Kindness of our King

"The kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared... which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4,6,7).

Behold the kindness of our King!
Behold our God and Savior's love!
Heirs by grace together sing
With heaven's choral host above!

The King of heaven has appeared:
Behold the great "I Am!"
He bore the judgment that we feared
As God's unblemished Lamb.

Looking and Laboring

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:13,14).

Looking for that blessed hope,
While we wait for God our Savior,
Calls us not to merely cope,
But to testify with our behavior.

Jesus Christ shall come again,
So let us labor while we look.
Even so, Lord, come! Amen!
Fulfill the promise of Your Book!

Faithful though Forsaken

"All men forsook me... Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me" (2 Timothy 4:16,17). "He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).

When we see ourselves forsaken
And we think we are alone,
Look again; do not be shaken:
God never leaves His own.

Finishing Forecast

"My departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:6,7).

There is a fight that must be fought.
There is a race that must be run.
There is a faith that must be taught
And lived each day through God the Son.

But God will help us finish well
In all that He would have us do.
And after all is done we'll tell
That it was grace that brought us through.

Workman in the Word

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.... This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be... ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, 3:1,2,7).

Workman in the Word of truth,
Show yourself approved by God.
Speak to aged; speak to youth;
Though some may mock and some applaud.

For in these perilous, last days,
The world would rather heed a fable
Than know the truth and give God praise;
And so they learn, and are not able.

Help and Health

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.... for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God" (Psalm 42:5,11). "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself" (2 Timothy 2:13).

Why, my soul, are you cast down?
God's help and health are on your side!
When circumstances seem to frown,
His faithfulness shall still abide.

Spiritual Specialties

Thanksgiving Day

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

Thanks be to God for His Spirit of power,
Giving us strength everyday, every hour.
Thanks be to God for His Spirit of love,
Sent from the heart of our Savior above.
Thanks be to God for His Spirit's sound mind:
His will to obey, His wisdom to find.

Victory in the Volume

"Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire; mine ears hast Thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast Thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within My heart" (Psalm 40:6-8). "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect" (Hebrews 10:1). "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).

The volume of the book contains
The prophecy of Christ,
And clearly there our Lord explains
Why He was sacrificed.

For all the offerings of the past
Are not what God desired:
For these were only shadows cast
To show what He required.

"I come to do Thy will," He said,
In His prophetic voice:
And thus He suffered in our stead.
Give thanks to Him! Rejoice!

Wait for What?

"And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in Thee" (Psalm 39:7).

My hope is not in fleeting health
To lengthen days upon this earth;
Nor is it in the temporal wealth
That estimates our worldly worth;
Nor is it in attractiveness
That draws fair weather friends:
My hope is in the Lord, no less;
My soul on Him depends.

Guard the Gift

"Neglect not the gift that is in thee.... Take heed unto thyself, and unto doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee" (1 Timothy 4:14,16).

Neglect not the gift which was given to you;
That gift was entrusted to you with salvation.
Take heed to yourself; hold fast to the true,
For the sake of those hearing and your preservation.

Double Delight

"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give the desires of thine heart... The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand" (Psalm 37:4,23). "Man's goings are of the Lord: how can a man then understand his own way?" (Proverbs 20:24).

Delight yourself today in the Lord
And He will give you a sure reward:
For the very desires that are on His heart
Will be the same longings that He will impart.

Then filled with desires thus holy and true,
The Lord will be also delighted in you.
And He will direct you each step of the way,
Restoring your soul with His grace everyday.

Love, Life, and Light

"How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God!... For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light" (Psalm 36:7,9).

Lovingkindness, life, and light:
How spectacular the sight!
Your mercy flows! Salvation springs!
Lord, in Your light we see these things!

Say to my Soul

"Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation" (Psalm 35:3).

Say to my soul, Lord, "I am your salvation."
I know it's true, and my heart says, "Amen!"
I'll never be weary of Your affirmation.
Whisper it often, again and again.

Faithful to the Feeble

"The Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil" (2 Thessalonians 3:3).

Faithful is the Lord our God
Who shall establish you
By guiding staff, corrective rod,
And counsel that is true.

He knows that we are feeble,
That we are prone to stray.
But He shall keep you from the evil
That you will face today.

The Thrill of His Thoughts

"The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations" (Psalm 33:10,11).

The counsel of heathen shall one day be gone,
Diminished with every device of the nations.
The counsel of God shall go on and on,
The thoughts of His heart to all generations.

Errorless Eyes

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye" (Psalm 32:8). "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).

The eyes of the Lord are in every place
Beholding the evil and good.
Unerring in judgment, in truth, and in grace,
There's nothing He's misunderstood.

The eyes of the Lord are fixed upon me;
He's aware of my every need.
I'll trust in His eyes for what I can't see;
I'll trust in His hand to lead.

Solaced Sorrow

"Ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him... 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 4:13-18).

Comfort one another with the solace Jesus gives;
We sorrow not as those who know not that He lives.
Soon our Lord will come again and bring with Him His own;
Then we which are remaining shall be caught up to His throne!

Morning after Mourning

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning" (Psalm 30:5).

Are you weary of the world's scorning,
And weeping through its night of pain?
Wait, beloved, for the morning;
The light of dawn shall make it plain.

Though few regard the Scripture's warning
That our Lord shall come to reign,
Wait, beloved, for the morning;
His promise surely is not vain!

Get and Give

"Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength... The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace" (Psalm 29:1,11).

Give to the Lord what He first gave to you.
Draw from His strength and His glorious peace.
Give to the Lord the praise He is due;
You cannot exhaust what God will increase.

Maximize your Ministry

"Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it" (Colossians 4:12).

Take heed to the ministry you have received,
Fulfilling the purpose that God has for you.
The calling of God when you first believed
Equipped you with grace for your ministry too.

Affirming our Affection

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after... to behold the beauty of the Lord" (Psalm 27:4). "Set your affection on the things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2).

It's time we affirm the things that we love:
Is it things on the earth or things up above?
Are we focused on things that are passing away,
Or redeeming the time for our Lord everyday?

Lord, give us hearts with a single desire:
To set our affection on things that are higher;
Higher than temporal things on this earth,
Exalting our Savior, proclaiming His worth.

Wisdom is Waiting

"Wisdom hath... furnished her table... As for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled" (Proverbs 9:1-5).

Wisdom has furnished her table and said:
"Come to the table and eat of my bread;
Drink of the wine that is mingled for you."
Wisdom is waiting; now what will you do?

The table is spread with bread and with wine.
Jesus invites us today, "Come and dine."
His body and blood are symbolized here.
Wisdom is waiting for you to draw near.

Manifest the Mystery

"Wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it" (Proverbs 8:11). "The mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations... now is made manifest to His saints... which is Christ in you, the hope of glory... in Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 1:26,27, 2:3).

Christ in us, the Hope of glory,
Is unveiled to His own.
Let us now proclaim the story;
Make the mystery in Christ known!

Manifest the wondrous treasures
Which are hid in Christ our Lord!
Far exceeding temporal pleasures
Are the riches in Him stored!

Properly Preeminent

"Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.... Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory" (Psalm 24:10). "...That in all things He might have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18).

Who is this King of glory and grace,
Who rightly deserves the preeminent place?
The Lord strong and mighty, victorious in strife,
Who fought to the death to rescue my life.

Who is this King of glory and love,
Who yet will return with His saints from above?
The Lord Jesus Christ; Lord of hosts is His name!
Come, reign in my heart, Lord; preeminence claim!

Satisfied by His Supply

"The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want... He leadeth me beside the still waters... He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.... Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life" (Psalm 23:1-6). "But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).

In every place my Shepherd leads,
He surely will supply my needs.
As in stillness, so in strife,
His grace shall satisfy my life.

Pressing for the Prize

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.... We look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself" (Philippians 3:14,20,21).

Pressing on toward the prize
Of our calling in the Lord,
Requires us to fix our eyes
On Christ our Portion and Reward.

Pressing on toward the prize,
We see the finish line ahead,
When we shall in His likeness rise;
We shall be changed, just as He said.

Ponder the Path

"The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.... Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established" (Proverbs 4:18,26).

Ponder the path of the just
That shines ever brighter with light.
This world and all of its lust
Will soon pass away as a night.

Ponder the path of your feet;
Turn not to the left or the right.
Walk in a manner that's meet
For approval in God's holy sight.

Should and Shall

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee SHOULD bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue SHOULD confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11). "Unto Me every knee SHALL bow, every tongue SHALL swear" (Isaiah 45:23).

It's at the name of Jesus Christ
That every knee should bow;
Though some on earth do otherwise,
Resisting Him— for now.

But there's a day we look toward
When every knee shall bend,
And every tongue shall call Him Lord;
Be sure of this, my friend.

Model Motto

"Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:20,21).

What a motto, true and plain:
To live is Christ; to die is gain!
Thus let it be for all my days
In life or death to give God praise.

Armed and Armored

"Take unto you the whole armor of God... and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" (Ephesians 6:13,17).

Put on the armor of God today;
Take also His Spirit's sword.
The powers of darkness are set in array,
But the victory belongs to the Lord.