Lofty and Lowly

"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, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isaiah 57:15).

Outside the boundaries of time,
Dwelling in that realm sublime,
That timeless place, Eternity,
The Lord dwells in His majesty.

Inside the humble, contrite heart,
The Lord dwells also to impart
Revival in that lowly place,
Renewing joy and strength by grace.

Taste His Tenderness

"O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.... The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit" (Psalm 34:8,18).

The Lord is good! Oh taste and see!
His tender love for you and me
Will heal the broken heart that craves
For satisfying love that saves.

Seek the Savior

"Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near. 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" (Isaiah 55:6,7).

Seek the Lord while still you may.
While it still is called today,
Call upon Him! Why delay,
While yet He may be found?

Seek the Savior while He's near.
He that has ears, let him hear
His promise given sweet and clear,
That pardon will abound.

Lift then Look

"Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal, that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together" (John 4:35,36).

Lift up your eyes to God's heaven above,
Then look on the fields through His eyes of love.
For only through His eyes can we ever see
The value of souls that He longs to set free.

Startling State

"Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks" (Proverbs 27:23). "All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.... He shall bear their iniquities.... He hath poured out His soul unto death" (Isaiah 53:6,11,12).

Our Shepherd looked down to behold
And consider the state of his flocks.
Like sheep gone astray from His fold,
In sin and self-will each one walks.

How startling He so loved the lost,
That He poured out His soul unto death!
He saved us at such a high cost,
We should thank Him with every last breath!

Gladness and Glory

"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).

I'm girded with gladness, instead of my sorrows.
I've turned in my sadness for joyful tomorrows.
To the end that my story may attest to His praise,
And give God the glory, for the rest of my days.

Comfort or Condemnation?

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:16-18).

For God so loved the world, that He gave and gave and gave;
When we were destined to be hurled into a Christless grave,
He sent our Savior, Jesus Christ, His One Begotten Son.
He willingly was sacrificed, to save us, every one.

Yet condemnation will persist, for those who turn away;
For those who choose to still resist, refusing to obey.
Will it be condemnation, or His comfort that abides?
God offers His salvation, but the sinner still decides.

Basics of Building

"Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.... Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterward build thine house" (Proverbs 24:3,4,27). "Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise" (John 2:16).

Wisdom saw the Master's plan
And thus the work proceeded.
But understanding saw the land,
And the preparation needed.

Many obstacles were there,
That had to be removed.
A lack of love, a lack of prayer,
And rebellion was reproved.

Take these things from here,
The Master said to us.
Obedience then moved with fear
And prepared the field thus.

And now the rooms are filled
With precious, pleasant things.
This is the only way to build,
Fit for the King of kings.

Behold the Beauty

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after... to behold the beauty of the Lord all the days of my life" (Psalm 27:4). "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).

Behold the beauty of the Lord!
See Him reign upon His throne!
How could I ever thus be bored,
Unless my heart be stone?

Behold the beauty of the Lamb!
See Him offered on the cross!
Let this refine all that I am,
As fire consumes the dross!

Rejection vs. Reception

"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name, which were born... of God" (John 1:11-13).

He came to save His own,
But His own received Him not.
He came to make His mercy known,
But His mercy wasn't sought.

But all who have received the Lord,
He gave the power to be
The sons of God, bound by the cord
Of His own family.

Targeting the Teachable

"Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will He teach SINNERS in the way.... and the MEEK will He teach His way.... he that FEARETH THE LORD... shall He teach in the way that He shall choose" (Psalm 25:8,9,12). "I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go. O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river" (Isaiah 48:17,18). "Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45).

God is good and He is kind;
And therefore shall He teach the mind
Of sinners who would through Him find
From sin their sweet release.

God is good to those who seek;
And therefore shall he teach the meek
Who find His strength when they are weak;
And faith thereby increase.

God is good to all those who
Will fear, and trust, and find Him true.
And He will choose what they shall do,
The way of perfect peace.

Story of Glory

"Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah." (Psalm 24:10). "As for our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name" (Isaiah 47:4). "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory?" (Luke 24:26).

Who is the King of glory?
His name is Jesus Christ!
What a thrill to tell the story,
How He was sacrificed!

Why is He thus esteemed:
The King and Lord of hosts?
These hosts are those that He redeemed!
Of Him the ransomed boasts!

Sureties of my Shepherd

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.... Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:1,6). "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).

In every phase of my salvation
My Shepherd will abide;
My rest, refreshment, restoration,
And righteousness provide.

I'll have the best, whate'er my lot,
For to me to live is Christ,
And dying's gain; it matters not,
No matter how its sliced!

Yes, even though the valley
Of death's shadow lies ahead,
Lord, I know You're with me,
And I have no cause for dread.

For You have gone before me
To remove from death its sting,
Risen Shepherd, Lord Almighty,
You thought of everything!

Satisfied Seeker

"The meek shall eat and be satisfied: They shall praise the Lord that seek Him: your heart shall live forever" (Psalm 22:26). "And there is no God else beside Me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside Me. Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else" (Isaiah 45:21,22). "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:42,43).

There is a promised, sure reward,
To those who truly seek the Lord:
The Lord shall save and satisfy;
The meek shall praise and testify.

"He hath done this!" he'll declare;
For Jesus heard his desperate prayer.
"Lord, remember me!" he cried;
And Jesus did: that's why He died!

Seek the Lord, if you would be
Thus satisfied eternally!
Then you'll likewise rise to say:
"He hath done this!" Happy day!

My Crown, Messiah's Cross

"The king shall joy in Thy strength, O Lord; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! .... For Thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head" (Psalm 21:1,3).

The crown God gave when I believed
My Savior should have worn.
The crown that saved me He received:
The painful crown of thorn!

A crown for me, a cross for Christ:
How strange is this design!
The Lamb of God was sacrificed,
To make that gold crown mine!

Triumphant Trust

"We will rejoice in Thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners.... Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God" (Psalm 20:5,7). "Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he" (Proverbs 16:20).

Happy is the people whose trust is in the Lord.
What confidence His promises abundantly afford!
Let others trust in chariots, while we our banners raise,
And bow the knee to Jesus, and with joy confess His praise!

The Word that Warns

"The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.... Moreover by them is Thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward" (Psalm 19:9,11).

Lord, in this rebel world that scorns
The truth You gave to set them free,
I thank you for the Word that warns,
Reproves, corrects, and counsels me.

Heavenly Hero

"I will love Thee, O Lord, my Strength. The Lord is my Rock, and my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my Strength, in Whom I will trust; my Buckler, and the Horn of my salvation, and my High Tower" (Psalm 18:1,2). "I am the Lord thy God... thy Savior.... Since thou wast precious in My sight... I have loved thee... and beside Me there is no Savior" (Isaiah 43:4,11).

The Lord is my Hero, my Strength, and my Rock!
If you're willing to listen, I'm ready to talk
Of Jesus my Savior, Who came from above,
To rescue my soul, all because of His love.

He is the One in Whom I will trust!
How can I be silent? I will speak, for I must!
For I was His object of love and salvation,
He suffered for me in humiliation.

He is my Shield! He's my High Tower!
He is my Fortress of strength and of power!
Death could not hold Him; He conquered the grave!
Heroic in love, He is mighty to save!

To Hear and To Heed

"Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.... Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not" (Isaiah 42:18,20). "And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God" (Luke 18:43).

Lord, I hear Your sweet reproof:
"Hear, ye deaf, and look, ye blind."
I would not stand unmoved, aloof,
And thus no healing find.

Lord, open now my ears to hear,
And hearing, to obey.
Lord, give me sight, alert and clear,
To follow you today.

Produce your Proof

"Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth, and show us what shall happen: let them show the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods; yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you" (Isaiah 41:21-24).

Produce your cause and your strong reasons:
What shall come in future seasons?
Show us evil; show us good;
If you are gods, you surely should.

Show things that are to come.
Behold! You're blind, and deaf, and dumb!
But God can see the by and by,
Declaring what will be and why.

Alas! The world has been deceived,
Our God alone can be believed!
His proof is in His prophecy,
His record of integrity.

Believe in God, or trust a lie.
God's Word and Spirit testify.
Why would you choose abomination,
While God extends so great salvation?

Hand in Hand

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.... For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee" (Isaiah 41:10,13).

Hand in hand, the Lord will help us.
Hand in hand, we hear Him say:
"Fear not, I will help you." Thus,
We need not be dismayed!

Hand in hand, He gives us strength.
Hand in hand, He leads along.
Thus throughout our journey's length,
He gives our hearts a song!

Commanded to Comfort

"Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God.... He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young" (Isaiah 40:1,11). "Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).

Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, says your God.
Tell them that there's comfort in our Shepherd's staff and rod.
Say to them that, like a Shepherd, He will feed His flock,
And in His arms He'll gather them, and lead them in their walk.

Still the Stones!

"And when He was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God for all the mighty works that they had seen.... And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto Him, Master, rebuke Thy disciples. And He answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out" (Luke 19:37-40).

Should stones cry out instead of me,
As I look on complacently?
Should rocks proclaim my Savior's praise,
While I neglect to tell His ways?

Be still, you stones, as well you should!
I will declare my God is good!
How can I stand by silently,
Since Jesus gave Himself for me?

God and Guest

"And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste, and came down, and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured saying, that He was gone to be Guest with a man that is a sinner" (Luke 19:5-7).

Guest of sinners, Friend so dear,
Make Yourself at home right here!
Though You know my heart's a mess,
Come on in, Lord, purge and bless.

Guest of sinners! What surprise!
I scarcely could believe my eyes!
But there You were, right at my door,
And you came in as Guest and Lord.

Guest of sinners, have Your way,
Now that You have come to stay.
The place looks better since You're here.
There's more to do; You've made that clear.

Guest of sinners, come abide,
And take the highest place inside.
Come and dine, commune with me.
Rule my heart, Lord, make me free.

Forgotten Foundation?

"In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?.... If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men" (Psalm 11:1,3,4).

Flee as a bird to your mountain, you say?
My friend, you are sadly mistaken.
The Lord is still on His throne today;
This foundation can never be shaken.

Design our Desire

"Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble: Thou wilt prepare their heart, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear" (Psalm 10:17). "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1).

Lord, you know our trend of thought
Toward worry or complaint.
And that is why you said we ought
To pray and not to faint.

Teach us, then, to never tire
Of talking, Lord, with You.
Give us a humble, right desire
In prayer and all we do.

Noah's Days and Nowadays

05/05/05, National Prayer Day

"As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all" (Luke 17:26).

Just as it was in Noah's day,
We seem to be busy— too busy to pray.
"So shall it be," we hear our Lord say,
"In the days of the Son of man."

So let us not wait for others pray;
Let us begin, and begin right away,
To pray that our nation may no longer stray,
And draw near to God— while we can!

Exalted in Excellence

"O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth.... When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8:1,3,4).

How excellent, Lord, is Thy name in the earth,
In the sun, moon, and stars, in a new baby's birth!
Yet why would You visit man? What is he worth?
That you would descend from above?

How excellent, Lord, is Your love that we see,
Eternal, abundant, unbounded, and free!
The Son of God laid down His own life for me!
Be exalted, Oh Lord, in Your love.

Strengthen the Stressful

"Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say unto them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God... will come and save you" (Isaiah 35:3,4). "The Lord shall be your confidence" (Proverbs 3:26).

Strengthen weak hands;
Confirm feeble knees.
For our God commands,
And our good decrees.

The Favor of His Fear

"And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is His treasure" (Isaiah 33:6). "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7).

The fear of the Lord
Is wisdom's true measure.
It grants the reward
Of God's fullest treasure.

It cries to the sinner's heart,
"Flee from God's wrath!"
It cleanses our inner part,
Shows the right path.