Blazing the Blessing

"There came a leper to Him, beseeching Him, and kneeling down to Him, If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean. And as soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. And He.... saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man.... But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter" (Mark 1:40-45).

There came a leper to the Lord
Who cried to Him for healing,
And Jesus had compassion toward
This leper who was kneeling.

The Lord then charged him not to say
How he had thus been healed;
He blazed the matter anyway,
Like flames across a field.

Yet now that we are charged to go
And preach to every nation,
How strange it is that we are slow
To speak of His salvation!

Since that healed leper blazed
God's blessing then abroad,
Shouldn't we be more amazed
With saving grace from God?

Cleanse us, Lord, from weary praise,
And purge our apathy!
Stir our hearts again to blaze
The truth that makes us free!

Analogy in Aaron

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments" (Psalm 133:1,2).

Among the portraits we may see
In Scripture to Christ pointing,
Is the profound analogy
Of the high priest's anointing.

Our unity, the psalmist said,
Is like the precious ointment
That once anointed Aaron's head,
To manifest appointment.

Our God appointed that high priest,
By ointment signified,
And vain division, then at least,
Was clearly set aside.

Yet these are shadows that have passed
That point to Jesus Christ,
Who is our great High Priest at last,
For us once sacrificed!

So may our unity likewise
Be focused in our midst
As now on Jesus Christ our eyes
With one accord are fixed.

Commitment to His Commission

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations... teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:19,20).

We have our Savior's clear command,
His commission for each nation,
Teaching them in every land
The way of His salvation.

We have our Lord's assurance too,
His commitment as our Friend,
Who promised "Lo, I am with you,"
Even till the very end.

O Lord, we hear Your call today,
And we see, by faith, Your vision;
Revive Your servants to obey,
The command of Your commission!

Beautifully Borrowed

"When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock" (Matthew 27:57-60).

How beautiful were borrowed things
Once given to our Lord,
Though as the sovereign King of kings,
All things He could afford.

A borrowed crib within a manger
A borrowed fishing boat,
Possessing no more as Stranger,
Than garments as His coat.

A borrowed colt, a borrowed coin,
A borrowed upper room,
And all these borrowed things would join
His final borrowed tomb.

Lord of heaven and of earth
We know that it is true:
Whatever that we have of worth,
O Lord, belongs to You.

Receive now, Lord, what we may give
As tokens of our love!
It is by borrowed breath we live,
Received from You above.

The Thought of Thorns

"And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!" (Matthew 27:29).

The soldiers made a crown of thorns
And put it on His head,
But now a glorious crown adorns
Our risen Lord instead!

Those thorns by which the ground was cursed
That typified our sin
Were rightly ours; we sowed them first,
And reaping, brought them in.

They pressed those thorns upon His brow
As mockingly they roared,
But one day every knee shall bow,
Proclaiming He is Lord.

Did cherub hosts then draw their swords,
By mocking thorns appalled?
Did angels bend the ear towards
Their Lord in case He called?

Praise God! We know He could have cried,
And legions would descend!
For us our Lord was crucified;
He loved us to the end!

Now even while the world scorns,
God saves us by the grace
Of Him wore the crown of thorns,
If we will seek His face.

Christ vs. Crowd

"When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just Man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him.... Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let Him be crucified" (Matthew 27:19,22).

Many voices in the crowd
Will give us their advice
(Some are whispered, some are loud)
On what to do with Christ.

The wife of Pilate gave her voice
To not become involved,
But that is surely not a choice,
So nothing there was solved.

Pilate asked the hostile mob,
Whose frenzy then was stirred,
But why should angry sinners rob
The counsel of God's Word?

The only One whom we should heed
Is God, the Holy Spirit.
The Word of God is all we need
Today, if we will hear it.

What then shall we do with Christ?
Receive Him now as Lord,
Who for our sins was sacrificed!
The crowd should be ignored.

Reprover and Ruler

"As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.... He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls" (Proverbs 25:12,28).

A wiser Reprover has never been heard
Than God who reproves by His Spirit,
And thus He adorns by His Holy Word,
The obedient ear that will hear it.

There's no greater Ruler that's ever been found
Than God by His Spirit within,
With life more abundant, with grace to abound,
And power to conquer our sin.

How foolish we are, Lord, without Your correction;
How frail without Your command!
It's by Your reproof that we find our direction,
And, Lord, by Your rule that we stand.

Building, Battling, Believing

"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so He giveth His beloved sleep" (Psalm 127:1,2). "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).

The "How-To" books upon our shelves
Can never change the fact
That we our hopeless by ourselves,
Unless our God will act.

Except the Lord through us will build,
Our labor is in vain,
But as we do as God has willed,
Our work He will sustain.

Except the Lord shall safely keep
Our souls by His own power,
The watchman vainly loses sleep,
Though vigilant each hour.

Except the Lord shall give His peace,
We vainly strive and fret,
But when we trust Him, worries cease
With which we were beset.

We thank You, Lord, that You have shown
That victory over strife
Is found in trusting You alone
In every part of life.

Sowing with Sorrow

"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:5,6).

The Gospel should be sown with tears
Of sorrow for the sinner's soul
So unprepared as judgment nears,
Though Jesus Christ would make him whole.

We know our Lord was moved to weep
For souls astray whom He spoke of,
Just as a Shepherd longs for sheep,
Which strayed from His protective love.

We know the Word of God is true,
Assuring us there is a hell.
We know there is a heaven too,
Where sinners saved forever dwell.

In light of what we surely know
Of things regarding condemnation,
Let us weep and as well as sow
For precious souls without salvation.

So lead us, Lord, to sow with sorrow
And also with Your joy to reap.
Until eternity's tomorrow,
Lord, teach us with Your love weep.

Hating the Halting

"Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word" (1 Kings 18:21). "That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee THIS DAY, even to thee.... the certainty of the words of truth" (Proverbs 22:19-21).

How long will we halt between two opinions?
Let's honestly settle this matter today:
The King of all kings, above all dominions,
Commands our repentance and warns of delay!

How long will we waste the time that God gives,
While God has removed our reasons to wait:
The prophets have spoken; our Lord Jesus lives.
Our reasons to trust Him are many and great!

How long will we think that it's prudent to halt
Until it's convenient to fit our Lord in?
There's no better time than right now to exalt
The Lord who took time to redeem us from sin!

Eloquence of Evidence

"O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah, and the soul of the child came to him again, and he revived.... And Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the Word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth" (1 Kings 17:21-24).

The child of the widow died
Where Elijah yet was staying.
Elijah to the Lord then cried;
The Lord God heard him praying.

The child's soul returned again,
And Elijah to her said,
"See, your son lives," showing then
Her son raised from the dead.

The woman's faith revived as well,
For now she thereby knew
The living God had stooped to tell
By this His Word was true.

Our God provides the evidence
For faith in every season,
Providing thus with eloquence
Defense with ample reason.

Has not Christ's empty tomb sufficed
With prophecies fulfilled?
Behold, He lives! By Jesus Christ
All honest doubt is stilled!

Erroneous Ease

"Unto Thee I lift up mines eyes... as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters... Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease" (Psalm 123:1-4). "The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them" (Proverbs 20:12).

We hear the scorning everyday
Of those who are at ease,
But God hears every word they say,
And all their folly sees.

For everything is crystal clear
To Him who made our eyes,
And He who made the hearing ear
Can hear their careless lies.

Should scorning fill us to the brim
With fretting and frustration,
Or turn our eyes again to Him
Who purchased our salvation?

We ought to stand for what is true,
Yet never should lose sight,
That scorners need salvation too;
They do not need our spite!

Knowing that it does not please
Our Lord to see one perish,
We ought to pray for those at ease
As precious souls to cherish.

We lift our eyes to You, O Lord,
As servants You have sent
To tell the lost to turn toward
Our Savior and repent.

Words to be Wise

"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). "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35).

If we would be wise in our life's latter day,
There's counsel from God to obtain.
Long after heaven and earth pass away,
The words of our Lord shall remain.

O what a treasure to have His instruction
With counsel that always shall stand
That lifted us out of the path of destruction
And leads us along by His hand!

Lord, we give thanks that You opened our eyes
To take Your instruction to heart,
To trust in Your counsel that we may be wise
Through words that will never depart.

Refusing the Refuge

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it and is safe" (Proverbs 18:10). "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not" (Matthew 23:37).

There is a Refuge in the name
Of Jesus Christ, God's Son.
He is the Shelter from our shame
Where we may safely run.

We're trusting in His saving power;
We rest with confidence.
He is our strong, sufficient Tower,
And He is our Defense.

How strange it is when one resists
God's gracious Hiding Place!
No other one on earth exists;
In Christ alone is grace.

Longing for Jerusalem,
We know the Savior sought
Like a hen to gather them;
He would, but they would not.

And so it is today as well
That many still refuse
The One who rescues us from hell,
And thus perdition choose.

Thank You, Lord, that You provide
A Refuge for the lost.
You paid the price so we could hide;
How great, Lord, was that cost!

Future of Falsehood

"What shall be given unto thee? Or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? Sharp arrows of the Mighty, with coals of juniper" (Psalm 120:3,4). "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:33).

The Word of God has made it clear
That every false tongue ought to fear
As judgment rapidly draws near
With falsehood's termination.

Our Savior's words affirmed as well
The horrifying truth of hell
Where those rejecting Him shall dwell
With endless condemnation.

The Way is clear! Escape this end!
Now come to Christ, the sinner's Friend,
While yet to you He will extend
His wonderful salvation!

Order of Outreach

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:37-39).

Love's order for us is designed
By God Himself above:
With all our heart, our soul, and mind,
We first give Him our love.

The order here will surely matter:
To love our neighbor then,
For Christ in us fulfills the latter,
To love our fellow men.

Our love for others will amount
To wells that soon run dry
Unless we're drawing from the Fount
Of Love that cannot die.

This is why we love God first,
Avoiding futile labor:
We satisfy in Him our thirst
For love toward our neighbor.

Lord, You know how weak and flawed
This love is of our own,
But as we first love You, Lord God,
Your love through us is shown.

Watching my Ways

"I have kept Thy precepts and Thy testimonies: for all my ways are before Thee" (Psalm 119:168). "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3).

Lord, You're watching all my ways,
My every deed, and word.
Your eyes are on me all my days;
My every thought You've heard.

What comfort therein I derive
To know You see it all!
Your eyes are on me to revive
And lift me when I fall.

You see the evil and the good,
And lead me by Your love.
You teach me till I've understood;
You intercede above.

Come, Lord Jesus, enter in
This temple You would purge.
Within my heart where You see sin,
Now cleanse it with Your scourge!

Enduring to the End

"Thy Word is true from the beginning: and every one of Thy righteous judgments endureth forever" (Psalm 119:160). "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?" (Matthew 21:42).

The Word of God, right from the start,
Is truthful altogether.
It probes the depths of every heart,
Its judgments stand forever.

The Word of God in its perfection
Had clearly made it known,
That Christ would suffer His rejection,
Yet be the Corner Stone.

The Word of God has never missed:
Examine every word!
Produce your cause, and make a list:
All doubt becomes absurd!

God has surely made His case
To show His Word is true,
And thereby He extends His grace;
The rest is up to you.

Truth about Transgressors

"The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death. Good understanding giveth favor: but the way of transgressors is hard" (Psalm 119:14,15).

Now let us weigh what we have heard
To see with honest measure
The transgressors against God's Word
In their pursuit of pleasure.

The very thing that they pursue
Evades them everyday.
They cannot know a peace that's true;
How hard is this their way!

The understanding God will give
Imparts His loving favor;
A fountain full of grace to live
Now flows from Christ our Savior.

The transgressor can never know
The joy we have in Christ,
Or worship Him who loved us so
When He was sacrificed.

We thank You, Lord, for truth that made
Our hearts now free indeed.
We pray Your truth may yet persuade
Transgressors of their need.

Rule of Righteousness

"I am small and despised, yet do I not forget Thy precepts. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy law is the truth.... The righteousness of Thy testimonies is everlasting " (Psalm 119:141-144). "The thoughts of the righteous are right.... The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.... He that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness" (Proverbs 12:5,15,17).

It doesn't matter that I'm small,
Or despised, or thought a fool.
God is righteous after all;
His truth is the eternal rule.

The fool is right in his own eyes,
But that will never make him true.
The rule of truth that makes one wise
Is an agreement, Lord, with You.

Those who will agree with God
Shall speak the truth in righteousness.
It matters not who will applaud,
Or if we're liked, the more or less.

It matters, though, that God commands
That all repent and turn to Christ.
His righteousness forever stands
Fulfilled since He was sacrificed.

Agree with God, or else be wrong:
The everlasting rule is plain.
Though fools may argue loud and long,
Their energies are spent in vain.

Wonderful Words

"I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them. The entrance of Thy words giveth light: it giveth understanding unto the simple" (Psalm 119:128-130).

The words of God are wonderful;
In all things they are right.
Their entrance in the heart and soul
Give liberty and light.

His words will teach us how to live
By what He is commanding,
And to the simple they will give
A heart of understanding.

The words of God will search within
Exposing every part,
Evicting every hidden sin,
And cleansing thus our heart.

Your words are wonderful, O Lord;
We thereby hear Your voice!
In keeping them there's great reward
And reason to rejoice!

Time doesn't Tarry

"I am Thy servant.... It is time for Thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void Thy law" (Psalm 119:125,126). "He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.... The labor of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin" (Proverbs 10:5,16).

It's time to labor while we can
Before the day comes to an end,
For time will tarry for no man;
There is a harvest now to tend.

Harvest time shall soon be past:
When, O sleeper, will you wake?
This day may be your very last
To live your life for Jesus' sake.

The enemy is tireless,
Who seeks to steal, kill, destroy,
And work against God's purposes
With every lie he can deploy.

We hear him say, "Yea, hath God said?"
And it should come as no surprise,
For thus his seeds of doubt are spread
To nullify God's Word with lies.

O Lord, it's time to make the case
To show this age Your Word is true.
So help us labor by Your grace
For such a time as this for You.

Hiding and Holding

"Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in Thy Word.... Uphold according to Thy Word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe" (Psalm 119:114-117).

Lord, You are my Hiding Place,
My ever present Shield.
My hope is in Your Word of grace
Upon life's battlefield.

I'm praying, Lord, with confidence
According to Your Word,
That You will be my strong Defense
And Armor that I gird.

Uphold me, Lord, that I may live
To glorify Your name.
I'm trusting in the grace You give
To live, Lord, without shame.

Hold me up, Lord, with Your hand,
And I shall be secure,
For by Your grace alone I stand,
And by Your Word I'm sure!

Leaning toward the Light

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.... I have inclined mine heart to perform Thy statutes always, even unto the end" (Psalm 119:105,112).

We lean toward the guiding light
From God's Word that has shined
To turn not to the left or right;
To God's way we're inclined.

For there is darkness on the path
That's void of God's instruction:
It is the road that leads to wrath,
The broad way of destruction.

His Word shall guide us where we tread
To keep us from each snare.
As for our pathway up ahead,
His comfort will be there.

Thank You for Your Word, O Lord,
A light to show what's true,
Inclining us to our Reward
That we have found in You.

To Love is to Loathe

"O how I love Thy law.... therefore I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:97,104).

A love for God's Word will have the effect
Of loathing the falsehood that leads us astray.
The lust that deceives us we'll learn to reject;
Discernment will teach us to hate the false way.

The more that we love the law of our God,
We'll grow with disdain for the things that deceive.
The falsehood this world will loudly applaud,
We'll counter with reasons for why we believe.

Some may consider these views too extreme,
But hell is eternal; its torment is real!
Eternal mistakes are much worse than they seem;
We ought to not worry how truth makes them feel.

Thank You, O Lord, for Your Word that we love
That counsels our hearts by Your marvelous grace
To set our affection on those things above;
And flee from deception into Your embrace!

The Only One

"And [Jesus] was transfigured before them.... And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with Him.... and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.... And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only" (Matthew 17:2-8).

The only One who lives to save
Who rose victorious from the grave
Who for our sins the Father gave,
Is Jesus only, God's own Son.

The only One who calms our fear,
Who by His mercy, draws us near,
Whom God the Father bids us hear,
Is Jesus; He's the only One.

The only One who give us peace,
Whose truth and mercy never cease,
Who gives the captive true release,
Is Jesus, by His victory won.

The only One we need to see
Who gave Himself for you and me
Who rose again victoriously
Is Jesus only; others shun.

The only One whose love sufficed,
Who for our sins was sacrificed,
Our only Savior, Lord, and Christ,
Is Jesus, and to Him we run.

The only One, O Lord, is You!
We lift our eyes; You fill our view
With all You're doing and will do,
And all, Lord Jesus, You have done.

The Queen's Questions

"And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions.... And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king, which he told her not.... And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and thy wisdom.... and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard" (1 Kings 10:1-7). "The queen of the south... came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here" (Matthew 12:42).

The queen of Sheba heard the fame
Of Solomon the king,
And armed with all her questions came,
Withholding not a thing.

His answers came at her request
With ease and no surprise;
She knew that he was surely blessed
By God who made him wise.

Behold, there is a greater One
Than Solomon we see
In David's Lord and greater Son,
Who reigns in majesty!

The half has surely not been told;
We've barely probed the facts
Of wisdom God will yet unfold
In all His wondrous acts.

Behold our Savior and our Lord,
Our God and our Creator,
Our King exalted and adored:
There is no other greater!

Seeking a Sign

"The Pharisees... desired Him that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16:1-3).

How plentiful were the miracles shown
That Jesus our Savior displayed,
In order that grace might thereby be known,
Which all of these signs had portrayed.

Why were these signs that were offered by Christ
Forgotten, as if there were none?
How could they have not supremely sufficed
To manifest fully God's Son?

Surely there's more than is meeting our eye
And more than is heard with our ear,
For those who can logically look at the sky,
Can tell if a storm will draw near.

But Satan's deception is rendering blind
The souls who care not to believe,
And thus, by permission, he darkens their mind,
Obscuring what they should perceive.

O Lord, give us power to open blind eyes
To turn them from darkness to flee
From Satan's dominion, destruction, and lies,
To truth that will render them free.

Indicted by Isaiah

"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias (Isaiah) prophesy of you saying, This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:7-9).

We hear Isaiah's prophecy
With his indictment plain,
Describing the hypocrisy
Of worship that is vain.

Our Lord spoke to the Pharisee
When He had spoken thus,
Yet still He searches the degree
Those words are true of us!

So search us, Lord, and thus expose
Hypocrisy within,
Lest we become the same as those
Whose hollow praise was sin.

Rapid Return

"If they sin against Thee (for there is no man that sinneth not)... yet if they bethink themselves... and so return to Thee with all their heart... forgive Thy people" (1 Kings 8:46-50). "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments" (Psalm 119:59,60). "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:31).

I remember those days when I pondered my path,
And I thought on my ways as I drew near to wrath.

I remember my haste when I then turned my feet,
When I took my first taste of the Gospel so sweet!

I remember the start when the Lord purged my sin,
And the joy of my heart when He first entered in.

I remember, yet still, there are times when I stray
From my Lord's perfect will when I have my own way.

I remember my Savior, and return to my Lord
To confess my behavior, and my soul is restored.

I remember and haste with a rapid return.
What mercies I waste when I'm slower to learn!

I remember, O God, and I'm still finding out
How little and flawed is my faith when I doubt!

Poems of my Pilgrimage

"Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake Thy law. Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage" (Psalm 119:53,54). "For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely" (Proverbs 1:32,33).

We know that we are going home
To be with Christ our Savior.
His Word is His instructive poem
Along His path of favor.

His Word is yet a two-edged sword,
Distinguishing our path.
It speaks of heaven's sweet reward,
Yet also heaven's wrath.

Our hearts rejoice in our salvation,
Yet horror should attend
As sinners march to condemnation,
Indifferent to their end.

Your statutes, Lord, like songs we hear,
Attend our pilgrim way
To give us joy, yet prayerful fear
For those who go astray.