Manifold More

"Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord.... Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth forever.... His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord" (Psalm 112:1,3,7). "And He said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come, life everlasting" (Luke 18:29,30).

Manifold more in this present time
Than all of this world and all it has stored:
This is the offer, secure and sublime,
To all who will follow Christ Jesus the Lord.

Manifold more, by heaven's true measure,
Than temporal family, fair-weather friends,
Houses or riches, or any such treasure,
Is given to each who on Jesus depends.

The Right Ruler

"If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.... Many seek the ruler's favor, but every man's judgment cometh from the Lord" (Proverbs 29:26).

Sometimes rulers do what's right.
Sometimes they will do what's wrong.
If I'm walking in the light,
God is ruling all day long.

Who is ruler of my heart?
Is it God and God alone?
Let me know, Lord, from the start,
Who is really on the throne!

Then help me, Lord, to seek Your favor,
And make this my priority:
Obedience to Christ my Savior,
Loving Him who first loved me.

Parables on Prayer

"And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.... And He spake a parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican" (Luke 18:1,910).

Men ought always to be praying,
Or they will surely faint.
This is what our Lord is saying,
To every feeble saint.

Men should never pray with pride,
As did the Pharisee,
But like that publican who cried:
Be merciful to me!

May these parables sink in,
To show us how to pray.
May they cleanse our hearts from sin,
And teach us everyday.

Forever Fixed

"O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory" (Psalm 108:1). "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.... And beside all this, between us... there is a great gulf fixed" (Luke 12:17,26).

Oh God, You know my heart is fixed,
Just until I am distracted.
How different is Your love unmixed,
Unaltered by the way I've acted.

Mold me in Your faithfulness;
And fix my heart on what is true,
Satisfied with nothing less
Than what I find, O God, in You.

Like Your words which cannot fail,
And like the gulf that's fixed above,
Let Your Spirit thus prevail
To fix my heart upon Your love.

Prodigal Praise

"Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord" (Psalm 107:5,7, 43). "I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father... But when he was a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him" (Luke 15:17,18,20).

If you will observe and learn
The love that God displays,
You'll see why prodigals return
To give Him thanks and praise.

The prodigal left to himself
Always comes to thirst
And hungers with an empty shelf;
These things must happen first.

But when the prodigal comes back,
He meets a father's kiss.
Why did he wait so long with lack,
When he could have all this?

The best of robes we have put on:
His robe of righteousness.
The ring affirms the curse is gone,
And that He lives to bless.

He puts the shoes upon our feet
That make us fit to go,
To share the Gospel message sweet
That everyone may know.

So God rescues from distress
Each prodigal who cries.
And thus He longs to love and bless,
And make the foolish wise.

The Fitness to Finish

"Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established.... Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house" (Proverbs 24:3,27). "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish" (Luke 14:28,29).

Wisdom teaches us to build
Upon a good foundation,
Counts the cost that must be billed,
And plans for the duration.

Teach us, Lord, to build this way,
Clearing grounds make them fit,
Drawing strength from You each day,
To finish well, and never quit.

Explanation by Expectation

"Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. For surely there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut off" (Proverbs 23:17).

Why should I not envy sinners
Who have far more than they can spend?
Though the world accounts them winners,
They'll have nothing in the end.

Fear the Lord, then, all day long,
And focus on your expectation:
Christ is coming! What a song!
I need no further explanation!

Medication of Meditation

"My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord" (Psalm 104:34).

My meditation on the Lord
Shall be exceeding sweet,
His salvation my reward,
His joy in me complete.

My meditation on the Lord
Reveals my inward part.
By it is my soul restored;
It heals my broken heart.

Forfeiting Forgetting

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Psalm 103:2-5).

Bless your Savior, O my soul,
For blessings that He heaps.
How good to know He's in control,
And every promise keeps!

Forget not how He yet forgives,
And heals your soul's disease.
Forget not your Redeemer lives
And from destruction frees.

Forget not all the love He brings
With mercies that abide,
Who satisfies you with good things,
And keeps you satisfied.

Finding Faithfulness

"Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?" (Proverbs 20:6). "And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over His household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing" (Luke 1:42,43).

A faithful man, Lord, who can find?
They seem to be in short supply,
Though most imagine in their mind
That surely they would qualify.

Who then is a faithful one,
A steward whom the Lord calls wise?
Who labors till the work is done,
And lives for God 's approving eyes?

How blest is he in such a case!
How joyful is he in the Lord,
Who daily draws upon God's grace
To find his faithfulness restored!

Latter Lament

"Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end" (Proverbs 19:20). "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?" (Luke 12:19,20).

Consider well your latter end,
And weigh the counsel you receive.
Be careful that you don't depend
On counselors that will deceive.

Go ahead and take your ease,
The counsel from your heart may say.
Eat and drink; do as you please,
And think of God some other day.

The world's counselors applaud
Your pleasure and prosperity,
And never give a thought to God,
Or planning for eternity.

The day is surely coming when
All those things shall pass away.
And nothing else shall matter then
But what Almighty God will say.

Will you then be called a fool?
Or will you hear the words, "Well done"?
No lament shall be so cruel
As knowing you refused God's Son.

Joyfully Justified

"Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.... Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name" (Psalm 100:1,4).

Let the people in all lands
Come with joy before the Lord.
Let each one who understands:
Come with thankfulness outpoured.

Enter through His gates with praise;
Meditate on all you see:
The tabernacle thus portrays
My Savior Who was slain for me.

But tabernacle sacrifice
Could never take my place;
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Alone could save by grace.

Be thankful therefore that He came
(His love could do no less),
To take away our guilt and shame,
And give us righteousness.

The tabernacle now is gone,
But Jesus Christ is not.
Our Savior's love goes on and on;
Oh what a happy thought!

Favor of Fathers

FATHER'S DAY

"The glory of children are their fathers" (Proverbs 17:6).

A father's greatest legacy
That he can leave behind
Is a model of integrity
That his own children find.

Since fathers are the glory
Of children that they train,
Let's leave them a true story
Of life lived not in vain.

As God our Father is to us
Our glory and our Savior,
May our children learn to trust
By watching our behavior.

Principles of Prayer

"Lord, teach us to pray.... And He said unto them, When ye pray, say Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Luke 11:1-4).

There's more to prayer than what we say;
It's how we say it too.
We must be sure that when we pray,
The words we speak are true.

All who pray "Our Father" should
Be certain of salvation.
We do not earn by being good
This wonderful relation.

God in heaven is obeyed;
So should it be on earth.
The Gospel truth is thus displayed
By those who know its worth.

Day by day He meets our need
Before the day begins:
From daily bread on which we feed,
To cleansing from our sins.

Keep these principles in mind
That Jesus taught His own.
All who do shall surely find
Rich mercies at His throne.

Rejoicing at the Remembrance

"Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness" (Psalm 97:11,12). "Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank Thee, O Father" (Luke 10:20,21).

Rejoice at the remembrance
That God has found a way
To close the fearful distance
That held our souls at bay.

Rejoice, for Christ rejoices;
How wonderful the thought!
His joy now stirs our voices
To praise Him as we ought.

Rejoice! Our names are written;
Our Savior bids us look:
The Lamb Who once was smitten,
Has sealed them in His book.

Witnesses among Wolves

"The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves" (Luke 10:2,3).

The word of Jesus Christ today
Has found me where I am:
Am I earnest when I pray?
Meek and harmless lamb?

Among the wolves of greed and strife
God calls me to be meek,
That I may witness with my life
And with the words I speak.

Yes, this is what I'm called to do,
And who it is I'm called to be:
A witness that is bold and true,
A lamb reflecting Christ in me.

Sinking Sayings

"Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart" (Psalm 95:7,8). "Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men. But they understood not this saying, and it was hidden from them.... Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be the greatest" (Luke 9:44-46).

Are my Savior's sayings sinking
Down into my ears and heart?
Are they hidden from my thinking,
From my deepest inward part?

What reasoning within my mind
Distracts me from my Savior's voice?
What vanity has rendered blind
My eyes to see my foolish choice?

Your words, O Lord, are good and right;
Your wisdom surely has no peers.
So let Your sayings, day and night,
Sink deeply down into my ears.

Minimizing the Multitude

"In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy comforts delight my soul" (Psalm 94:19). "This is My beloved Son: hear Him" (Luke 9:35).

The multitude of thoughts replete
That vie for my attention,
Can never with my Lord compete;
Nor are they worth the mention.

The comforts that delight my soul
Are found in Jesus Christ.
I know He paid my debt in full
When He was sacrificed.

"This is My beloved Son;
Hear Him," God will say.
Thus distractions turn and run,
And comforts come to stay.

So this is how I minimize
And filter every thought:
I fix my heart, my ears, and eyes
On Jesus as I ought.

Holiness of His Household

"Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord, forever" (Psalm 93:5).

Holy is Your reputation,
O Lord, in all Your ways,
And Your household of salvation
Your holiness displays.

Your holiness demands a price:
A ransom paid in full,
And You became our Sacrifice,
To thus redeem each soul.

Your holiness was satisfied,
Your household was secured,
O Lord, when You were crucified,
And for us You endured.

So may Your holiness be shown
In how Your house behaves.
To testify and make it known
That Jesus surely saves.

It's a Good Thing to Give Thanks

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High: to show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night.... To show that the Lord is upright: He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him" (Psalm 92:1,2,15).

Every morning there's a reason
That we ought to thank the Lord;
Everyday another season
Of His love to look toward.

Before the rising of the sun,
Before the day begins,
Let us thank Him for His Son
Who put away our sins.

Every night concludes a day
Of our Savior's faithfulness.
Let us thank Him, as we pray,
For the way He chose to bless.

Everyday we ought to bring
A heart of thanks and praise.
It is a good and righteous thing
To show His upright ways.