Met by Mercy

"Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face" (Psalm 89:14).

Justice cannot compromise
Nor from God's standard deviate.
Judgment falls, the guilty dies:
Prepare to meet your hopeless fate!

This was all that I could see.
I couldn't see God's truth and grace,
Until His mercy rescued me,
With truth that went before His face.

Mercy went before His face
With truth that couldn't be denied.
Justice then would rest its case,
And judgment would be satisfied.

Justice thus demanded death.
Judgment lifted up its rod.
Jesus gave His final breath
To satisfy the law of God.

It is finished! Thus He cried
When He took the sinner's place.
This is why the Savior died;
This is how we're saved by grace.

Met by mercy: what relief!
There is for me no condemnation!
His truth has vanquished unbelief,
And I am safe in His salvation!

Steadfast as Stars

"And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).

The darker the night,
The more the stars shine.
And so is the light
That is yours and is mine.

This world is darkened
In these final days
As so few have hearkened,
Or give to God praise.

So let us endeavor,
Each one as a star,
To shine forth forever
Wherever we are.

By God's own design
In you and in me,
Let each of us shine
That our world may see.

Dwarfing the Dwellings

"The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.... And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the Highest Himself shall establish her. The Lord shall count, when He writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah." (Psalm 87:2,5,6).

The Lord loves Zion's pearly gates
More than all the dwellings found
In all this world's grand estates,
Where fleeting treasures there abound.

Behold the place that God prepares
Where He will dwell within our midst!
What in all the earth compares?
Nothing like it can exist!

For there in heaven God records
Every soul that's born anew.
Rejoice, all you who are the Lord's,
For He's prepared a place for you!

Usefully United

"Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy name. I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify Thy name for evermore" (Psalm 86:11,12).

Teach me, Lord, Your perfect way;
Unite my heart to fear Your name,
For double hearts are led astray
And by distraction brought to shame.

Let my life be simplified
To praise You, Lord, with all my heart.
Let Your name be glorified,
With all that's in me, every part.

Let my heart, my soul, and mind
Be thus united in Your fear,
And thereby usefully inclined
To make Your Gospel message clear.

Revived to Rejoice

"Wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?... I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace to His people, and to His saints: but let them not turn again to folly" (Psalm 85:6,8).

Let us hear what God will speak.
God will surely meet us when
We acknowledge we are weak
And we seek His face again.

Let us hear our Savior's voice;
He alone can give true peace
That His people may rejoice
And His glory may increase.

Let us hear what God will say,
And so reproved, let us repent
Putting folly thus away
That revival may be sent.

Favored with Forgiveness

"O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face... because we have sinned against Thee. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against Him" (Daniel 9:8,9).

Lord, You can see our confusion of face
Because we have sinned against You,
And yet you continue to show us Your grace
With mercy and pardon anew.

Thank You, dear Lord, for continuing favor
To the rebels deserving your wrath.
Thank You, O Lord, our Refuge and Savior,
For the light of Your love on our path.

Blueprinted Blessings

"Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.... Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterward build thine house" (Proverbs 24:3,27). "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air" (1 Corinthians 9:26).

We cannot build with certainty;
We cannot fight or run,
Unless there is some clarity
On how to get it done.

We need a blueprint, so to speak,
That lays out what's required.
What is it that we truly seek?
How much is it desired?

Are there obstacles to clear
From God's appointed field?
Are there sins that we hold dear
That we have yet to yield?

May God give us a heart to plan,
Before we start to build.
The question is not if we can,
But rather if we've willed.

Fed with the Finest

"I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. But My people would not hearken to My voice, and Israel would none of Me.... He should have fed them also with the finest of wheat, and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee" (Psalm 81:10,11,16).

Out of the land where I was enslaved,
Into the place where I am now free:
This was the purpose for which I was saved;
This was the reason that Christ died for me.

And yet there is more that His love had in mind:
He wanted my spirit to be satisfied,
Fed with the finest of wheat He could find,
Paying the price that it might be supplied.

How great was that cost! It wasn't with money,
But His precious blood on the cross that He shed.
The Rock that was smitten has brought forth the honey
And finest of wheat by which we are fed.

Lord, I would open my mouth wide today
That I may be filled with true satisfaction.
Keep me from foolishly turning away
By empty adventure and pointless distraction.

Decree of Darius

"King Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for He is the living God.... He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions" (Daniel 6:25-27).

Darius the king decreed
To all the nations far and near,
That everyone of them take heed:
The God of Daniel they should fear.

The God of Daniel, this is He
Who works in heaven and in earth.
Own His Lordship, bow the knee,
And declare His matchless worth.

God delivers the distressed,
And He rescues all His own,
As Daniel surely could attest,
And the lion's den had shown.

How great the peace to you and me
Is multiplied from God our Savior!
How high He sits in majesty!
How low He stoops to show His favor!

Temples and Treasures

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:19,20). "There is treasure to be desired, and oil in the dwelling of the wise" (Proverbs 21:20).

We are temples, Lord, and treasures
That all belong to You.
Purchased with a price that measures
Our worth in heaven's view.

Lord, give us hearts that realize,
With attentive ears to hear it,
And let this wonder fill our eyes:
We're indwelt by Your Spirit!

And since You bought us with a price,
Lord, help us to surrender
To Christ our Lord, our Sacrifice,
Redeemer, and Defender.

Indispensable Integrity

"He chose David also His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds.... So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands" (Psalm 78:70,72). "A faithful man who can find? The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him" (Proverbs 20:6,7).

God is looking for the one
In whom He finds integrity.
When His search in us is done,
Will He find that quality?

God is searching through the earth
(And in the heart of you and me)
For the faithfulness and worth
That's molded by integrity.

What in David did God see
That gave him hands of skill?
He saw in him integrity
Inclined to do God's will.

May we likewise, Lord, pursue
That integrity we need
By the model seen in You,
And thus Your people feed.

Fretting or Fearing?

"The foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth against the Lord.... The fear of the Lord tendeth to life, and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil" (Proverbs 19:3,23).

Foolishness perverts our way
And frets against the Lord.
It leads our wayward hearts astray
And robs us of reward.

The fear of God will lead to life
And keeps us satisfied,
And even through the times of strife,
No evil shall abide.

Let us therefore not forget
God's way to judge our hearts:
By foolishness our hearts will fret,
But peace His fear imparts.

Restraining the Remaining

"God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah. Surely the wrath shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain" (Psalm 76:9,10).

God arose in days of old
To save all of those who were meek.
This is what we see unfold
As we will let history speak.

And this is what we also find
In the present regarding God's way:
For God is faithful and so kind
To those who will seek Him today.

For God in His mercy yet will arise
In judgment to save all His own.
For God sees His children, and He hears their cries,
As history likewise has shown.

For even the wrath of man He may choose
To thus make His purposes plain.
The wrath that will serve His purpose He'll use;
The rest He will surely restrain.

Favor of the Furnace

"The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts" (Proverbs 17:3). "And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king.... answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" (Daniel 3:23-25).

The silver has the fining pot,
The furnace is for gold.
But God refines each inner thought
Within the heart we hold.

The furnace may be tribulation
To draw our hearts in prayer.
It may include exasperation,
Or seasons of despair.

But there's no reason for despair,
For God is in control.
The Son of God is always there
To guide and guard our soul.

Behold the furnace and its favor,
And what it will impart:
God will thereby purge behavior,
Beginning with the heart.

Made Manifest

"Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever.... He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him.... There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets" (Daniel 2:20-28). "The preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery... was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets... made known to all nations for the obedience of faith" (Romans 16:25-27).

There is a God on heaven's throne
Who graciously reveals
The deep and secret things unknown,
Which heaven had concealed.

But now has He made manifest
His wondrous Gospel plan,
By which humanity was blest
Before the world began.

The things in retrospect we see
God saw before they came.
He saw the cross at Calvary
Where Christ would bear our shame.

And thus we view the mystery
Through heaven's looking glass,
Where God foretells the history
Before it comes to pass.

According to this revelation
Is Christ our Lord now preached,
And thus made known to every nation
To which His Word has reached.

When Little is a Whole Lot

"Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith" (Proverbs 15:16).

Riches are a fragile bubble
That vanish with their pleasures,
And with them there is ample trouble
To dim the brightest treasures.

How much better is the fear
That draws our hearts to God,
Delighting that the Lord is near
To guide with staff and rod!

So let this be our estimation:
That little is a lot
When Christ is found in our equation
With all His grace has wrought.

Daniel's Determination

"Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself" (Daniel 1:8).

Daniel purposed in his heart
To do the thing he knew was right,
Determining to not take part
With what was evil in God's sight.

What a model we see here!
What a confidence portrayed!
What a proper godly fear
Daniel clearly thus displayed!

And so may we partake as well
In godly fear in peace or strife.
And thus by our behavior tell
That God is ruling in our life.

Continual Commandment

"Be Thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: Thou hast given commandment to save me; for Thou art my rock and my fortress... I will hope continually, and will yet praise Thee more and more" (Psalm 71:3,14).

Rejoice, O my soul, continually,
For God has become your strong habitation!
The Lord has commanded perpetually
That you shall be kept by His endless salvation!

Give thanks, O my soul, for the Lord will restore
And strengthen your hope yet again and again.
So I will yet praise You, O Lord, more and more;
To God be the glory forever, Amen!

Happiness for Heaviness

"The tongue of the wise is health.... To the counselors of peace is joy.... Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad" (Proverbs 12:18,20,25).

Hearts are heavy, stooping low,
Most everywhere we look.
But we may share the peace we know
From God's amazing Book.

Oh, what an opportunity
To share a Word that's good!
And what responsibility
To share, as well we should!

We dare not look the other way
Until another dawn
To say the Word that we should say;
That soul may then be gone.

Counselors of peace have joy
They surely should be sharing,
So may the Gospel they employ
Be preached to those despairing.

Yes, heaviness within the heart
Shall always make it sad.
But counselors of peace impart
The Word that makes it glad.

Divine Depths

"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" (Romans 11:33).

How deep are the riches that may be explored
Of wisdom, of knowledge, of power, and love
That we may consider in Jesus our Lord,
Unsearchably vast as the heavens above!

His judgments of wisdom and knowledge we trace
Had planned our redemption before time began.
His merciful power, His love, and His grace,
Have found their expression when God became Man.

And so with our with our feeble and limited mind,
We search the unsearchable splendors made known
In Jesus the Savior and Lord of mankind,
As deep as His sorrow, as high as His throne.

Riches for Rebels

"God setteth the solitary in families: He bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.... Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them" (Psalm 68:6,18). The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it" (Proverbs 10:22).

Brought from a land that is barren and dry,
Set in the family of God by His grace,
These were all rebels who now testify
That Jesus Christ suffered and died in their place.

Astounding the thought! Amazing the love!
That prompted our Savior to suffer these pains,
That we might be with Him in heaven above,
And even now freed from captivity's chains.

Such is the blessing that comes from our Lord
To rebels who turn from their sin and draw near.
Who are these rebels that God has restored?
The Christian needs only to look in the mirror.

Shing Face, Sharing Feet

"God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us (Selah); that Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among all nations" (Psalm 67:1,2). "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" (Romans 10:15).

May God in mercy cause His face
To shine upon our hearts
That we may share His saving grace
With earth's most distant parts.

May we reflect what God has shown:
His blessings of salvation
By which His saving health is known
To every tribe and nation.

May we be therefore diligent
To mobilize our feet
To take the Gospel where we're sent
To share its message sweet.

May we have the feet of beauty
To share the Word we preach
With our delight, yet also duty,
While there are souls to reach.

Testimony of Tenderness

"O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of His praise to be heard: which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.... Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul.... Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me" (Psalm 66:9-20).

Come and hear, and I will tell
What God did for my soul.
He saved me from eternal hell
And paid my debt in full.

Come and hear, and I'll declare
What Jesus does for me.
He has not turned away my prayer;
He holds me tenderly.

Come and hear, and I will say
His tenderness is sweet
Whose hand will hold us everyday
And guide and guard our feet.

Come and hear; I'll testify
Of times of peace and strife,
And you will know the reason why
I trust Him with my life.

Appropriating our Approach

"Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away. Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee" (Psalm 65:3,4).

Woe is me! For sins prevail
That mock me everyday.
Alas! For I am doomed to fail,
So quickly led astray.

It doesn't matter how sincere
Or earnest my confessions.
The Judge of all is drawing near
Who sees all my transgressions.

What is this I hear Him say?
Can I believe my ears?
That Christ has washed my sins away,
And vanquished all my fears?

Come and see what God has done,
Who bids us to approach:
He purged our sins through God the Son
Who bore our sins' reproach!

Praise the Lord! Behold, the Lamb
For me was sacrificed!
I come, in spite of what I am
To worship Jesus Christ!

Certainty in our Circumstances

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Do you have the certainty
That all things work for good?
Contemplate the sovereignty
Of Jesus as you should!

Children of the sovereign King,
There's nothing left to chance.
He's working good in everything,
In every circumstance!

This isn't true for everyone,
For many have rejected
The sovereign love of God the Son,
By which we are perfected.

If you have received the Lord,
His promise is to you,
And sovereign grace can well afford
To make that promise true.

His Love vs. This Life

"O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee: my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land.... because Thy lovingkindness is better than life" (Psalm 63:1,3).

How dry and thirsty is this land
That cannot quench my thirst.
Like cloudless skies and desert sand,
Its barren land is cursed.

How empty is this world's life,
So void of lovingkindness,
Yet filled with murder, hatred, strife,
Unhappiness, and blindness.

How sweet the love of Jesus is
Who satisfies my soul!
I know He's mine and I am His
And He is in control.

This world's life cannot compare,
No matter how it's sliced,
With love that we are called to share
That's found in Jesus Christ.

Perennial Pouring

"Trust in Him at all times, ye people; pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:8).

Pour out your heart to the Lord.
Hold nothing back that you find.
Thus shall your joy be restored,
And then shall you have peace of mind.

Pour out your heart to the Lord.
Trust at all times in His love.
His riches in grace can afford
The blessings we need from above.

Pour out your heart to the Lord.
God is a Refuge for us.
The more that our prayers are outpoured,
The more He is glorified thus.

Rise to the Rock

"Hear my cry, O God; attend my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy (Psalm 63:1-3).

Lord, lead me to the higher Rock.
Attend my prayer; Lord, hear my cry.
Let me rise up in my walk
To Christ, the higher Rock than I.

Wherever I may be on earth,
Lord, let me rise up to that place,
To see the wonder and the worth
Of Your mercy, truth, and grace.

Sometimes life can take its toll,
When my eyes are down and dim.
But Christ, the Lover of my soul,
Bids me set my eyes on Him.

This is where my heart shall rise,
This is where my worries end,
This is where I lift my eyes:
To Christ my Rock and dearest Friend.

God vs. Gog

"Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog.... Thou shalt fall upon the open field, for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God" (Ezekiel 39:1,5).

The day is surely drawing near
That God has clearly prophesied:
The northern nation "Gog" shall fear
When her army ranks have died.

They shall fall, for God has spoken,
Thus proclaiming what shall be.
Gog the nation shall be broken,
And her remnant then shall flee.

Israel shall surely know,
And so shall every nation,
That judgment from the Lord shall flow,
As well as His salvation.

In view of what will thus take place,
Be sure you have received
The Lord who saves those by His grace
Who in Him have believed.

Wanting Wisdom

"How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at My reproof: behold, I will pour out My Spirit unto you, I will make known My words unto you" (Proverbs 1:22,23).

The simple love simplicity,
While scorners love their scorning;
The foolish hate reality
And will not heed God's warning.

Yet some will look with open eyes
And hear with open ears
To heed the truth that makes them wise
And quiets all their fears.

Turn now at the Lord's reproof;
He's pouring out His Spirit!
Depart from those who stand aloof,
And turn with those who hear it.

For God will make His wisdom known
To those who are sincere.
Come now, and approach His throne:
He calls you to draw near!