Cherishing His Chastening

"He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall He not correct? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall He not know? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law" (Psalm 94:9-12).

How can it be that we teach in our schools
That the ear and the eye came by chance?
The logic of cause and effect overrules
This impossibly blind circumstance!

How can we say that the Author of knowledge
Is unable to reason and know?
How is this passing for science in college,
So contrary to what the facts show?

How can we miss all the clear observations,
With history that trumps mere opinion,
That God is the Blesser and Judge of the nations,
Who governs them by His dominion?

O Lord, You have seen how vain and absurd
All these thoughts are that darken the mind.
How blest is the one whom You teach from Your Word,
And Your chastening, Lord, is so kind!

War of the Waves

"The Lord reigneth, He is clothed with majesty... the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.... The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea" (Psalm 93:1-4). "Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if thou canst tell? Every Word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him" (Proverbs 30:4,5).

The troubling floods lift up their voice;
The floods lift up their waves,
But God is greater than their noise,
And shields those He saves!

The earth established by His Word
Is held up by the same.
We shouldn't fear the waves we've heard,
But rather trust His name.

That peerless name of Jesus Christ,
Our Savior and our Lord,
Who for our sins was sacrificed,
Our confidence has shored.

Our Lord is clothed with majesty;
He reigns upon His throne.
He keeps His Word eternally
And shelters all His own.

For He established all creation;
The world can't be moved.
He is the Lord of our salvation,
Whose love was surely proved!

Lord, we've heard this world's flood
With Satan's taunts as well,
But these are silenced by Your blood,
Which ransomed us from hell.

Ripe and Right

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth.... And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud One sat like unto the Son of Man.... And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice... The time is come for Thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe" (Revelation 14:6,14,15).

The harvest is ripe, the time now is right
For preaching the Gospel on earth.
The darkness shall never extinguish its light
Nor shall it diminish its worth.

Now lift up your eyes to the fields abroad,
And hear what is loudly proclaimed!
We ought to preaching the Gospel of God
With urgency, never ashamed.

The time for our reaping shall come to and end;
The day of the harvest shall close.
Our Lord who has sent us shall one day commend
Each servant who faithfully goes.

Courage of the Covered

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.... He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid" (Psalm 91:1,4,5).

The secret place where we may hide
Is found beneath the wings
Of Him who called us to His side:
Our Lord, the King of kings!

For as a hen whose wings are spread
To boldly save her own,
Our Savior suffered in our stead
Upon the cross alone.

Beneath His shadow we have found
A safe and secret place
Where calm and courage shall abound
Through His abundant grace.

How rightly, then, we may be bold,
Since He is our Defense!
So may His Gospel now be told
With love and confidence.

O Lord, beneath Your shadow here
We gratefully derive
Our freedom from eternal fear
Because You are alive!

And here, O Lord, we ponder thus
The price that You once paid
To spread Your shadow over us
And make us unafraid.

Diminishing Days

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). "Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth" (Proverbs 27:1).

Teach us, O Lord, how to treasure each day;
Instruct us to know what to do.
Days are diminishing; time slips away.
Soon we will slip away too!

Knowing that time marches on undeterred,
And no one can turn back the clock,
Show us, O Lord, in Your marvelous Word,
The path You would have us to walk.

Today is now here. Yesterday's finished.
Tomorrow will not be delayed.
The moments so precious are being diminished;
How quickly the present will fade!

So teach us, O Lord, now to number our days
And to use every one that You give
To serve You with joy, with thanksgiving, and praise
By the grace You provide us to live.

Countered Curse

"Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face. Blessed is the people who know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance. In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted" (Psalm 89:14-16). "As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come" (Proverbs 26:2).

The curse upon our world today
Was introduced by sin.
Yet God has found a wondrous way
To usher blessing in.

The curse has come; we know its cause:
God hasn't kept us guessing,
But though we broke His holy laws,
He countered it with blessing.

Hallelujah! We have found
By God's amazing grace
A reason for the joyful sound
Before His holy face!

God's justice and His judgment stand;
His throne, their habitation,
Yet He by truth and mercy planned
And brought to us salvation!

This is why our Savior died:
To ransom thus the cursed!
This is how we're justified:
He took our judgment first!

With joy, O Lord, we now rehearse
Your love that You have shown,
Since You redeemed us from the curse
And claimed us as Your own.

Bitter is Better

"A faithful messenger... refresheth the soul of his masters. Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain" (Proverbs 25:13,14). "I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings" (Revelations 10:10,11).

We shouldn't think it is a favor
When bitter truth is masked as sweet.
The guilty sinner needs a Savior,
And not a gospel incomplete.

The message isn't ours to change
That we may soothe the sinners' ears.
It isn't kind to rearrange
The bitter truth that judgment nears.

Like clouds and wind that promise rain
Yet never send a single drop,
Their disappointment ends in pain
And thus destroys the farmer's crop.

The prophecies to nations great
That John was told that he must speak
Were sweet as honey which he ate,
But bitter in their prospect bleak.

And so it is with us as well
Who taste the sweetness of God's Book:
We preach with urgency of hell,
So sinners may to Jesus look!

Sinner, look to Jesus Christ
Who died to spare you bitter loss!
For you the Lord was sacrificed
And agonized upon the cross!

How much better than destruction
Is all the bitter truth that's heard!
How deceitful is seduction
That waters down God's faithful Word!

Plan and Place

"The king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.... And Ittai (Heb. "with me") answered the king, and said, As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be" (2 Samuel 15:15,21).

There once was a season when David the king
Was rejected by his very nation.
Historical portraits like this one thus bring
A view of our King of salvation.

Rejected by those whom our Lord came to save,
Our Savior is nonetheless true.
His plan of salvation and Scriptures He gave
Now show us what we ought to do.

We never should envy the souls without grace,
Who distance themselves from our Lord.
Our Savior has gone to prepare us a place;
His presence shall be our reward!

Whatever, O King, that Your plan will require,
Wherever You want us to be,
This is the plan and the place we desire
And the joy of our destiny.

Have my Heart

"Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy name" (Psalm 86:11). "My son, give Me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe My ways" (Proverbs 23:26).

O Lord, hear my prayer, and attend to my voice,
For You are my only Defender:
Lord, teach me Your way; there is no other choice
But falling in sinful surrender.

I'll walk in Your truth, or I'll walk in my shame;
There isn't a third option found!
My heart is united by fearing Your name,
Or by double-mindedness bound.

I've heard Your reply, Lord; it fills me with praise
To hear You say, "Give Me thine heart!"
Now here I am found, Lord, observing Your ways
And finding the grace You impart!

Lord, You are the One who prompts us to pray
When otherwise we never would.
O Lord, have my heart that is so prone to stray
From following You as I should!

Divinely Devised

"For we must needs die... neither doth God respect any person: yet doth He devise means, that His banished be not expelled from Him" (2 Samuel 14:14). "I will hear what God the Lord will speak: for He will speak peace.... Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:8,10).

Surely God the Lord has planned,
By love divine compelled,
A means for those by justice banned
To not be thus expelled.

I have heard what God devised,
For He has made it known:
His truth shall be uncompromised,
Yet mercy shall be shown.

Truth and mercy met are traced
In Jesus Christ our Lord.
Righteousness and peace embraced
In Him with one accord.

The means of mercy found in Christ
The Gospel has unveiled:
For sinners He was sacrificed
And over death prevailed!

There is no other name on earth
Or in the realms above,
That saves us, granting us new birth,
Devised by heaven's love.

Sun and Shield

"The Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psalms 84:11). "Safety is of the Lord" (Proverbs 21:31). "Hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6:16,17).

The majesty of God is seen
In all that He has done.
He clothed the earth with forests green,
And warms them with the sun.

How soon earth's green would be erased
Beneath the solar heat
If God had not in mercy placed
An atmosphere complete!

And thus we see the majesty
And mercy of God's arm.
The sun gives life and light to see;
We're shielded from its harm.

For what if God in righteousness
Had shined on us alone?
We never would survive unless
He made His mercy known!

So mercy, like our atmosphere,
Has totally sufficed
To shelter us from harm and fear
Through our Lord Jesus Christ!

We thank You for the sun ablaze
And for the shield You give
To filter out its harmful rays,
So we might thereby live.

And Lord, we thank You everyday
That You're our Sun and Shield!
Your grace and glory thus display
The light and life You yield.

Qualifying Questions

"Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" (Proverbs 20:9). "And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much.... And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed... And I beheld, and lo... a Lamb as it had been slain" (Revelation 5:2-6).

Who can say he purified
His own heart from within?
No one ever qualified
To purge himself from sin!

Who is worthy now to look
Or loose the seals of
The wondrous volume of the book
Unveiling God's great love?

No wonder John then wept so much
When none were found in earth,
Nor yet in heaven were there such
Who qualified in worth!

Weep not, the elder did explain,
The Lion has prevailed.
He turned and saw the Lamb once slain,
Whose love had never failed.

These questions surely make me know
How sinful that I am,
And yet they also clearly show
How spotless is the Lamb!

Thank You, Lord! You qualified
To purge our sins alone!
You are the Lamb now glorified
And seated on Your throne!

Redeemer, Savior, Lamb, and Lord,
We glorify Your name,
As Your redeemed with one accord
Your matchless worth proclaim!

Indication beyond Invitation

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).

Behold, now the Savior is standing and knocking
That sinners may open the door,
But after He enters, behold, He is talking!
Beyond invitation, there's more!

This wonderful verse that portrays our salvation
Implies that our Lord will convey
His truth to His own with a clear expectation
That all who are His should obey.

The table is set. Our Lord clearly speaks.
Let nothing now cause a distraction,
As Jesus our Lord within us now seeks
To prompt us to put love in action.

Higher than my Heart

"Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.... The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.... A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:1,2,10,24).

Compelled by restlessness of mind
I sought a higher place
Than my own wretched heart to find:
I found it in God's grace!

I found it in my Savior's name,
A strong and ready tower.
I ran therein and hid from shame,
And found His saving power.

I found in Christ a dearer Friend
Than seen in any other.
His faithful love will never end;
He's closer than a brother.

This restlessness of mind and heart
Throughout the earth abroad
Is from the Lord that we might start
To seek and find our God!

Thank You, Lord, for such unrest
Your Spirit stirred within,
That we might seek You and be blest,
And washed from all our sin!

Lethargy that Lulls

"I know thy works... and the last to be more than the first.... That which ye have already, hold fast till I come" (Revelation 2:19,25).

The enemy is still at war
Who seeks spoil some.
Hold fast, advancing more and more
Till Christ our Lord shall come.

Salvation had cannot be lost,
But we can lose its joy.
Our testimony is the cost,
Which Satan would destroy.

The Devil never takes vacation,
So neither then should we!
Put on the helmet of salvation,
Proclaiming liberty!

The Devil knows his time is short,
And so he rages still.
It's not a game. This isn't sport;
He comes that he may kill.

Whatever we have now, hold fast!
With grace we cannot fail!
For Christ will build His Church at last,
And hell shall not prevail!

There isn't time for us to pause
With lethargy that lulls;
Lord, help us to advance Your cause:
To rescue precious souls!

Reason to Repent

"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick from out of his place, except thou repent" (Revelation 2:4,5).

There is a reason to repent
When hearts have lost their fire,
When zeal cools, when strength is spent,
And love has lost desire.

There is a reason to repent
When first love has departed,
And we forget the thrill it meant
When new life was imparted.

There is a reason to repent
When we cannot recall
In recent times a true intent
To give the Lord our all.

There is a reason to repent,
O Lord, You know it well,
When we forget that You were sent
To pluck our souls from hell.

There is a reason to repent;
We'd hasten, therefore, Lord,
To turn in earnest, not content
Till first love be restored!

Washed Worshipers

"Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen" (Revelation 1:5,6).

Worshipers washed in the blood of the Lamb,
Made kings and priests in the presence of God,
Give praise to our Savior, the glorious "I Am",
Who bore our chastisement from God's judgment rod.

Unto Him who has loved us and laid down His life
To ransom and wash us, forsaking us never,
Who rose up victorious from fighting our strife,
Be glory and honor forever and ever.

Doxology of His Dominion

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." (Jude 1:24,25).

The Almighty is able to keep you from falling;
His promise assures us that He surely will!
The Lord will give grace to be true to your calling,
And all of His pleasure in you will fulfill.

To our Lord Jesus Christ, our God and our Savior,
Be glory we know He'll forever deserve
And glory right NOW by the joyful behavior,
With which the believer should gratefully serve.

Mercy on Mephibosheth

"Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence.... And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake... and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?" (2 Samuel 9:6-8).

Mephibosheth did reverence,
And fell upon his face,
When David spoke in his defense,
With mercy and with grace.

For Jonathan his father's sake
Mephibosheth was shown
This promise David would not break
While he was on the throne.

Fear not, King David kindly said,
With all authority
For at my table you'll eat bread,
With me continually.

Mephibosheth! O what a name
With which we can relate!
Translated it means "breathing shame",
Describing thus our state!

And so we gather at His table
Invited by our King,
To worship Christ as we are able,
And bring an offering.

Yet as Mephibosheth we say,
You know, Lord, what I am,
But bread and wine that You display
Now point us to the Lamb!

Thank you, Lord, for lovingkindness
Mephibosheth portrays.
Remove the scales of our blindness
To give you all our praise!

Justifed Joy

"Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counselors of peace is joy" (Proverbs 12:20). "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" (3 John 1:4).

The counselors of peace have joy;
Their joy is justified
When Gospel truth will thus destroy
Deceitfulness and pride.

The counselors of peace thus share
The angels' joy above
When sinners turn in their despair
To find the Savior's love.

The counselors of peace are sent
With precious Gospel seed
To call the sinner to repent,
And by the truth be freed.

The counselors of peace on earth
No greater joy will know,
Than when the truth imparts new birth,
And children thereby grow.

Boundless Blessings

"Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord, and he said, Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in Thy sight, O Lord God; but Thou hast spoken of Thy servant's house for a great while to come.... And what can David say more unto Thee? For Thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant" (2 Samuel 7:18-20).

O God my Savior, who am I,
That You have brought me hitherto?
What is my house, O Lord, and why
Should I be valued so by You?

As David was astonished so
At Your amazing love and favor,
Your grace to me, O Lord, I know
Is no less wondrous in my Savior.

O Lord, You know your servant well,
How hopeless I would surely be,
Unless You plucked my soul from hell
And by Your mercy rescued me.

And what could David yet say more?
His speechlessness I understand,
For I, like David, can't ignore
Such boundless blessings from Your hand!

Life or Loss

"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5:12).

All who have received the Son,
Shall have His life as well.
No other choice exists but one:
Eternity in hell.

Arguments shall not avail,
Nor shall religious strife;
Those who will not have Him fail
To have eternal life.

This is why our Savior came
To die upon the cross:
To give us peace instead of shame,
And life instead of loss.

There is no third alternative,
(How fearful is the thought!):
Those who have the Son shall live,
And those who won't shall not.

Lofty Love

"We love Him, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

O what a lofty impetus
We have to love the Lord:
Because our Savior first loved us
He rightly is adored!

We love Him, and for good reason:
He rescued us from hell!
Through all our life, in every season,
He loved us then as well.

We love Him with confidence:
His love will never end.
His love will be our strong defense,
And He, our closest Friend.

Purifying Perspective

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, ever as He is pure" (1 John 3:2,3).

Things are not as they appear,
For we would not have guessed
That we could now be brought so near
As sons of God so blest.

Lord, we see now who we are
From Your own point of view,
And by our faith we see afar,
That we shall be like You.

Let this clarity of vision
The Word of God imparts,
Turn our eyes from vain ambition
And purify our hearts.

The things we are and soon shall be
By God have been revealed,
That hope may lead to purity
As to the Lord we yield.

May God be Magnified

"Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee: and let such as love Thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified" (Psalm 70:4).

Let all those who seek You, Lord,
Rejoice for joy in You,
And for the blessings You reward,
Eternally in view.

Let all those who love You, Lord,
Because for them You died,
Now shout for joy with one accord:
Let God be magnified!

Let all those who trust You, Lord,
And love Your great salvation,
Now preach with boldness You afford,
To every tribe and nation!

Let all those who know You, Lord,
Because to You they cried,
Exalt the Christ we have adored;
Let God be magnified!

Eternally Extolled

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving" (Psalm 69:30).

I will praise the name of God;
Now let my song begin!
Let silence now be counted odd
And coldness seen as sin.

I will magnify the Lord:
Thanksgiving is my theme
For blessings now upon me poured,
Much more than I could dream!

O how great was the expense
For blessings poured on me!
My Savior came to my defense
And died on Calvary!

I did not think to look for Him;
He sought me nonetheless.
He drank my cup filled to the brim
With my unrighteousness.

What can I say? What shall I do
To rightly now extol
The name of God who would pursue
And rescue thus my soul?

My human words shall not suffice,
Nor time that's left on earth,
To thank Him for His sacrifice
And magnify His worth!

Eternity won't be too long,
O Lord, to give You thanks!
I'll sing to You my grateful song
With all the blood-bought ranks!

Falling or Following

"Beware, lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen" (2 Peter 3:17,18).

The only two options before us today
Regarding our walk with the Savior
Are earnestly following Christ in His way
Or falling from steadfast behavior.

Now grow in the grace of our Savior and Lord,
Exploring His wisdom and power,
Pursuing His love as your greatest reward,
Redeeming the time every hour.

Beware of the error of wearisome duty
Replacing your joy, when enticed!
Discover afresh the unsearchable beauty
Beheld in our Lord Jesus Christ!

To Him be the glory both now and forever,
With grace that increases still more,
In worship, in word, and in every endeavor
With joy that our Lord will restore!

Mercy for Mockers

"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). "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?.... The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:3,4,9).

There's mercy for mockers; yes, even today,
If they will be willing to trust
What God and His evidence clearly will say,
Instead of deception and lust.

Let us remember that we were once blind,
No less than each one of these scoffers.
How great was the mercy upon us that shined,
That God in these last days still offers!

It isn't true science that's wrongheaded here,
Still based upon fair observation;
The "cause and effect" of all things appear
To point to the Lord of creation!

Pray for God's mercy that mockers may see
What Satan has hid from their eyes,
For God is not willing for scoffers to be
Destroyed by rebellion and lies.

May God in His mercy on us shine His face
That we may now make His way known:
His health of salvation, His marvelous grace,
And mercy through Christ Jesus shown.

Happy He Holds!

"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" (Psalm 66:8,9). "The Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken" (Proverbs 3:26). "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations" (2 Peter 2:9).

The Lord shall be our Confidence,
Who holds our soul in life.
The Mighty God is our Defense,
Preserving us through strife.

Our Lord delivers from temptation,
And through it we are proved.
Because He holds us in salvation,
Our feet shall not be moved.

O bless our God, who has preserved
Our feet from being taken!
We're held by Mercy undeserved
And Truth that can't be shaken.

Choice not Chance

"Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee, that he may dwell in Thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy temple" (Psalm 65:4).

It wasn't a stroke of genius in me
That taught me the Gospel of grace,
Or "chance" that I heard it and happened to be
In just the right time and right place.

God was the One who ordered my way
And drew me with cords of His love!
God was the One, though I'd gone astray,
Who sought me from heaven above.

Chance didn't save me from ultimate loss
Nor ransom my soul from reproach.
Christ gave Himself by His death on the cross,
And caused me, by grace, to approach.

God chose to save me; I chose to believe
And to dwell in His presence forever.
By grace we are saved and a pardon receive,
Not by chance or by human endeavor!

Suffering for Settling

"The God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (1 Peter 5:10).

The God of all grace who called us to glory,
Will call us to suffer a while for a season.
When life is complete, we'll see our life's story
And know the perfection of grace in His reason.

The God of all grace will bring to perfection
The work that with strengthen and settle your heart,
Just as Christ's suffering, death, resurrection,
And glory were woven with grace from the start.

The God of all grace will soon make it clear
How He, through our suffering, perfected His grace.
Until that day comes, we have nothing to fear,
For no one can pluck us from His strong embrace.