go in our own stubborn way

Or walk in the truth we have heard. 

It’s wise to be trusting the Lord

Who counsels us daily for good.

In God we shall find our reward

When we have obeyed as we should.

Each day we must make a decision

To walk in the truth God will give.

His Word is a light for our vision

To show us the way we should live. 

When everything else seems obscure,

There’s one thing we surely may know: 

That God is for us, we are sure! 

May this confidence in us grow! 

The Lord who delivered our souls

Upholds us by grace He is giving.

We’re trusting in Him who controls

All things in the land of the living. 

O Lord, through this desert of tears,

There’s no time for us to now wander! 

Sufficient are all of the years

Behind us to learn from and ponder!

O Lord, fix our eyes on Your calling

To do what You’ve called us to do,

To walk in Your truth without falling,

And draw precious souls now to You. 

Dusk to Dawn to Day

“I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways” (Deuteronomy 19:9).  “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” (Psalm 55:17,22).  “My son, keep thy Father's commandment… When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee” (Proverbs 6:20-22).  “Except ye repent, ye shall… perish” (Luke 13:3). 

My God has commanded my heart

To love Him and walk in His ways

With grace that He’ll daily impart

To give Him continual praise. 

At evening, at morning, at noon,

And all of the times in between,

I’m sure I cannot pray too soon

That God may for me intervene.  

I’m hearing my Lord’s conversation,

Reflecting on what I have read

Each morning by His invitation

To hear Him and do what He said. 

My Father commands me to keep

His daily instruction I’ve heard. 

At night when I’m going to sleep,

He’s guarding my heart with His Word.

My schedule is settled at last

Accordingly when I should pray:

On God all my burdens are cast

From dusk till the dawn and all day! 

From evening till dawn has arrived,  

From dawn till the daytime shall end,

O Lord, by Your Word I’m revived

By mercies You daily extend.  

Lord, thank You for such lovingkindness

Embedded in every command.

The lost yet walk on in their blindness,

But daily I’m led by Your hand. 

How swiftly the dusk turns to dawn!

How soon shall my last day be spent!

Lord, use me that souls may be drawn

To seek You so they may repent!