Offer as we Ought

"Let all that be round about Him bring presents unto Him that ought to be feared" (Psalm 76:11). "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?.... Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.... and said.... Of Thine own have we given Thee" (1 Chronicles 29:5-14).

O Lord, we come with offerings
That You have given first.
You filled our souls with precious things,
And satisfied our thirst.

And who are we that we may come
To offer what is Yours?
For You, Lord, are the Fountain from
Which every blessing pours.

Thank You, Lord, for gifts so great
This world could never give.
Help us now to consecrate
To You this life we live.

Simply Said

"When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, He saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered Him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me" (John 5:6,7).

The question is simple (the answer is too),
Regarding the offer: Will you be made whole?
Discussions are long, but God can see through
All the vain chatter regarding our soul.

The answer is yes, or the answer is no.
How will we answer the Savior today?
If only we're willing, the Lord will then show
His power to heal our souls when we pray.

Be sure that our Lord needs no explanation
To tell Him that we have a difficult case!
He who left heaven to bring our salvation
Just waits for our answer to save us by grace.

Lord Jesus, we know You're alive from the dead,
And stand at the door as You knock to come in.
The bottom-line answer is still simply said:
The answer of yes still delivers from sin!

Solemn Word for Solomon's Will

"And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but it thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off forever. " (1 Chronicles 28:9).

David's solemn exhortation
That Solomon would need,
Applies to every generation,
And every soul should heed.

For God is searching every heart
And He can understand
Where all imaginations start
Before they're even planned.

The Lord is searching every thought;
Not one escapes His view.
If you will seek Him as you ought,
He will be found by you.

But all who choose to go astray,
Refusing God admission,
The Lord forever casts away,
Though grieved by their decision!

O Lord our God, You've seen it all!
Each thought to You is known.
You hear our prayer before we call;
You listen when we groan.

O Lord, You search with holy eyes
Our deepest part within;
So have Your way, Lord, make us wise,
And purge our hearts from sin.

The Way to Worship

"It is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Thy works" (Psalm 73:28). "The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him" (John 4:23).

Drawing near to God is good,
And God is seeking such today;
But first it must be understood
That there is only one true way.

The hour comes, and so is now,
When God will draw us by salvation,
In spirit and in truth to bow
To Christ in humble adoration.

The time has come; yes, now it is,
That God will draw us through His Son.
All who trust in Him are His;
No other way exists; not one!

Thank You, Lord, for making clear,
The way of worship you provide:
Through Christ alone our souls draw near,
Who paid our ransom when He died.

Decisive Decrease

"He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

Christ must increase in my life,
But I must decrease everyday.
Let there be no inner strife,
But more surrender to His way!

He that came from heaven's throne
Has entered in to rule my heart.
Let His cause now be my own,
And let Him reign in every part!

He must increase more and more;
O may there be such evidence
Exceeding that which was before,
That Christ may have preeminence.

I thank You, Lord, for greater peace
That comes with Your enlarged domain.
O let Your life in me increase
As I decrease, and thereby gain.

Marvel at Mercy

"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.... For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:7,16,17).

We marvel not that Jesus said
We must be born again,
For in our sins we once were dead
And severed from Him then.

We marvel rather at the love
That found our remedy:
To send our Savior from above
To die for you and me!

We marvel also at the One
That came from heaven's throne
When God sent His beloved Son
To make His mercy known!

We marvel at what Mercy planned,
Considering the cost,
And ponder then the distance spanned
That He might save the lost!

We marvel that He paid the price
That new life might begin,
And so became our Sacrifice
To take away our sin!

O Lord, we've really just begun
To marvel and explore
The great things by Your mercy done;
We search its endless store!

The Question that Quickens

"Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O Lord.... Let such as love Thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.... O Lord, make no tarrying" (Psalm 70:1-5). "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.... Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim" (John 2:4-7).

I hear my Savior turn and say:
What have I to do with you?
Quickly now, my soul, obey!
Whatsoever He says, do!

My life is like a water pot,
So dry and useless without Him.
My Lord commands, and shall I not
Now let Him fill me to the brim?

Or would I yet reserve some space
Within this water pot for sin?
O spare me, Lord, from this disgrace!
Hasten now to enter in!

Let us say, who love salvation:
Let the Lord be magnified!
And make no other reservation
But for Him who for us died!

Seek and See

"Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said... Where dwellest Thou? He saith unto them, Come and see.... Philip findeth Nathaniel, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathaniel said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.... ye shall see heaven open" (John 1:38-51).

Who can quench the thirst within
The souls of all humanity?
Who can cleanse away our sin?
Now come to Christ! O come and see!

Who has evidence to prove
The truth at last that makes us free?
Who can every doubt remove?
Now come to Christ! O come and see!

Who descended from above
To save our souls eternally
And gave Himself for us in love?
Now come to Christ! O come and see!

Who has risen from the grave
To give to us His victory
And to the uttermost can save?
Now come to Christ! O come and see!

O Lamb of God, forevermore
You hold for us salvation's key
That opened for us heaven's door:
We thank You as we come and see!

Residing among Rebels

"Thou hast ascended on high, Thou has led captivity captive: Thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them. Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation" (Psalm 68:18,19). "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.... And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace" (John 1:14,16).

The Word became flesh among us to die
In order to purchase for us our salvation.
He now is ascended and reigning on high,
Yet dwells among rebels redeemed in each nation.

Our Lord who ascended on high received gifts
For rebels whom sin can no longer condemn.
Out of the dunghill He graciously lifts
These rebels that He may thus dwell among them.

Benefits greater that we could have dreamed
With grace upon grace now He daily makes known.
We who were rebels have all been redeemed
By Him who now dwells in the midst of His own!

Lord, as we ponder the terrible cost
By which You bought us as sinners from hell,
We who at one time were rebels so lost,
Praise You among those with whom You now dwell.

Prophecy's Purpose

"That Thy way may be known own earth, Thy saving health among all nations" (Psalm 67:2). "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). "All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms concerning Me... Thus it is written... that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations" (Luke 24:44-47).

Thus was it written and also fulfilled:
That Christ would be smitten, rejected and killed,
That He would be buried and rise the third day;
Not one of these tarried with undue delay!

The purpose is shown why these things were foretold:
That we should make known with a confidence bold
That all should repent and receive Christ's salvation;
This Gospel is sent in His name to each nation!

Resurrection Reality

"And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how He was known of them in breaking of bread. And as they thus spake, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.... And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, Have ye here any meat?" (Luke 24:33-41).

See the breathless joy that led
The two disciples in that room
From where the Lord had broken bread
And by His words expelled their gloom!

They then returned with joyful speed,
To tell those in Jerusalem
That Christ the Lord was raised indeed,
And that He was made known to them.

And as with joy they reminisced
With those who wondered with surprise
The Lord appeared then in their midst,
And they could not believe their eyes!

He told them, "Peace be unto you",
And showed to them His hands and feet,
They knew at last that it was true,
And fellowship with Him was sweet!

O Lord, it's no less true today
That You are risen from the grave!
The empty tomb is on display:
You live forevermore to save!

Victorious Vacancy

"Now upon the first day of the week.... they found the stone rolled away.... And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.... Two men stood by in shining garments.... they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spake unto you when He was yet in Galilee, saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered His words" (Luke 24:1-8).

Remember the words of our Savior back when
He promised His friends as well as His foes
That on the third day He would then rise again:
His body was gone, for our Savior arose!

The world pretends that it never took place,
Forgetting the words that our Lord clearly said.
But historical facts are hard to erase:
The tomb is still vacant! Our Lord is not dead!

Early that morning, with joy and with fear,
The women arrived and were faced a question:
Why do you seek for the Living Lord here?
The stone has been moved to display resurrection!

Lord, on that day when those women arrived,
Their joy was abundant as never before!
So may we likewise today be revived,
Recalling that You are alive evermore!

Interceding for the Ignorant

"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

We hear the words of Jesus Christ
As heaven's Intercessor,
Who prayed when He was sacrificed
With love for the transgressor.

How different could those words have been
Against transgressors hurled
To seal the judgment of those men
With all this sinful world!

Isaiah saw His glory when
He clearly prophesied
That He'd make intercession then
For sinners when He died.

O Lord, we know that it was true:
Our ignorance was great!
Yet surely, Lord, You also knew
That blindness came by hate!

We ponder, Lord, Your words anew:
"Father, forgive them" and
"For they know not what they do."
Lord, make us understand!

How little we perceive of grace,
Though now we know in part!
Until we see You face to face,
Enlighten, Lord, our heart.

Where is the Well?

"O God... my soul thirsteth for Thee; my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is" (Psalm 63:1). "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 wellspring of wisdom [is] as a flowing brook" (Proverbs 18:1-4). "If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?" (Luke 23:31).

I searched for water in this land,
But every well was dry.
No one sought to understand
What happens when we die.

I searched for answers to explain
The reason for our life.
My questions only brought disdain
And generated strife.

I only sought for honesty;
I found myself alone.
Was no one else athirst but me
For truth that might be known?

My thirst to everyone seemed odd,
And so in my despair,
I turned at last and cried to God,
To see if He was there.

The Lord knew all about my thirst;
He heard my lonely cry.
Indeed, He sought and found me first
To save and satisfy!

O Lord, in You we find the well
That satisfies our soul,
That saves us from eternal hell,
And makes us truly whole.

Lord's Look

"And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the Word of the Lord, how He had said unto Him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly" (Luke 22:61,62).

Peter remembered the Word of the Lord,
And as he beheld the Lord's look,
Conviction then came like a two-edged sword,
Reproving the way that he took.

Shouldn't we also remember His Word
And ponder the look on His face?
Haven't we wandered from what we have heard
And felt Peter's bitter disgrace?

Now surely this portion of Scripture is written
To shine on the way that we are,
That likewise our hearts may be broken and smitten
When we too have followed afar.

Lord, we recall in the words of Your Book
Your glance then that broke Peter's heart.
Teach us to also consider Your look
And thereby from evil depart.

Hiking Higher

"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.... Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear Thy name.... O prepare mercy and truth.... So will I sing praise unto Thy name forever, that I may daily perform my vows" (Psalm 61:2-8). "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6).

Beyond the realm of time and space
And higher than the land and sea,
Lord, lead me by Your truth and grace
Before all time prepared for me.

Above the laws in which You lock
The earth and all the universe,
Lord, lead me to the higher Rock
That saves from sin and lifts its curse.

When circumstances overwhelm
And troubles disappoint my heart,
Lord, lead me to that higher realm
For peace this world cannot impart.

With boldness by Your invitation
To rise with prayer up to Your throne,
Lord, lead me to that elevation:
The Rock much higher than my own.

Basics of the Banner

"Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth" (Psalm 60:4).

The banner every Christian waves
Should boldly be displayed
Announcing clearly, "Jesus saves,
Who all our ransom paid!"

It's not for our denomination
This banner is in view,
But for the Gospel of salvation
Because we know it's true!

Let this banner be unfurled,
And passed on to our youth!
Display its message to the world,
That they may know the truth!

The basics of the banner stand;
We need not be mistaken.
It rests upon our Lord's command,
And never shall be shaken.

Lord, we thank You for the banner
And truth that we proclaim.
Help us live in such a manner
That glorifies Your name.

Wordless Worship

"David the king came and sat before the Lord, and said, Who am I, LORD God, and what is mine house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?.... What can David speak more to Thee for the honor of Thy servant? For Thou knowest Thy servant" (1 Chronicles 17:16-18).

What can I say more to You,
O Lord, my God and Savior,
Since You have brought me hitherto,
And shown me all this favor?

Words must fail me to convey
The praise that You are due!
You paid the debt I could not pay,
And gave me life that's new.

Blessings I could never count
Or fully could explain
Rise like a majestic mount
And fall like heaven's rain.

Lord, You know Your servant well:
The wages I deserve
Are not in heaven, but in hell,
No matter how I serve.

Lord, You gave Your righteousness
And also bore my sin.
I'm overwhelmed by how You bless!
Lord, where shall I begin?

What can David now say more?
I'm lost in speechlessness.
In wordless worship I adore
For what words can't express.

Charming and Chastening

"The wicked.... are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear, which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely" (Psalm 58:3-5). "A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.... Good understanding giveth favor: but the way of transgressors is hard.... Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction.... He that loveth him chasteneth him betimes" (Proverbs 13:1, 15,18,24).

How hopelessly hard is the transgressor's way,
Refusing God's crucial instruction.
The scorner won't hear what the Lord has to say
To turn him from his self-destruction.

How wise is the counsel received from above,
For good understanding gives favor.
Charmed by His Spirit and chastened with love,
A wise heart gives heed to the Savior.

Thank You, O Lord, for Your loving correction,
That charms and that chastens our soul.
We need Your reproof and Your constant direction,
Enlarging in us Your control.

Fixed Faith

"Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually" (1 Chronicles 16:11). "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise" (Psalm 57:7).

Seek the Lord with faith that's fixed;
Seek His face continually.
No more let your heart be mixed,
Unsettled by uncertainty.

Seek the Lord and His foundation
In this world of shifting sand.
Fix your faith on His salvation;
Seek His strength to make you stand.

My heart is fixed, O God, and stirred;
I cannot find another place
To guide my life except Your Word,
Or fix my heart, but on Your face.

Free from every vain distraction,
Fixed at last, O God, on You,
I have found my satisfaction
And my faith restored anew!

Trusting v. Trembling

"In God I have put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.... For Thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?" (Psalm 56:11-13).

In God I have put all my trust,
Who delivered my soul from hell.
The glory of man is but dust,
From whom God delivers as well.

In God my redemption is paid;
His promised protection is true.
So why should I now be afraid
And tremble at what man can do?

In God is my life and my calling;
I press toward the mark of His will.
I know He will keep me from falling
And all of His Word will fulfill.

In God I am resting alone
And finding my purpose to live:
That His way on earth may be known
With His saving health He will give.

Watching His Weeping

"When He [Jesus] was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.... because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation" (Luke 19:41-44).

When Jesus Christ beheld the city,
Like lost and wandering sheep,
It moved His heart with touching pity,
And He began to weep.

Yes, this was old Jerusalem
That sought for the decease
Of God the Son, who wept for them,
And came to bring them peace!

We see how great the contrast is
Of Christ thus moved to cry
With hearts so cold, compared to His,
And eyes that are so dry.

Lord, we need the fruit of love
Your Spirit will provide,
With weeping that is like that of
Your pity when You died.

Teach us as we pray and preach
Wherever You will send,
To weep for souls that You would reach
With love that You extend.

Occupy or Oppose

"[Jesus] added and spake a parable.... A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated Him and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us" (Luke 19:11-14).

Our Savior spoke a parable
That we might thereby learn
That we shall give account in full
Upon our Lord's return.

To every servant of the Lord,
He says to occupy
Until He comes with His reward,
Approaching by and by.

But all who will not have Him reign
Will naturally oppose.
They send that message loud and plain:
They're siding with His foes.

O Lord, in just a little while,
We'll see You face to face.
We'd live for Your approving smile
Till then, Lord, by Your grace!

Seeker of the Sinner

"God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no not one" (Psalm 53:2,3). "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

We wouldn't even give a thought
To seek for God above
Unless the Lord Himself had sought
To save us by His love.

God looked down from heaven's throne
To see if even one
Would seek the Lord all on his own:
He found that there was none.

Why were we so deaf and blind
To never count the cost?
How good was God to seek and find,
And then to save the lost!

Thank You, Lord, that You would seek
To save us by Your grace.
When we were enemies, so weak,
You suffered in our place.

Lord, we worship You today,
Our risen Lord and Savior.
We who once were gone astray
Are saved now by Your favor!

Undertaking with Understanding

"And the children of Issachar... were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do" (1 Chronicles 12:32). "Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually" (Psalm 52:1).

We need to understand the times
To know the things we ought to do.
The mighty man may boast of crimes,
But God is always good and true.

Mischief triumphs every hour;
The devil boasts of evil deeds,
But God is still enthroned with power
With grace sufficient for our needs.

The battle is the Lord's today,
Though Satan says that we're defeated.
God will hear us when we pray
To give His strength when we're depleted.

We ought to, in these days we live,
Redeem the time by doing good.
The understanding God will give,
Will show us daily how we should.

Give us understanding, Lord,
That we may be Your salt and light,
And live each day for this reward:
To please You as we do what's right.

Norm of Noah

"And as it was in the day of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all" (Luke 17:26,27).

There was a norm in Noah's day
Before God's judgment came
That we can see now on display,
Disturbingly the same.

The normalcy of eating, drinking,
And marriage is not odd.
The problem is the way of thinking
That mocks the truth of God.

Beware, lest this world's normalcy
And vain imagination,
Distract you from eternity
And need of God's salvation!

O Lord, as Noah found Your grace
Before that fearful storm,
So may Your truth in us replace
In us this world's norm!

Lesson from a Leper

"Offer unto God thanksgiving... And call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me" (Psalm 50:14,15). "Ten men that were lepers... lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when He saw them, He said unto them, Go show yourselves unto they priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God... giving Him thanks.... And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?" (Luke 17:12-17).

We who have called upon God should give thanks
And praise Him for all of His answers to prayer!
Perhaps that will mean that we need to break ranks
With those who forget Him and don't seem to care.

Ten who were lepers were by our Lord healed;
The Gospel of Luke has provided their story.
Nine kept on walking when this was revealed,
But one left the others to give God the glory.

Where were the nine who were healed by God?
Why was there only one leper returned?
Alas! Such ingratitude isn't so odd!
Beware! There's a lesson for us to be learned!

How many times do we likewise forget
To glorify God with thanksgiving and praise
For all of the needs that our Lord surely met,
With goodness and mercy through all of our days?

Teach us, O Lord, as we ponder these ten,
To be like that leper who gratefully came.
Though ingratitude still is common to men,
Turn us again to give thanks to Your name.

Riches Reevaluated

"Hear this... rich and poor together.... They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: for the redemption of their soul is precious.... But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me" (Psalm 49:15). "And it came to pass, that the beggar died... the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments" (Luke 16:22,23).

The riches which cannot redeem
A soul from condemnation
Are surely not what they may seem
In this world's estimation.

In light of all eternity
We'll spend beyond the grave
The truest riches we can see
Are those God freely gave.

We know the grace of Jesus Christ:
Though He was rich above,
In poverty He sacrificed
Himself for us in love.

Wealth by any other measure
Than God's redeeming grace,
Shall soon be stripped of all its treasure,
Without a seeming trace.

There is a gulf that separates
Those facing condemnation
From every soul that celebrates
The wealth of God's salvation.

The time to reevaluate
If we are rich or not
Is NOW before it is too late
To change our hopeless lot!

Lord, thank You for the price You paid
To ransom us from hell!
Our greatest riches have been weighed:
In Christ alone they dwell!

Trusting the Tremendous

"Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.... This God is our God forever and ever: He will be our Guide even unto death" (Psalm 48:14). "Trust in the Lord with all of thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes.... The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding He hath established the heavens. By His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew" (Proverbs 3:5-20).

Trust in the Lord, for why would you not?
There's no greater guide you can find!
Heaven and earth by His word were wrought,
And not by our wisdom designed.

Trust in the Lord, so tremendously wise,
This great God is our God forever!
Why would we flatter ourselves in our eyes,
And think somehow we are more clever?

Trust in the Lord now with all of your heart,
Who waters the earth with His dew.
The earth is His canvas, His own work of art,
And we are His workmanship too!

Trust in the Lord, and in all of your ways,
Acknowledge His wisdom to lead.
Our Lord is tremendously worthy of praise;
He knows how to meet every need.

Source of our Song

"God is the King of all of the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.... God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness.... for the shields of the earth belong unto God: He is greatly exalted" (Psalm 47:7-9). "The Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.... He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly" (Proverbs 2:6,7).

God is the King who majestically wields
The power that rules His creation.
By Him the earth is protected by shields;
Without them would be devastation.

Sing praises to God now with this understanding:
The Lord is our Shield as well,
For He bore the judgment His Law was demanding
In order to save us from hell!

Sing praises to God with a sweet meditation
Through wisdom that He will make known,
For He is the Source of our Song of salvation,
Our God and our Savior alone!

Stabilizing Stillness

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen; I will be exalted in the earth" (Psalm 46:10).

There is a strength in solitude,
A joy in quietness,
Where worry never can intrude,
And trust removes distress.

There is a sweet tranquility,
Since God has said "Be still,"
As once He did upon the sea,
When waves obeyed His will.

There is a promise God has made,
And it shall not be halted,
When all His foes shall be dismayed,
And He shall be exalted.

O Lord, we thank You for Your peace,
Not as the world gives,
A peace with God which cannot cease,
Because our Savior lives!