Nullifying Nearness

"They draw nigh that follow after mischief: they are far from Thy law. Thou art near, O Lord, and all Thy commandments are truth" (Psalm 119:150,151). "Every word of God is pure: He is a Shield unto them that put their trust in Him" (Proverbs 30:5).

Can you see them drawing near,
Who after mischief go?
Yes they come, but God is here
To conquer every foe.

Who can stand against my God,
Or nullify His Word?
That prospect is not merely odd,
It's patently absurd!

Every Word of God is pure
And He will be a Shield
To those who trust Him for their cure,
For by His stripes we're healed.

And so the nearness of the Lord
Will surely nullify
Every mischief that is stored,
Exposing every lie.

Foretelling our Finding

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you" (Jeremiah 29:11-14).

In everything that God has planned,
He has done so for our good.
Things we did not understand,
God has surely understood.

Let this be our confidence:
God shall not be overruled.
He who is our sure Defense
Is not surprised or is He fooled.

How clearly we may comprehend
These thoughts of peace toward His own
Planned by God, our closest Friend,
Who in mercy makes them known.

Start with the Stone

"Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto Him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid" (John 11:39-41).

Hear again what Jesus said:
Simply "Take away stone."
He did not say to raise the dead;
He would do that all alone.

As objections then were raised,
We might also have our say.
Thus when Jesus should be praised,
We might talk but not obey.

When did faith begin to fail?
Where did power slip away?
Why can we no more prevail?
What should we now do today?

Let the stone no longer stand
That Jesus said to take away.
Obedience to His command
Will bring revival in our day.

Time for Tending

"I am Thy servant, give me understanding, that I may know Thy testimonies. It is time for Thee, Lord to work: for they have made void Thy law" (Psalm 119:125,126). "Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.... Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. For riches are not forever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?" (Proverbs 27:1,23).

The time has surely come to stand
Against the rising evil tide
Of those who foolishly demand
That we must set God's Word aside.

More than ever now, it seems,
It is time to raise our voice.
While the mocker thus blasphemes,
Our silence is a sinful choice.

This is not a time to boast,
Of all the plans tomorrow holds.
Today be faithful at your post!
Today be true to tend His folds!

Be diligent to tend the flocks
That God has given you today.
As opportunity now knocks,
Do not let it drift away.

Sureness of His Sheep

"Ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you. 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 10:26-28).

Are you a sheep that Christ calls His?
There is a way that you can know.
If you want to know who is,
The following will clearly show:

His sheep always hear His voice.
His sheep all by Him are known.
His sheep follow Him by choice,
His sheep life eternal own.

What assurance Jesus gives!
None can pluck us from His hand,
Since our Savior ever lives
To fulfill all He has planned.

Favored Feet

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.... The wicked have laid a snare for me: yet I erred not from Thy precepts" (Psalm 119:105,110).

There is a snare laid for my feet
That's hidden in the way,
And yet I do not need retreat,
But only to obey.

I only need God's precious Word
To be my lamp and light.
Obeying then what I have heard
Will guide my feet aright.

How many snares were hid for me
I never knew were there!
But God, of course, could surely see
Each underlying snare.

Thus my favored feet are led,
By heeding God's command.
For if I do as God has said,
I shall not fall, but stand.

Marvelous Mentality

"I have more understanding than all my teachers: for Thy testimonies are my meditation" (Psalm 119:99). "The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes.... They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out" (John 9:30,34).

What marvelous mentality!
What is plain they cannot find!
Having eyes, they cannot see;
The lost are marvelously blind.

Has not the Lord bestowed on man
A logical mentality?
Indeed He has, for he can plan,
Articulating sensibly.

How strange this inconsistency:
The mind of man demands
A cause/effect reality,
And thereby understands.

But talk about eternity,
And blindness settles in.
The evidence that's plain to see,
Is veiled by their sin.

Yet God would take away the veil
And teach them what is right.
All who seek Him shall prevail,
For God will give them sight.

Observing His Ordinances

"Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to Thine ordinances: for all are Thy servants.... I have seen an end of all perfection: but Thy commandment is exceeding broad" (Psalm 119:90,91,96).

Look into our galaxy:
Now what do you observe?
The planets orbit perfectly,
For God the Lord they serve.

Look upon the earth around,
And tell me what you see.
The glories of our Lord abound,
In nature's harmony.

Look beneath the ocean sea,
And you will see yet more
Of God's ingenious majesty
Displayed from shore to shore.

Man's inventions, though esteemed,
All fail upon inspection.
How primitive they all have seemed,
Compared to God's perfection.

Dreams of Dross

"Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?" (Proverbs 22:20,21). "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord. Is not My word like as fire? saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:28,29).

Let the dreamers dream his dream:
Let him say what he'll desire:
Things are not as they may seem:
Dreams are purged as dross in fire.

The Word of God as fire burns
And melts away these dreams of dross.
Every Word of God returns
Triumphant as our Savior's cross.

The Word of God is as the wheat,
The dreamer's dream is driven chaff.
The Word of God shall be complete
And drive away the mocker's laugh.

As a hammer breaks the rock,
The Word of God shall break the lies
Of every mocker's empty talk,
And tear away his thin disguise.

As for you who have God's Word,
Speak it faithfully today!
Let the truth of God be heard;
God will purge the rest away.

The Answer of His Anger

"They say still to them that despise Me, the Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto everyone that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.... The anger of the Lord shall not return, until He have executed, and till He have performed the thoughts of His heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly" (Jeremiah 23:17,20).

The message that we'd like to hear
May not be what we heed.
Reproof may find no willing ear,
Though this is what we need.

We'd rather hear: You shall have peace;
No evil comes to you.
Yet one day hollow words shall cease,
When judgment is found true.

Surely there is promised blessing
For those who seek the Lord.
Those are not who we're addressing,
When judgment is outpoured.

For God by many is despised:
What peace have they in store?
Why should judgment be disguised,
Deceiving them yet more?

A sinner's own imagination
May think that he's okay
Without receiving God's salvation,
But what does Scripture say?

The anger of the Lord will come
With judgment like a flood.
He would save all, but shall save some:
Those washed in Jesus' blood.

So let the Word of God come through
When speaking to the lost.
It's better that they know what's true,
That they might count the cost.

Fruit of Freedom

"Then said Jesus... 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 8:31,32).

There is a wondrous consequence,
When Gospel truth is found:
Freedom comes to the defense
Of captives who were bound.

Behold the fruit of freedom spring
As from a fruitful tree,
And listen to the captives sing
Of truth that set them free.

As rivers feed the thirsty root
Of trees that are thus fed,
The Word of Christ will bring forth fruit
Of freedom as He said.

Come, taste the fruit of freedom now
With those continuing
To trust, obey, and thus allow
The Lord to be their King.

Leading Light

"I am the Light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life" (John 8:12).

There's a light in our life
When our Lord enters in;
There's a triumph in strife
When He frees us from sin.

There's a light through the length
Of our heaven bound road.
There's provision of strength
Till we lay down our load.

There's a light that is leading
The sojourner home.
There's a promise he's reading
To nevermore roam.

That Light is our Lord
Who will lead all the way
On the pathway toward
Our sweet homecoming day.

Decision amid Derision

"The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from Thy law.... This I had because I kept Thy precepts" (Psalm 119:51,56).

I hear derision from the proud
Who think that they are clever,
Who gain approval from the crowd,
Applauding their endeavor.

I am not moved by their vain talk,
For all of their derision
Does not change the truth they mock,
Nor weaken my decision.

If mockers think the earth is flat,
It nonetheless is round.
God is God, and that is that;
His precepts are all sound.

And so I have not changed my mind,
For God has not changed His;
Nor from His law have I declined,
Which tells it like it is.

Forced by the Fire

"Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. But His Word was in mine heart, as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forebearing, and I could not stay". (Jeremiah 20:9).

Sometimes I think it might be best
To just withhold what I would say,
To give my rhetoric a rest,
And let the world have its way.

But then the fire in me burned
As I began to count the cost.
So many things that had learned
Were not for me, but for the lost.

How shall I keep this fire contained
That burns within my soul?
I'll simply do as I've been trained,
And give the Lord control.

Quicken me Quickly

"Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken me in Thy way" (Psalm 119:37).

Quickly, Lord, now turn my eyes
From beholding what is vain!
Quicken me; I would be wise;
Make Your values plain.

Another day has come and gone;
Was it wasted or redeemed?
Lord, let me meet the coming dawn,
And prize what You've esteemed.

Thus fixed upon eternity,
And things that ever last,
Lord, turn my eyes from vanity;
Consign it to the past.

Stuck on Studying

"My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken me according to Thy Word.... I have stuck unto Thy testimonies" (Psalm 119: 25,31). "The heart of the righteous studieth to answer" (Proverbs 15:28).

My soul cleaves to the things, I know,
That surely turn to dust.
And yet my heart will not let go
Of truth I've learned to trust.

Your Word, oh Lord, is where I find
The truth that makes me free.
So I would give my heart and mind
To study carefully.

And thus would I be free at last
From dust to which I cleave.
And thus when seekers come to ask,
I'll say why I believe.

Hopeless Heart

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, to give every man according to his ways, and according to he fruit of his doings... Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for Thou art my praise" (Jeremiah 17:9,10,14).

Lord, You've seen this heart of mine;
You've searched it through and through.
There's nothing there that would incline
My heart to follow You.

Oh hopeless heart! Where shall I turn
To heal your wretchedness?
What physician can discern
And treat you with success?

Lord, You know I have no hope
Unless You intervene.
Your eyes search like a microscope;
You know that I'm unclean.

In view of what You have revealed,
A hopeless heart depraved,
Lord, heal me, and I shall be healed;
Save, and I'll be saved.

For You, Lord, have foretold abroad
By prophecies and types
That You became the Lamb of God,
Who heals us by Your stripes.

What shall I render to You, Lord,
For blessings You impart?
I'll give You what I can afford:
My healed, once hopeless heart.

Prosperity vs. Poverty

"I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches" (Psalm 119:14). "There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.... Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction" (Proverbs 13:7,18).

The testimonies of the Lord can truly make us wealthy.
They also tell us we are poor if we won't pay them heed.
Obeying them will make us rich and spiritually healthy;
Trusting in the Lord will make us prosperous indeed.

Delicious Direction

"Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts" (Jeremiah 15:16).

Your words were found which I did eat,
And oh how they rejoiced my heart!
The comfort that they bring is sweet
With each instruction they impart.

Your words have given me direction
And called me by Your name, my Lord,
Working in me Your perfection:
More like Jesus! Sweet reward!

Study the Stone

"The Stone which the builders refused is become the Head Stone of the corner" (Psalm 118:22). "Search the Scriptures... they are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39).

Search the Scriptures everyday.
Listen well to what they say.
See this One Whom they portray:
Our own beloved Savior.

Behold the Stone Who was refused,
Silent when He was accused,
By our world, so abused:
How wicked our behavior!

Stone of refuge, now our Head,
Thus You suffered in our stead,
Thus You rose up from the dead,
With love that would not waver.

Lord, we worship You alone,
For You were that smitten Stone.
Boldly we approach Your throne,
Now sheltered by Your favor.

Merciful Memory

"The memory of the just is blessed.... The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it" (Proverbs 10:7,22).

The memory of the just is blessed,
That manifests God's grace,
And promises eternal rest,
When we shall see His face.

The memory of the just is blessed,
For God commands it so.
It passes every stormy test,
Withstanding every foe.

The memory of the just is blessed,
And with it there's no sorrow.
The sweetness it will manifest
Will grow with each tomorrow.

The memory of the just is blessed,
Through time and to the end.
It enters like a welcome guest
And like a cherished friend.

The memory of the just is blessed:
Lord, thank you for this gift!
It's like a wondrous treasure chest
With thoughts that love and lift.

The memory of the just is blessed,
Though such a one departs.
Our mother's love that once caressed,
Still comforts thus our hearts.

Dedicated to our dear mother, Stella May Hall (May 5, 1916—June 6, 2008), now on heaven's beautiful shoreline. God commands the blessing, and we are indeed blessed by her memory. Thank you, Lord, for our mother.

Girded to God

"For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto Me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the Lord, that they might be unto Me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear" (Jeremiah 13:11).

Lord, keep us cleaving to You everyday,
To live as Your people for Your holy name,
To show forth Your praise as we humbly obey,
To give You the glory, declaring Your fame.

How quickly we find that our life becomes bland,
A meaningless effort, a tedious story,
Unless You will draw us by Your gracious hand,
To live for the purpose of giving You glory.

So may You find us, Lord, girded to God,
Cleaving steadfastly and giving You praise.
All other options are hopelessly flawed,
Lamentable choices, a waste of our days.

Pleading and Pleasure

"Blessed is the man that heareth Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors" (Proverbs 8:34). "Righteous art Thou, O Lord, when I plead with Thee: yet let me talk with Thee of Thy judgments" (12:1).

How righteous and kind You are toward me,
Oh Lord, as You hear me each time that I plead.
Yet let me talk with You intimately,
That I may discern in Your Word what I read.

Oh what a privilege it is to draw near,
And know that You hear us as we intercede!
Oh what a pleasure as we also hear
The voice of our Lord to comfort and lead!

Daily, Oh Lord, we would lift up our voice,
To plead at Your throne, and yet also to talk.
In two-way communion with You we rejoice,
As thereby You teach us the way we should walk.

Correction with Compassion

"O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in anger, lest Thou bring me to nothing" (Jeremiah 10:23,24).

Correct me, O Lord, as You watch from above.
You know how quickly my feet tend to stray.
I know You correct, not in anger, but love,
That You might direct us in Your perfect way.

For I know that the right way of man is found,
Not in himself, Lord, but only in You.
How did we get here, and where are we bound?
Only Your Word, Lord, declares what is true.

Comfort me, Lord, by Your staff and Your rod.
Your loving correction refreshes my soul.
How great are Your mercies, my Lord and my God,
Discovered by all who will give You control.

Bring on the Brighter

"The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4:18). "Thou shalt see greater things than these.... Hereafter, ye shall see heaven open" (John 1:50,51).

The path of the just (those by grace justified)
Grows brighter and brighter each day till the end.
For Christ is our Life, our Light and our Guide,
Our Savior, our Lord, and our very best Friend.

The path grows yet brighter, and this is the reason:
The heavenly Light we approach is our Lord!
He brightens each phase of our life in its season,
And He is the brightness of heaven's Reward.

Then bring on the brighter! The way may be steep,
Yet we are upheld by our Lord's gracious hand.
That bright day draws nearer: we shall not all sleep,
But we shall be changed by our Savior's command.

Mercy of Melchizedek

"The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4). "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). "Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God... first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is King of peace... abideth a Priest continually" (Hebrews 7:1-3).

Melchizedek, the King of peace
And also King of righteousness,
Portrays the One Who does not cease
To save, to keep, to love, and bless.

Melchizedek displays the name
Conveying Priest and King.
So grace and truth by Jesus came
That only Christ could bring.

Moses surely gave the law,
Which charged us with our sin.
In Christ our Priest and King we saw
God's mercy enter in.

Melchizedek, that name is sweet
Reflecting Jesus Christ!
We saw His truth and mercy meet
When He was sacrificed.

Undertaking Understanding

"Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding... then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:3,5). "Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45).

Our natural and finite mind
Could never understand
Or from the Scriptures ever find
The things that God has planned.

Be sure, if you would make the choice
To understand God's Word,
To cry for knowledge, lift your voice,
And trust that God has heard.

For such an order so demanding,
There's little hope indeed
For undertaking understanding,
Unless Christ meets that need.

Sliding Back on Slow Belief

"Then He said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:25-27).

How is it we can take so long
To trust what God has said?
His prophets never have been wrong,
So why are we misled?

Everyday we put our trust
In words from mortal men
Who soon must die, return to dust,
As all their words shall then.

Jesus promised He would rise,
His prophets spoke this too.
How can we be so unwise
And slow to deem it true?

Thus we hear our Savior chide
Our slowness to believe,
For thereby backward we shall slide,
And no good thing achieve.

So may we therefore heed reproof
That we may be thus spared
The slowness of a heart aloof
To what our Lord declared.