Vain Voices

"I hate vain thoughts, but Thy law do I love" (Psalm 119:113). "Be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior: knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts" (2 Peter 3:3).

The driving force behind the voice
Of mockery today
Is lust and the deliberate choice
To push the truth away.

But God has given evidence
Throughout His vast creation
That He alone is our Defense
And Hope of our salvation.

So while the voice of vanity
Continues to be heard,
We turn from this insanity
To hear God's holy Word.

Inclination Included

"I have inclined mine heart to perform Thy statutes always, even unto the end" (Psalm 119:112). "But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire" (2 Peter 2:22).

How wonderful is our salvation,
That cleans and makes us new,
And gives to us the inclination
To do God's statutes too!

God gave salvation as a gift,
Including our desire
To turn from sin that He might lift
Our souls from sinful mire.

Fighting the Falsehood

"Through Thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:104).

Fighting with darkness requires the light.
Fighting with falsehood requires what's true.
Fighting what's wrongful requires what's right.
All of these resources, Lord, are from You.

Settled Servants

"Forever, Oh Lord, Thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to Thine ordinances: for all are Thy servants" (Psalm 119:89-91). "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (1 Peter 5:10).

In heaven, O Lord, You settled Your Word;
In the earth when You said, "Let there be,"
Creation responded as servants who heard;
From nothing, You made all we see.

All things continue to serve You today,
From the smallest to greatest of things.
Settle our hearts, Lord, as well to obey,
To serve You as our King of kings.

Smart in the Smoke

"I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget Thy statutes.... All Thy commandments are faithful.... Quicken me according to Thy lovingkindness" (Psalm 119:83-88).

Until the smoke has cleared away
Some things may be obscured.
Yet still we have the truth today:
The statutes of God's Word.

Though smoke is still before our eyes
Obscuring thus our vision,
Let us nonetheless be wise
And right in each decision.

The things that matter are secure:
God's love and faithfulness,
And these the smoke cannot obscure
Nor hinder God to bless.

Ready with a Reason

"Let those that fear Thee turn unto me, and those that have known Thy testimonies" (Psalm 119:79). "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15).

Lord, let me live in such a way
In every situation
That prompts a searching soul today
To ask of my salvation.

In every place and season
In all my given tasks,
Let me live to give a reason
To everyone who asks.

To those who would draw near
By the prompting of Your Spirit,
Let my answer thus be clear
To those with ears to hear it.

Our GOOD GOD

"Thou art good, and doest good; teach me Thy statutes" (Psalm 119:68). "Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2:21).

Truly, my Lord, You are good
In all that You say and do.
Teach me to live as I should
By the visible standard in You.

Companions in Common

"I am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts" (Psalm 119:63).

I am a companion of all those who fear
And worship the Lord and hold His word dear.
I am a companion of all those who love
The Savior of sinners who came from above.

Oh what a fellowship we have with each other,
Born from above with our sisters and brothers!
We'll share in our Savior's compassion that burns,
And labor with love until He returns.

Source of my Songs

"Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage" (Psalm 119:54). "Wherein ye greatly rejoice.... at the appearing of Jesus Christ; whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:6-8).

Unspeakable joy and full of God's glory!
Christ is the Spring for which my heart longs!
And He is the Center and Theme of that story
Supplying the source of my songs!

I walk in the house of my pilgrimage now,
Sustained by the hand of His grace.
But soon we shall see Him and at His feet bow,
Beholding Him then face to face!

Message in my Mouth

"Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in Thy judgments" (Psalm 119:43). "Hear the words of the wise... they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.... Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainly of the words of truth, that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?" (Proverbs 22:17-21).

It seems magnificent to me
That I should hold the word
That fills me with such certainty
By what I've seen and heard.

I've seen the words of prophecy
In history fulfilled.
I've heard the truth that sets me free,
And by it I am thrilled.

What a message in my heart
And in my mouth You gave!
Let my lips, Oh Lord, impart
Your word of truth to save.

Appropriate Approach

"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded.... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up" (James 4:8,10).

Come, draw near to God today,
But not with carelessness.
God prescribes the proper way
That He will surely bless.

Cleanse your hands from evil deeds;
Confess to God your sin.
This is all God's child needs
For cleansing to begin.

Purify your heart, and learn
To not be double-minded.
Live in view of Christ's return,
Not like this world blinded.

Humble, then, yourself before
The Lord who lifts you up.
He is knocking at your door
To enter and to sup.

Done with Dust

"My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken Thou me according to Thy word.... Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Thy law graciously.... I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart" (Psalm 119:25,29,32).

My soul is weary of the dust
Of things to which it cleaves.
I would be done with earthly lust
That hinders and deceives.

Lord, grant me Your law graciously,
And thus enlarge my heart
To run the way You show to me,
And from this dust depart.

Constant Counselors

"Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors" (Psalm 119:24). "Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. There are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand" (Proverbs 19:20,21).

The testimonies of the Lord
Are truly my delight.
They are my constant counselors
Declaring what is right.

The vain devices of our hearts
Shall vanish in the end,
But counsel that our God imparts
Is like a steadfast friend.

Let His counsel then command,
And let our hearts obey.
The counsel of the Lord shall stand;
All others fade away.

Beauty of the Book

"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Joshua 1:8). "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.... Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee" (Psalm 119:9,11). "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:22).

The beauty of God's Book is seen
In that its words are true,
Yet also that it makes us clean
When what we hear, we do.

Aim for His Arms

"The eternal God is thy Refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deuteronomy 33:27).

Eternal God, our Refuge strong,
Protector from all harms,
You carry us our whole life long
With everlasting arms.

Everlasting arms! How blest
We are in this sweet place!
We aim our trust and find our rest,
Upheld with truth and grace

Courageous Contentment

"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" (Psalm 118:6). "And be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13:5,6).

The Lord is on my side.
What more proof do I need?
For me He bled, He died,
He rose, and He will lead.

What can man then do
To cause my heart to fear?
I know my God is true
And shall be ever near.

This makes my heart content,
And also makes be brave.
When all my strength is spent,
My God will help and save.

Mediator of Mercy

"O praise Lord, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people. For His merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord." (Psalm 117:1,2). "Ye are come unto... God, the Judge of all... and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of the sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel" (Hebrews 12:22-24).

Oh praise the Lord every tribe and nation
For the mercy our God has bestowed
And the truth satisfied by our Lord's mediation
When He bore our iniquity's load!

For now we are come to the Judge justified,
And to Jesus, our soul's Mediator,
Whose blood paid the debt for our sin when died
And speaks of His grace that is greater.

Haste vs. Hope

"Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.... I said in my haste, All men are liars" (Psalm 116:7,11). " [It is] impossible for God to lie.... For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 6:18, 12:2,3).

I said in my haste that all men are liars,
And after long thought, I know it is true!
God who examines our deepest desires
Knows our deception, so this is not new.

Yet hope still abounds in the Savior who came,
For it is impossible for Jesus to lie.
True to His promise and true to His name,
Jesus in faithfulness went forth to die.

Looking to Jesus who promised to rise,
What freedom we find! What joy to the full!
Though all men be liars, they can't victimize
Our hope in the Lord and His peace in our soul.

Establish His Esteem

"I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock; His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.... Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not He thy Father that bought thee? Hath He not made thee, and established thee? Then Jeshurun (lit., the upright, referring to Israel)... forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation" (Deuteronomy 3,4,15).

Greatness to our God belongs.
Publish and ascribe His fame!
Sing it with majestic songs
The Rock of Ages is His name.

A God of truth and grace is He,
Established on His throne above.
A God without iniquity
Just and right with perfect love.

Shall we requite our loving Lord,
As foolish people so unwise,
With light esteem, and not afford
Him greatness in our blinded eyes?

God forbid that it should be!
Let us thus establish here
From henceforth through eternity:
He's our Lord, our Life, our Fear.

Effect of Evidence

"The thoughts of the righteous are right" (Proverbs 12:5). "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.... Through faith also Sarah... judged Him faithful who had promised" (Hebrews 11:1,11).

Now faith in our God is evidence-based.
The scales of truth will declare
The effect of creation must surely be traced
To the God of the land, sea, and air.

Faith in our God is what we will find,
When we have, like Sarah, discerned,
That God satisfies our heart and our mind,
As His faithfulness we have learned.

Faith in His Faithfulness

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promised" (Hebrews 10:23).

Hold fast the promise that Jesus Christ gives;
Hold the profession that He will prevail.
For Jesus is faithful, and He ever lives
To fulfill His promises; not one shall fail.

Life or Loss

"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil.... I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live" (Deuteronomy 30:15,19).

We choose life or death; blessing or curse
In this window of time called today.
There are choices we make, for better or worse,
That are with us forever to stay.

Therefore choose life! For why would you wait?
What is there in all of the earth
For which you'd exchange the blessings so great
In Christ with His infinite worth?

Revel in the Revealed

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.... For this commandment which I command thee this day is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off" (Deuteronomy 29:29, 30:11). "The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein" (Psalm 111:2).

Though secret things to God belong
He also has revealed
The things that give our heart a song
And give our faith a shield.

He has not hidden from our view
The precepts that we need,
But tells us what we ought to do
In thought, in word, and deed.

And best of all, He shows us Christ,
Our richest, highest Treasure!
His revelation has sufficed
To thrill our souls with pleasure.

Majesty and Mercy

"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.... The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4). "We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heavens... He saith.... I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more" (Hebrew 8:1,8,12).

We have Priest with majesty
At God's right hand above
Who tasted death for you and me,
Compelled by His own love.

His majesty and mercy plead,
With righteousness and peace,
To satisfy our deepest need,
And make our joy increase.

Ordained a Priest forever thus,
Our iniquities He bore,
That sins should never sever us,
Remembering them no more.

Curse Canceler

"Let them curse, but bless Thou... I will greatly praise the LORD... For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul" (Psalm 109:28-31).

Let the world stand and curse;
Let them say what they will say.
I shall not be any worse,
Though they curse me all the day.

For God has canceled and reversed
The curse that threatened me;
And God has blessed, though others cursed,
For all eternity!

Prioritizing Praise

"O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early" (Psalm 108:1,2).

Awake, my heart, to give God praise;
Prioritize this goal.
How easily my focus strays
And thus distracts my soul!

Awake, my song, and fill my heart
To give God adoration.
Fill my day right from the start
With joy in His salvation.

For the Cruel or the Christ

"My son, attend to My wisdom, and bow thine ear to My understanding.... Lest thou give thine honor unto others, and thy years unto the cruel" (Proverbs 5:1,9).

Give your years to Jesus Christ,
Or give them to the cruel.
Live for God, and thus be wise,
Or live life as a fool.

Days on earth are very few;
Eternity is long.
Live for what you know is true,
And turn from what is wrong.

Hear the Word of God today,
And bow to Him your ear.
Wisdom calls you to obey;
To heed, and not just hear.

Live for Christ, and not to get
The honor men applaud.
Live your life without regret
By living it for God.

Lessons of Leanness

"They soon forgot His works; they waited not for His counsel: but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul" (Psalm 106:13-15).

The lessons of leanness
Are so hard to learn!
While forfeiting cleanness,
God's counsel we spurn.

We get our request
At a terrible price.
We forfeit God's rest,
And spurn God's advice.

Lord, teach us instead,
By Your Spirit's control,
And not by the dread
Of this leanness of soul!

Believing the Builder

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding... The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens" (Proverbs 3:5,19). "For every house is builded by some man; but He that built all things is God" (Hebrews 3:4).

God is the Maker of all that we see;
By wisdom He founded the earth.
By His understanding and by His decree,
The heavens above had their birth.

Since God is the Planner and Builder of all,
How great is our Lord's understanding!
How rightly we trust Him as on Him we call,
Obedient to all He's commanding.

Led by Law

"Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen" (Deuteronomy 27:26). "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3).

The Law of God has taught us,
But by it we're not saved.
It was the Law that brought us
To see we were depraved.

Hopeless, helpless we were led
To see that we were cursed.
Condemned by what the Law had said,
We waited for the worst.

What joy it was, in view of this,
To hear God's declaration!
Led by Law, we found the bliss
Proclaimed in His salvation!

No escape! That's what we saw
Until our Savior came.
Confirmed as sinners by the Law,
With no escape from shame.

Led by Law, we learned to flee,
To Christ our dearest Friend,
Who tasted death for you and me,
And loved us to the end.

Avouching and Avoiding

New Year's Day

"Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be Thy God, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and to hearken unto His voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be His peculiar people, as He hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all His commandments" (Deuteronomy 26:17,18).

Avouch it plainly on this day
The new year has begun:
We resolve here to obey
And follow God the Son!

For only then can we avoid
The snares that lie in wait,
Deceiving those they have destroyed,
Who noticed them too late.

Lead us onward, Lord, to heaven,
As we start this year.
Draw us in two thousand seven;
Keep us ever near.