Sunday, January 31, 2010

Holy Hope

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13).

That blessed hope, that glorious day
When Christ shall come is drawing near,
Teaching us to watch and pray
Until our Savior shall appear.

That holy hope, that expectation,
Redirects our wandering eyes
From fleshly lust to His salvation,
Purging us to make us wise.

That gracious hope affects behavior,
Teaching us to set our love
Upon the great God and our Savior
And those things which are above.

Let that precious hope You give,
Cleanse us, Lord, from every vice.
Teach us thereby now to live
As a living sacrifice.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Pursue Peace

"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry" (Psalm 34:14,15).

Seek the Lord; His peace pursue.
Depart from evil; do what's right.
His eyes and ears examine you,
Searching motives in His sight.

Knowing that His searching eyes
Are always pondering our ways,
Let us now pursue what's wise,
And live a life that gives Him praise.

Knowing that He'll always hear
Whenever we shall lift our prayer,
Let us boldly now draw near,
And cast upon Him all our care.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Answering to the Almighty

"The Lord looketh from heaven.... He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth... He considereth all their works" (Psalm 33:13-15). "Many seek the ruler's favor, but every man's judgment cometh from the Lord" (Proverbs 29:26). "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom" (2 Timothy 4:1).

The Lord is now looking from heaven above
At all the inhabitants dwelling on earth,
Considering all of the works thereof,
Searching their motives, and weighing their worth.

The Almighty knows who is seeking the favor
Of rulers on earth instead of His own.
Though others may loudly commend our behavior,
We answer to God, the Almighty, alone.

Each of us surely shall stand before God,
The Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.
So what does it matter if rulers applaud
Or if we're receiving their favor?

Lord, keep us faithfully looking to You,
In all things now seeking Your pleasure.
There's no other standard to live by that's true,
And blessing has no truer measure.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Forgiven and Forsaken

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered" (Psalm 32:1). "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth AND FORSAKETH them shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). "Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.... Flee also youthful lusts" (2 Timothy 2:19,22).

Blest is he who has confessed
The sin that God forgives,
And yet that one is further blest
By how he rightly lives.

We should never be mistaken
To think that we are free
From sin that still is not forsaken,
From which we will not flee.

It's not enough to have the thrill
Of guilt that is removed,
If not committed to God's will
To turn from sin reproved.

Let everyone who names the name
Of Christ our Lord depart
From their iniquity and shame,
Forsaken from the heart.

Thank You, Lord, that You forgive
Confessed iniquity,
Imparting power then to live
With truth that makes us free!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Confident Commitments

"Into Thine hand I commit my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth" (Psalm 31:5). "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.... That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.... And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, that same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 1:5,15, 2:2).

Committing my spirit, Lord, into Your hand,
I know that I safely can rest.
Because You redeemed me, I now understand
Your great love can stand any test.

Recalling that this was the verse that You used
Concluding Your time on the cross,
Such love that endured, though greatly abused,
I know will preserve me from loss.

I know You will keep what I have committed
To You, Lord, until You've returned.
Thus may I pass on what You have transmitted,
So others by grace will have learned.

Lord, I commit those I've taught about You,
As You have conveyed in Your Word.
Thus may these also so teach others too,
Till multiplied others have heard!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Pursuing the Purpose

"The Lord hath sought Him a man after His own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14). "Lord, by Thy favor Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong.... to the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent" (Psalm 30:7,11,12). "God... hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Timothy 1:8,9).

There is a purpose to pursue,
And this is where to start:
To find it all we have to do
Is follow God's own heart.

It's by His favor we will stand;
Without it we will fail.
By following His purpose planned,
We surely will prevail.

God has saved us with a plan
And calling for His own.
Before the universe began,
Our purpose was foreknown.

Our purpose from the Lord is great,
Which calls us now to yield.
Pursue the heart of God and wait;
It won't be long concealed.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Giving Glory

"Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.... in His temple doth every one speak of His glory" (Psalm 29:2,9). Our Lord Jesus Christ... is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords... to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen" (1 Timothy 6:14-16).

Give to the Lord the glory He's due,
Exalting His wonderful name!
Majestic and holy, yet merciful too;
His wondrous salvation proclaim!

Enter His temple and worship Him there,
Portrayed as the Lamb sacrificed.
None with our merciful Savior compare;
Give praise to our Lord Jesus Christ!

The glory we give is more than a duty,
For we are constrained by His love!
We worship the Lord in the marvelous beauty
Of holiness brought from above.

To Jesus our Lord, the King of all kings,
Be honor and power and glory!
How rich is the gift of salvation He brings!
How sweet is redemption's love story!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Sorrowful Silence

"Unto Thee will I cry, O Lord my Rock; be not silent to me: lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down to the pit.... 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 28:1,5).

To You will I cry, my Lord and my Rock!
Hear now my passionate prayer:
Lord, do not be silent; if You will not talk,
My soul will be lost in despair!

Lord, speak to my heart again and again;
I need Your instruction each day.
I soon would become like the basest of men,
If I could not hear what You say.

Those who regard not works of the Lord,
Nor care to receive His instruction,
Despising the Refuge that Christ will afford,
Shall never escape their destruction.

Thank You, O Lord, for the words of Your grace,
And the merciful words of Your warning.
Thank You for speaking in each time and place,
Instructing me morning by morning.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Behold the Beauty

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after... to behold the beauty of the Lord" (Psalm 27:4). "My son, give Me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe My ways" (Proverbs 23:26). "See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?" (1 Samuel 11:24). "God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory" (1 John 3:16).

Behold the beauty of the Lord;
Now let your eyes upon Him rest.
In Christ are heaven's riches stored
With grace and truth by which we're blest.

There's none with Him who can compare;
Consider now His matchless worth!
Behold His beauty and declare
His excellence in all the earth!

Give to Him Your heart today;
Your heart can find no safer place!
Come to Him without delay;
Behold His beauty and His grace!

Come, behold the mystery
Of our Savior Jesus Christ:
He is the Lord of majesty,
Yet the Lamb once sacrificed!

Behold the beauty of our King;
Set your heart on things above!
Bring to Him the offering
Of your undistracted love.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Church's Champion

"Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thine honor dwelleth.... in the congregations will I bless the Lord" (Psalm 26:8,12). "The house of God... is the church of the living God, and the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15).

Lord, I love the habitation
Wherein Your honor rightly is,
Where Christ receives the adoration
From those He knows are truly His.

Christ, our Champion of love,
The Center of each congregation,
Is our Cause for hope above,
Our pillar's Strength, and our Foundation.

The house of God, the ground of truth,
The church where Christ is in the midst,
Is still a haven for our youth,
Wherein His Word and love exist.

In Your church, Lord, we will bless
Your wondrous name with one accord;
We bow the knee and here confess
The name of Jesus Christ our Lord!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Standing Still

"And it came to pass, about the spring of the day... that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying.... Stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the Word of God" (1 Samuel 9:26,27). "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant" (Psalm 25:14).

Standing still a little while,
About the spring of the new day,
Before I meet a single trial,
I need to hear what God will say.

Standing still, I hear His Word;
His secret there He shows to me.
My heart is comforted and stirred
With truth by which He makes me free.

Standing still with ears to hear,
How quickly passes such an hour,
Each morning as my Lord draws near,
And calls me into His high tower.

Standing still, I lift my voice,
As He invites me then to pray.
The day begins, and I rejoice
That He will lead me all the way.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Credentials of Christ

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sword deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of His salvation" (Psalm 24:3-5). "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" (Proverbs 20:9).

Who could ascend to the hill of the Lord
And stand in His holy place?
No one was clean, no, not one could afford
To stand without sin and disgrace!

No one, that is, until our Lord came
With clean hands, a pure heart, and soul.
The Lord Jesus Christ, O praise His dear name,
Descended to make sinners whole!

But then He ascended from Calvary thus
With credentials that never were flawed.
Receiving the blessing, He gave it to us
With righteousness also from God!

No one can say, in the whole human race
In truth, I have made my heart clean;
But God is still cleansing each sinner by grace
Who on the Lord Jesus will lean!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Led by His Love

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.... He leadeth me" (Psalm 23:1-3). "Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work" (2 Thessalonians 2:16,17).

The Lord is my Shepherd; He meets every need
In every good word and work by His grace.
With goodness and mercy He surely will lead
In all of our seasons and in every place.

Led by the love of our Shepherd and Lord,
How great is the comfort He gives to our hearts!
Embraced by His mercy our souls are restored,
As He has assured us He never departs.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Helped Hitherto

"Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.... and thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines..... Then Samuel took a stone... and called the name of it Ebenezer [stone of help], saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us" (1 Samuel 7:5-12). "They have pierced My hands and My feet.... He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither hath He hid His face from him, but when he cried unto Him, He heard" (Psalm 22:16,24).

The Lord has helped us hitherto,
As Samuel rightly said.
Yet how much more we find it true,
Where grace and truth have led!

For Christ our Lord and Savior came
To take the sinner's place.
Our Stone of Help is in His name
And in His saving grace.

Upon the cross He seemed so weak,
Yet that is where He thundered
To help all those who for Him seek,
As Satan's house was plundered.

Though Christ was the rejected Stone,
He has become the Head.
He suffered for us all alone,
Then rose up from the dead.

Hitherto, we each can say,
O Lord, You helped my soul.
And so it is as day by day
We give to You control.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Faithful to Fulfill

"Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Faithful is He who calls you to do
According to His perfect will.
The purpose He has pertaining to you
In time He will surely fulfill.

How sweet this assurance He gives to our hearts!
How merciful is He who calls.
He'll finish the work in His own that He starts,
And lift him each time that he falls.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Comfort of His Coming

"The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

Our Lord and Savior shall descend
From heaven with a shout.
So let this prospect in the end
Remove our fear and doubt.

The dead in Christ shall be the crowds
With Him who first shall rise,
And then those raptured to the clouds
Shall join them with surprise.

O what a joy this shall afford,
Though hope may be deferred,
To be forever with the Lord:
Now comfort with this word!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Marriage and Marathon

"The heavens declare the glory of God.... In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a Bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong Man to run a race" (Psalm 19:1,4,5). "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love... to the end that He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints" (1 Thessalonians 3:12,13).

The heavens declare the marvelous glory,
Portrayed by the stars and the sun,
Which comes as a Bridegroom (the greatest love story),
And also a strong Man to run.

How wondrously these stellar figures abide,
Reflecting the glory and grace
Of Christ who has given Himself for His bride,
And finished the course of His race.

Soon we shall see the bride's consummation;
The Bridegroom shall never be parted,
And Christ, the Forerunner to our destination,
Shall finish in us what He started.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Greatness by His Gentleness

"Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation: and Thy right hand hath holden me up, and Thy gentleness hath made me great" (Psalm 18:35). We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children" (1 Thessalonians 2:7).

How gracious is the gentleness
Extending God's salvation,
That still in mercy stoops to bless
Through every situation.

As gentle as a loving nurse
With children who are cherished,
He lifts us from the fearful curse
By which we would have perished.

He holds us with His own right hand
Extended from above.
It was such gentleness that planned
And rescued us in love.

Your gentleness has made us great,
O Lord, through Your embrace.
So teach us how to demonstrate
Your gentleness by grace.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Seasoned with Salt

"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man" (Colossians 4:6).

We do not know who we may reach
Until tomorrow has arrived,
But God can give us salty speech,
Seasoned with His grace revived.

Speech with grace is always salty,
Creating thirst for what is God's.
Speech without His grace is faulty,
Even if the world applauds.

Speech with grace is seasoned well
With wisdom that will save from wrath.
As salt and light we seek to tell
There is a single saving path.

Speech with grace will point to Christ,
The only Truth that make us free,
For He alone was sacrificed
To save our souls at Calvary.

Speech with grace is sure and reasoned,
With evidence that God had planned.
Prophetic truth with grace is seasoned,
With answers that are never bland.

Thank you Lord for speech with grace
That's seasoned by Your Holy Spirit.
So guide our speech in every place
And every time that others hear it.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Melody Ministry

"Put on charity.... And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.... Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Colossians 3:14-16).

Now let the treasures of ministry stored
In Psalms and in hymns and in spiritual songs,
Compose in our hearts a song to the Lord
To whom all our worship so rightly belongs!

Now let the Word of Christ in us dwell
In wisdom and teaching and singing with grace,
Admonishing others (and ourselves as well)
To look unto Jesus while running our race.

Now let the love of our God and His peace
So rule in our hearts by His Spirit's control,
That fruit may abound, that grace may increase,
And joy will inspire the song of our soul.