Will to be With

"Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned.... Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right sprit within me" (Psalm 51:4,10). "Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart" (1 Samuel 14:7).

Against the Lord are all my sins,
Though others are affected.
This is where it all begins:
When God's will is rejected.

Create in me a clean heart, Lord,
That longs to do Your will,
That where Your heart will turn toward,
I may be with You still.

Speaking to the Seeking

"The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.... Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest... there be none to deliver" (Psalm 50:1,22). "He, that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy" (Proverbs 29:1).

God is speaking day by day
From the dawn to setting sun.
Some have turned their hearts away;
Other hearts the Lord has won.

Those who will not heed God's voice
Are the same who shall not hear.
Though to spurn Him is a choice,
Judgment nonetheless draws near.

One day God will cease to warn;
And there shall be no remedy.
Sinners then will no more scorn
When faced with their eternity.

Consider this, you who forget:
Salvation is in Christ alone.
Seek the Lord, or soon regret
Your choice when at His judgment throne.

Veer from the Vain

"Turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart, and turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain" (1 Samuel 12:20,21).

Turn not aside from seeking the Lord,
And trust Him to make your path plain.
Turn not aside for an earthly reward,
For then would you seek what is vain.

Serve Him with all of your heart and your soul;
All other distractions disdain.
Follow Him daily and give Him control,
For then you will veer from the vain.

Rehearsing with Reasoning

"Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which He did to you and to your fathers" (1 Samuel 12:7).

Let us reason, as we look,
Rehearsing all the facts,
That are written in God's Book,
Of all His righteous acts.

Rehearse the acts of His creation,
The earth and skies above.
Rehearse the acts of His salvation
Accomplished by His love.

Pause from your activity
And take the time to reason,
Considering the history
Of God in every season.

Shout! vs. Shush!

"O clap yours hands, all ye people, shout unto God with a voice of triumph" (Psalm 47:1). "And He (Jesus) straightly charged him (the healed leper), Say thou nothing to any man.... But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter" (Mark 1:44,45).

Shout with triumphant praise to our God,
Declaring His wondrous salvation!
Publish the matter; yes, spread it abroad,
To all of the ends of creation!

How difficult was that different command
That our Lord charged the leper He healed,
That he should say nothing to any man,
Of his joy that could not be concealed!

Refuge and River

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.... There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.... Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:1,4,10).

You, Lord, are our Refuge, River,
Strength eternal, Stream of life,
Loving Savior, comfort Giver,
And our present Help in strife.

Streams of gladness freely flow,
Fears and doubts at once are halted,
As You bid our hearts to know,
You are God, and thus exalted.

Stand Still

"And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away.... but stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God" (1 Samuel 10:26,27). "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations... teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19,20).

Early with the dew of morning
About the spring of day,
We may hear God's gentle warning,
Before we're sent away.

Before the day with its demands
Presents its joy or trial,
God, who sees it all, commands,
Stand still a little while.

Stand still to hear the Word of God,
Each morning that He gives.
The comfort of His staff and rod,
Is ours because He lives.

The Lord commands us each to go,
Yet also to stand still.
How else shall we ever know
The counsel of His will?

The World vs. the Word

"Pilate saith unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can" (Matthew 27:65).

Make it as sure as you can;
You have a watch, Pilate said.
God versus pitiful man,
Supposing the Lord would stay dead!

Make it as sure as you can;
Yet three days elapsed and He rose,
In spite of their very best plan,
In spite of their arrogant prose.

Make it as sure as you can,
The world continues to say!
Relentlessly working to ban
The historical proof on display.

Make it as sure as you can,
Yet when your best efforts are done,
The word of the Savior shall stand,
And the world shall bow to God's Son.

Holy Hill

"O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill.... Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy" (Psalm 43:3,4). "And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha.... they crucified Him.... Now from the sixth hour (i.e., noon) there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour" (Matthew 27:33-45).

Lord, lead me to Your holy hill,
To the altar where You died,
Where love accomplished all Your will,
When You were crucified.

Led by light into that place
Where darkness spread its veil,
Light was brilliant by Your grace
Through love that did not fail.

What irony, that light should lead
Into that noonday night,
Where love would meet our deepest need,
And for our souls would fight!

Light exposed Your judgment rod,
Yet love received the blow.
So to the altar of my God
With joy I'll humbly go.

Quality Question

"Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?" (Matthew 27:22).

Life is filled with many questions;
Some important, others not.
Some are posed as mere suggestions,
Others call for deeper thought.

We test a question's quality
By its consequence's weight.
If it impacts eternity,
Its quality is great!

You dare not be as Pilate, who
Then asked that congregation
What they thought that he should do
With Christ and His salvation.

What shall I do with Jesus Christ?
Friend, weigh this question well!
He is the Lamb once sacrificed
To save your soul from hell!

Hitherto and Henceforth

"Then Samuel took a stone... and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us" (1 Samuel 7:12). "By this I know that Thou favorest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me" (Psalm 41:11).

By this I surely know God's favor,
That this enemy within
Has been defeated by my Savior:
The tyranny of sin.

Hitherto the Lord has helped me,
And here this stone I raise,
To celebrate His victory
Henceforth for all my days.

Theme of His Thoughts

"Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to usward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee.... But I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me" (Psalm 40:5,17).

How many are Your thoughts, oh Lord;
How wondrous is their theme,
As all Scriptures thus record
Your work and love supreme!

And as I ponder, Lord, Your mind,
And what You're thinking of,
I am amazed at what I find:
You think on me with love!

Wait for What?

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

In this age of vanity,
Oh Lord, what wait I for?
Grant me, Lord, the sanity
To love You more and more.

I thank You for my days of health
On earth, though they be few.
I thank You for the fleeting wealth
For daily bread from You.

But these can never satisfy
The longing of my soul.
For health and wealth make wings and fly,
As time demands its toll.

So now I hope in You, oh Lord;
To whom else can we go?
There's no one else who can afford
The riches You bestow.

Loving the Least

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me" (Matthew 25:40).

I was hungry, I was thirsty,
And a stranger, sick and lame,
Naked when you fed and clothed Me,
Bound in prison, when you came.

Lord, when were You so ill at ease?
Lord, when did we Your sorrow see?
When you served the least of these,
Then you did it unto Me.

Strategy of our Steps

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in His way" (Psalm 37:23). "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).

The steps we take each day we've planned,
But God directs our way.
So let us follow His command,
And all His will obey.

Envision the End

"In that day I will perform... all things which I have spoken... when I begin, I will also make and end" (1 Samuel 3:12). "So also shall the coming of the Son of man be.... Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour you Lord doth come" (Matthew 24:27,42).

There surely is a coming day
When God shall make an end
To all that He began to say
Which prophets thus have penned.

Work therefore; be not as some
Who waste the time away.
We do not know when He will come,
But we can watch and pray.

The World vs. His Word

"And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these thing? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.... Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).

Look upon the things of earth
And all its boasted treasure:
Evaluate their proper worth
By God's eternal measure.

All these things shall pass away,
But not that which was heard
Of all our Savior had to say,
Recorded in His Word.

Hold lightly to these passing things;
Embrace God's Word instead.
For in His time He surely brings
To pass what He has said.

Assessing our Actions

"Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed" (1 Samuel 2:3).

Though the foolish may talk proudly,
Though their judgment is delayed,
Though the world esteems them loudly,
Actions by our God are weighed.

And God our Lord can see and hear
The sinner who has humbly prayed.
He dries the brokenhearted's tear,
For actions by our God are weighed.

Rest in the Right

"The word of the Lord is right, and all His works are done in truth.... The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect" (Psalm 33:4,10). "The thoughts of the righteous are right" (Proverbs 12:5).

Every word of God is right;
The word of fools He brings to nought.
God examines in His sight
Our deeds, our words, and every thought.

Though for now there is debate,
Soon that argument will end.
God will simply terminate
The foolish counsel of mere men.

Hating Hypocrisy

"Blessed is the man... in whose spirit there is no guile" (Psalm 32:2). "An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor" (Proverbs 11:9). "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" (Matthew 23:13).

How chilling are the solemn woes
That charge hypocrisy
With ruining the lives of those
Deceived by what they see.

No wonder Jesus plainly spoke
With language so severe,
To hypocrites who thus provoke
His judgment to draw near.

But blest are those who have no guile,
With cleared iniquity,
Who live for God's approving smile,
And hate hypocrisy.

Haven in His Hand

"Into Thine hand I commit my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.... My times are in Thy hand" (Psalm 31:5,15).

In Your hand, Lord, I have found
A haven for eternity,
A fountainhead where joys abound,
Eternal love, and certainty.

In Your hand, I rest my soul,
There is no safer place to be.
Just knowing You are in control
Gives me peace and makes me free.

Purpose of Praise

"Thou hast turned for me my morning into dancing: 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).

Girded with gladness for all of my days,
Clothed in the garments of glorious salvation,
Marked for the purpose of singing God's praise;
To this very end I am His new creation.

Gleanings of Glory

EASTER SUNDAY

"Then Boaz said unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here... Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldst take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?.... And Boaz said unto her, at mealtime come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar" (Ruth 2:8-14). "Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine" (John 21:12).

This question from the heart of Ruth:
Lord, "Why have I found grace?"
Gleaned from Scripture rings with truth
For all of Adam's race!

For why should we thus be invited
By our Lord to "come and dine?"
Should we not be thus indicted
By the symbols, bread and wine?

And yet He bids us to take bread,
Recall His body broken,
A body that rose from the dead;
Oh, what a glorious token!

And as we also take the wine,
Recalling blood He shed,
We see the price of wrath divine,
That should be ours instead.

And still the question rings above,
Lord, why have we found grace?
We find the answer in the love
That shines from Jesus' face.

Standing Steadfast

"And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.... She [Naomi] saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her" (Ruth 1:16-18). "Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him" (Matthew 20:34).

Lord, You have called me to come follow You,
And I would be steadfast, Lord; I would be true.
Until life on earth and my journey be through,
I'd trust You to meet very need.

Just like the steadfast commitment of Ruth,
Filled with a passion and love for Your truth,
God of my old age as well as my youth,
I'd follow wherever You lead.

Singular Search

Good Friday

"One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after... to behold the beauty of the Lord.... When Thou saidst, Seek ye My face, my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek" (Psalm 27:4,8).

There is a single, worthy goal
Demanding my decision:
To seek the Savior of my soul,
That He might fill my vision.

I see my Savior on the cross
There dying for my sin.
And though His triumph looked like loss,
He knew that He would win.

What was the prize for which He died
And rose again to claim?
It was my soul, to my surprise,
Redeemed from sin and shame!

Lord, I would therefore seek Your face,
To search more of Your beauty,
And manifest Your matchless grace,
Compelled by love and duty.

Delighting in His Dwelling

"Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thine honor dwelleth" (Psalm 26:8). "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20).

In the praise-filled congregation
Or gathering of two or three,
I have loved the habitation,
Where my Lord delights to be.

In the place His honor dwells,
Where we think upon His love,
All our cares He thus dispels,
Till we meet with Him above.

Just Jesus

"And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only" (Matthew 17:8).

Jesus only, what a salve
That our weary eyes may claim!
He is all we need to have,
Trusting only in His name.

Thus we gladly lift our eyes
To our Lord upon His throne.
Thereby He will make us wise,
As we look to Him alone.

Examine the Exchange

"What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).

Ponder the question our Lord Jesus posed:
What shall a man exchange for his soul?
Examples abound! Consider now those
Like Judas's silver and Esau's soup bowl.

Consider now also, examine it well,
The price of exchange people pay everyday.
A season of sin for the ages of hell:
This is the price they are willing to pay!

Examine the cost and determine today
To live for the Lord who has ransomed the lost.
Only the Lord could value and weigh
And purchase our souls at such a high cost!

Faithful to Follow

"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 23:6).

Surely! What a guarantee
God's Word can thus command!
My Shepherd's goodness follows me
His mercy is at hand.

I know that He will my needs,
Who saved my soul from hell.
I know that He not only leads,
But follows me as well!

Fearless Fools

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.... they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.... But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil" (Proverbs 7,29,33).

There is a holy, prudent fear
That teaches us to choose
To call on God while He is near,
And fear of judgment lose.

But fools continue without fear
To march through time undaunted
By the warnings that they hear
Neither heeding, neither haunted.

Yet God's Spirit still reproves,
To warn and woo the lost.
And thus the fear of God still moves
Our souls to count the cost.

Thank you, Lord, for holy fear
That taught us thus to flee,
And find in Christ our refuge here,
And truth that makes us free.