Why do you Weep?

"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? .... Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord" (John 20:15,20).

Why is it that you weep, mournful Mary, in the gloom?
Whom is it that you seek, as you tarry at the tomb?
Where is it you suppose, that they took your Lord away?
What joy! Your Savior rose, and He meets with you today!

Oh what a transformation, as Jesus speaks your name!
What joy and exultation, replaces gloom and shame!
So give to us that vision, as we come to You, dear Lord;
And give us hearts to listen, that our joy may be restored.

Wooed with Words

"Every word of God is pure: He is a Shield unto them that put their trust in Him" (Proverbs 30:5). "It is finished" (John 19:30).

Ah! Hear the words of Jesus spoken on the cross;
Draw near to love that frees us from eternal loss.
His love could not be drowned with floods of human hate;
No other can be found with love so true and great.

“Father, forgive them!” How His love shines through!
In His words of pity, “They know not what they do.”
Oh! What love for sinners, as to the thief He cries:
“Today thou shalt be with Me in paradise.”

Comforting His mother, though He was the suffering One,
He spoke of His disciple, “Woman, behold thy son.”
Shepherd’s love so selfless, thinking of another!
Telling His disciple, “Behold thy mother.”

Refrain: Ah! Hear the words of Jesus...

Hear His lamentation, foretold in prophecy:
“My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
The Fount of every blessing for our sakes was cursed!
He gave living water, yet declared, “I thirst.”

Triumphant proclamation! The mighty work is done!
He cried, “It is finished!” Salvation had been won!
His final word (His Father must have longed to hear it!):
“Father, into Thy hands I commend My Spirit!”

Written and Wrought

"And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, the King of the Jews; but that He said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written" (John 19:19-22).

Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews,
For our sakes was smitten, believe it or not.
Scoffers may gather with contrary views,
Yet what has been written shall surely be wrought.

Write it in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin;
Write it in all of the languages known!
The Scripture is true; be sure it will happen:
No one shall stall the decree from God's throne.

Neither jot nor a tittle in all of God's Word
Shall ever be wrong, and cannot pass away.
The lot and the little of Scripture we've heard,
No matter how long, shall be wrought in its day.

Reasoning on Rendering

"He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.... What shall I render unto the LORD for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.... I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the name of the LORD" (Psalm 116:12,13,17).

What offering can I afford?
What tribute shall I bring
For all the benefits toward
My soul from Christ my King?

The greatest gift that I can give
Is to surrender all!
And so as long as I shall live,
Upon You, Lord, I'll call.

For Lord, You know my fickle heart
Is prone to stray and falter;
A living sacrifice to start,
That climbs off of the altar.

And so I'll call on Jesus Christ,
To give to me His power
To be a be a living sacrifice
Each day and every hour!

Tripping over Truth

"Jesus answered.... Everyone that is of the truth heareth My voice. Pilate saith unto Him, What is truth?" (John 18:37,38).

"What is truth?" is what he said,
Though Truth stared Pilate in the face!
Truth had raised men from the dead,
And Truth extended heaven's grace.

"What is truth?" the world quips,
Though Christ has risen from the grave!
Thus the fool in darkness trips
Still over Truth Who lives to save.

Jordan vs. Jesus

"What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? Thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?.... Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord" (Psalm 114:5,6). Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am. As soon then as He had said unto them I am, they went backward, and fell to the ground" (John 18:4-6).

What ailed you, oh Jordan River
That you were driven back?
Behold, oh earth, the Lord, and quiver:
His presence wrought your act!

What ailed you, Oh feeble band,
When Jesus simply said
In His response to you, "I am,"
That you fell down as dead?

You did not know that you had found
The Lord of lords, your God!
You did not know the holy ground
On which you rashly trod!

Tremble at the great "I am"!
And do not be mistaken:
The earth again shall see the Lamb
And once more shall be shaken!

Poverty to Princely

"He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill, that He may set him with princes, even with he princes of His people" (Psalm 113:7,8). "Better it is that is be said unto thee, Come up hither, than to be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen" (Proverbs 25:7).

How gracious is the Lord
Who stoops in love to lift
The poor who can't afford
The riches of His gift.

Yes, He freely gives it since
He knows we cannot buy
The right to sit as prince
With our Lord of love on high.

From poverty to princely:
Oh what a transformation!
How sweetly He convinced me
To cry for His salvation!

Changeless Cheer

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

In the world we surely shall have tribulation.
But be of good cheer, for Christ overcame!
And so we press on in His changeless salvation;
To build and to battle in His glorious name!

For greater is He Who is in us today,
Than all of the powers of darkness combined!
Let His changeless cheer be a light to our way,
Restoring us daily with His peace of mind.

Excellent Expectation

"Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.... My son, it thine heart be wise, My heart shall rejoice, even Mine.... For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off" (Proverbs 23:5,15,18). "And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you" (John 16:22).

Set not your hope on earthly things,
That very soon decay.
The world's riches make their wings
And surely fly away.

Let Jesus be your Expectation,
Your dear, unfailing Friend!
The riches of His great salvation
Shall never, never end.

Lookingglass Laver

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal... For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister.... And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation" (Exodus 30:17-20, 38:8). "Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you" (John 15:3).

Behold the laver made of brass
Where servant priests would meet,
Constructed from the lookingglass,
To wash their hands and feet.

Your Word is like that polished laver
That shows to me my sins;
And cleanses me to serve my Savior,
Before my work begins.

Peculiar Peace

"Because I live, ye shall live also.... Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:19,27).

How fragile is this world's peace
That gives no peace of mind!
Her wars continue and increase,
In spite of treaties signed.

How different is the peace of Christ
That Jesus freely gives;
Procured when He was sacrificed,
Secure because He lives.

Fixed on His Faithfulness

"O God, my heart is fixed.... I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the people" (Psalm 108:1,3). "Most men will proclaim everyone his own goodness: but a faithful man, who can find?" (Proverbs 20:6). "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me... I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me" (John 14:1,6).

My heart is fixed; I rest my mind
Upon the faithfulness and worth
Of Jesus Christ, in Whom we find,
The only faithful Man on earth.

We search the earth and we can see
That many think that they are good.
Yet with a closer scrutiny,
None do as they always should.

None, that is, but Jesus Christ!
Praise Him for His faithfulness
That led Him to be sacrificed,
And forevermore shall bless!

Learning His Love

"Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men.... Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD" (Psalm 107:31,43). "Having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.... Jesus said... A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:1,31,34).

Whoso shall observe the things
That Jesus said and did,
Shall understand the love He brings;
His way shall not be hid.

The more that we have learned His love,
The more we understand
What Jesus Christ was speaking of
When He gave His command.

As He loved us, so should we
Be loving one another.
By His model we can see
How we should love each other.

Regretfully Restrained

"And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make anymore work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing" (Exodus 36:5,6). "Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light.... While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light" (John 12:35,36).

The kind who put off till tomorrow
What the Lord commands today,
May find to their surprise and sorrow,
Time for service passed away.

While we have the light to work,
Let's use our opportunity!
How regretful if we shirk
Our own responsibility!

Yes, one day we shall be restrained,
So seize the day and count the cost.
Days lived for the Lord are gained,
And days lived otherwise are lost.

Sir, We Would See

"Sir, we would see Jesus... Jesus answered, The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified.... For this cause came I unto this hour" (John 12:21-27).

Sir, we would see Jesus, and then make Him known,
For no one else frees us, but Jesus us alone.
We'd follow His path from heaven above;
To save us from wrath, He came down in love.

Sir, we would see Jesus, and look on His face,
To know how He sees us with marvelous grace.
We'd follow His trail that led to the cross:
We see Him prevail; He came for this cause.

Sir, we would see Jesus, Whom death could not hold.
Let His passion seize us, and let us be bold.
We'd follow His Spirit, and go forth to tell,
To all who will hear it, that Christ saves from hell.

Willing Worship

"Take ye from among you and offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD.... And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD's offering.... And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted" (Exodus 35:5-22). "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment" (John 12:3).

Let everyone that's willing-hearted,
Bring an offering to the Lord.
Give to God what He's imparted,
Like the ointment Mary poured.

How cannot our hearts be stirred
When we thus view Him on the cross,
According to His faithful word,
To save us from eternal loss?

What then shall we bring to Him?
What kind offering can suffice?
Fill our hearts, Lord, to the brim,
To pour them out in sacrifice.

Believe and Behold

"Show me now Thy way, that I may know Thee.... And he [Moses] said, I beseech Thee, show me now Thy glory" (Exodus 33:13,18). "He made known His ways unto Moses" (Psalm 103:7). "Jesus saith unto her [Martha], Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (John 11:40).

Show me now Your way, O Lord,
That I may better know
The glory that may be explored
In Christ that You will show.

Remember now what Jesus said,
When standing at the grave
Where Lazarus was four days dead,
And this command He gave:

"Take away the stone." That's all.
But unbelief objected.
And then He bade them to recall
How glory was detected.

His glory He would soon display
If they would just believe;
And thus believing, then obey,
And they would then perceive.

How many times has it been so
That I have not believed,
And missed the glory God would show,
And thus His heart I grieved?

Earnestly and Early

"Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto Mount Sinai, and present thyself there to Me in the top of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee... And Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto Mount Sinai, as he Lord had commanded him, and took in his hand two tables of stone. And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord" (Exodus 34: 2-5).

Be ready in the morning to hear the word of God.
Above the world's scorning, above what men applaud,
Reserve this special time apart, come early and alone,
That God may write upon your heart, as once He did on stone.

Come earnestly and early with an attentive ear.
Draw near to God and surely, He also will draw near.
Come up into His presence, before the morning ends.
This is the daily essence of the blessing God extends.

Surety of His Sheep

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand" (John 10:27,28).

How good it is to surely know
We are the Savior's sheep.
We're in the hand that won't let go,
Forever His to keep.

We hear His voice, He knows us well,
He shelters us from strife;
We follow Him, He saves from hell,
And gives eternal life.

Credible Creator

"Know ye that the Lord He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture" (Psalm 100:3).

The science books upon the shelves that atheists applaud,
Affirm that we have made ourselves without the hand of God.
This is the dogma in our schools; they call it evolution.
God has rightly called them fools who hold to this conclusion.

But God has told us very clearly, we are His creation,
Though atheists will hold that theory in their desperation.
Yet God has told us furthermore that we are His own sheep.
This is the truth the fools ignore that we, His people, keep.

Invention vs. Integrity

"Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at His footstool, for He is holy.... Thou was a God that forgavest them, though Thou tookest vengeance of their inventions" (Psalm 99:8). "The integrity of the upright shall guide them" (Proverbs 11:3). "One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.... Herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes.... If this Man were not of God, He could do nothing.... And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped Him" (John 9:25-38).

How marvelous a thing we see,
That man with his inventions
Is blind without integrity,
In spite of best intentions.

Inventions of religious minds
Can never be our guide.
Religion only further blinds
And turns our hearts aside.

God is giving full attention
To those with integrity.
Cast away your vain invention,
And His truth shall make you free.

Night is Near

"He that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame" (Proverbs 10:5). "The night cometh, when no man can work" (John 9:4).

The fields are ready, the harvest is white;
Rise up while the day is still here!
For no one can work when the day turns to night;
Awake, O my soul: night is near!

Awake to the danger of procrastination
That can't pay back time it will borrow.
Today is the day we must call for salvation!
Now boast not yourself of tomorrow.

The Call to Come

"Wisdom... hath killed her beasts... she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city... Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled" (Proverbs 9:1-5).

Wisdom is calling us now to the feast:
All things are ready, so come now and dine.
The table once spread with the sacrificed beast,
Has now been replaced with bread and with wine.

Come now and eat, in remembrance, the bread,
And drink of the wine Christ has mingled for us.
Jesus who died and who rose from the dead,
Calls us today to remember Him thus.

Word to the World

"And He said unto them; Ye are from beneath, I am from above... If ye continue in My word, then are ye my disciples indeed: and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:23,31,32).

Yes! It's possible to know
The truth of God's abiding love,
Though we are from the world below,
And God is from the heights above.

For God has sent His Word to us
By prophets who foretold
The promises of God and thus
The truth confirmed we hold.

Now Christ has come and we have heard
His words to you and me:
If we continue in His Word,
The truth shall make us free.

Hiding our Hardening

"O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness" (Psalm 95:6-8).

The Gospel music may be playing,
The call to worship loud,
Yet hear now what the Lord is saying,
We're not lost in the crowd.

The worship lyrics are not wrong,
That call us here to kneel,
But God does not reprove the song,
But hearts that He would heal.

How subtle is the hardened heart
Beneath the happy mask
That sings the song and plays the part;
O what a weary task!

Today your weary heart is bidden
To hear God's voice contest.
Your hardened heart has not been hidden;
Return and find your rest!

Doctrine of Discernment

"They say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not He correct? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not He know?" (Psalm 94:9,10). "If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine" (John 7:17).

The doctrine of discernment's key
To many is not clear.
They say the Lord shall never see.
They say He does not hear.

When will the foolish be made wise?
When will they choose to hear?
Shall not He see who formed our eyes
And hear who made the ear?

If anyone will do God's will,
His doctrine shall be known.
Those who will not shall fulfill
What prophets long have shown.

For mockers in the latter days
Shall willfully ignore
The evidence that God displays,
The key to wisdom's door.

But God is waiting, calling still
And bids humanity
To come now, whosoever will,
To Christ who holds the key.

Weakness of the Waves

"The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods have lifted up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea" (Psalm 93:3,4).

The floods have lifted up their waves!
Oh Lord, what shall we do?
They mock the truth that Jesus saves;
They say it isn't true!

They crash and break upon the shore,
And with their rising tide,
Advance their falsehood more and more,
Yet are not satisfied.

The floods have lifted up their voice,
But God has said, "Be still,
And Let the waters make their noise,
But you obey My will."

And thus He calms the storm in me,
And makes me understand,
He's greater than the raging sea;
He still is in command.

Freedom of the Fruitful

Independence Day

"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age... to show that the LORD is upright: He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him" (Psalm 92:13-15). "The truth shall make you free... If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:32,36). "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17).

The freedom to be fruitful now
And in the days ahead,
Our God has promised to endow
To all those Spirit-led.

For if the Son shall make us free
We shall be free indeed,
To flourish like the cedar tree
As God supplies our need.

So may we show by fruitfulness,
In old age or in youth,
In God, our Rock, is righteousness,
And freedom in His truth.

Wonderful Will

"And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that everyone which seeth the Son and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:39,40).

The Father's will was clearly done
For those Christ came to save:
That He would not lose even one
Of those the Father gave.

The Father's will in Jesus Christ
Was that we all should see,
That He for us was sacrificed,
And trusting, be made free.

How wonderful the Father's will!
His love has found a way
To give us life, and further still,
To raise us up one day!

Wearing our Wisdom

"And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he many minister unto Me in the priest's office" (Exodus 28:2,3). "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom... And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it" (Psalm 90:12,17).

Garments of glory and beauty were made
By those who applied their God-given arts.
So may the beauty of Christ be displayed,
By numbering our days and applying our hearts.

Melody of Mercy

"I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations... Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound... In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted" (Psalm 89:1,14-16).

The melody of mercy that God Himself makes known
And His faithfulness to every generation,
Does not deny the justice and the judgment of His throne,
But satisfies them fully in salvation.

For His mercy and His truth in Jesus Christ are found
To go before fulfilling judgment's claim.
How happy are those people who know that joyful sound,
Rejoicing all the day in Jesus' name!