Resurrection Realization

"Mary stood without at the sepulcher weeping.... She turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master" (John 20:11-16).

On that resurrection morn,
When no one knew who moved the stone,
Mary's heart was so forlorn,
As at the tomb she wept alone.

On that resurrection dawn,
She did not know that Jesus rose.
She only knew that He was gone,
Yet not wrappings of His clothes.

On that resurrection day,
We read that Mary thought that now
She turned to hear the gardener say
With gentle words: "Why weepest thou?"

In that resurrection place,
Our Savior spoke a single word:
"Mary!" What a word of grace
That thrilled her heart by what she heard!

Did the angels also shout
In heaven when they heard her voice?
"Rabboni!" Gone was every doubt!
Christ had risen! O rejoice!

Lord, we thank You that you gave
This glad account of resurrection
To thrill us as we see Your grave,
And find it vacant on inspection!

Faith on Facts

"When they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs: but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken. And again another Scripture saith, They shall look on Him whom they pierced" (John 19:33-36).

Christ was always in command,
Even after He was killed.
Every prophecy would stand;
Every Scripture was fulfilled.

John was present to record
The precious details of those acts
Upon the cross of Christ our Lord
That we might rest our faith on facts.

The legs of Jesus were not broken
When the soldiers found Him dead;
They did exactly as was spoken,
As the psalmist clearly said.

Yet a soldier pierced His side,
As Zechariah had foretold.
And thus the Scriptures testified
What God allowed, and would withhold.

Lord, we thank You that You've shown
By Scriptures that You would fulfill,
That You were ruling on Your throne,
As now You are and always will.

Boast of the Battle

"And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said... Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper" (2 Chronicles 20:20). "Behold the Man!.... Behold your King!.... Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part, and also His coat.... but cast lots for it... that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted My raiment among them, and for My vesture they did cast lots" (John 19:5-24).

Jehoshaphat with confidence
Went forth with Judah's host;
He stood to make his great defense
And in the Lord to boast.

He called them to believe the Lord
And heed His prophets' light,
Established as they moved toward
The battle God would fight.

And so it was when they arrived
The saving work was done!
Their enemies had not survived,
And none escaped; not one!

Another battle prophesied
That God would fight as well,
Portraying Christ as crucified,
Would save our souls from hell.

We did not need to stand and fight:
God fought for us and won!
Believe His prophets: they were right
Regarding God the Son!

See the details of those thoughts
That David looked toward,
Parting raiment, casting lots
For vesture from our Lord!

O Lord, we came and found the spoil;
There's nothing left to do!
Upon Your cross that awful toil
Was finished there by You!

But we may worship and surrender
Our hearts in grateful love
And boast in Christ our great Defender
With all the saints above!

Expecting Eyes

"O our God... we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee. And all Judah stood before the LORD, with their little ones, their wives , and their children. Then upon Jahaziel (lit.,"God will cause to see")... came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation, and he said... Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's" (2 Chronicles 20:12-15).

O, our God, we have no might,
Neither know we what to do
In this battle that we fight,
Unless we keep our eyes on You.

The hosts of hell are now arrayed;
We wrestle not with flesh and blood.
But You have said, "Be not afraid,"
Though armies gather like a flood.

As in the days Your people stood
Before You with expecting eyes,
We look to You, for You are good,
Almighty, merciful, and wise.

We hear the words the prophet said:
"The battle is not yours but God's."
There is no further need to dread
Or calculate apparent odds!

These things are written in Your Book
Reminding us You never fail.
Lord, here we stand; to You we look:
The gates of hell shall not prevail.

Cursed Cup

"The curse causeless shall not come" (Proverbs 26:2). "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth.... Then said Jesus... The cup which my Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?" (John 18:4,11).

Our Lord and Savior drank the cup
The Father gave to Him;
It was our curse that filled it up
With wrath that reached the brim.

Our Lord would not refuse to drink,
Nor would He even pause.
The love that led Him to that brink
Compelled Him toward that cause.

His justice must be satisfied;
Our penalty was large.
The curse against us testified,
And GUILTY was the charge!

O Lord, how can we ever thank
And praise You as we ought
For all that awful curse You drank
And all the blessing brought?

Sanctifying Savior

"Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth. As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth" (John 17:17-19).

Sanctified by Jesus Christ
And to the lost we're sent,
To show that He was sacrificed,
And call them to repent.

Sanctified to now declare
Our Savior has been raised,
We preach the Gospel everywhere,
That Christ may thus be praised.

Sanctified now by the Word,
Which is the truth of God,
We take the Gospel we have heard,
With which our feet are shod.

Lord Jesus, now we follow You;
That's all we need to know.
We know Your promise still is true,
To lead us where we go.

Rebound to Rebuild

"Through wisdom is an house builded.... A just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.... Afterwards build thine house" (Proverbs 24:3,16,27). "Ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone.... These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Troubles may come that will cause us to stumble,
But afterwards rise up and build!
Storms may be ordered to make us more humble,
Yet by our Lord's peace they are stilled!

These things were spoken to give us good cheer,
And find all our peace in the Lord.
Only our Savior could vanquish our fear,
And by Him our soul is restored.

Lord Jesus, in view of this world's tribulation,
Which You said would surely be found,
We thank You for cheering us with Your salvation
That gives us Your peace to rebound.

Perfume of Performance

"Hanani the seer came to Asa, king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.... For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly.... And Asa slept with his fathers.... and they buried him.... and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours" (2 Chronicles 16:7-14).

The eyes of our Savior still run to and fro
Throughout the whole earth all day long
For those who will trust Him that He may yet show
That on their behalf He is strong.

Such was the case in King Asa's reign,
Who trusted the Lord in his youth,
But in later years, he decided in vain
To forfeit this critical truth!

For thirty-five years then the Lord gave this king
The blessings that trust would afford.
But Asa forgot where those blessings all spring,
And did not rely on the Lord.

And so in his death they gave him perfume,
But better, far better would be
A legacy fragrant then brought to his tomb,
Enduring for eternity.

So teach us, O Lord, to be ever aware
That Your searching eyes never cease
To look for the hearts that are casting their care
On You for Your blessing of peace.

(A note from the author, in two-thousand nine,
The twenty-eighth day of December,
Was thirty-six years that salvation was mine,
And I would do well to remember.

King Asa had prospered for thirty-five years,
As I have, I surely can tell!
My prayer is that God will yet spare me the tears
Of finding I finished not well!)

Excuses Excluded

"Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsel 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). "If I had not come and spoken unto them, that had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.... If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, that had not had sin" (John 15:22-24).

The answer of reason which we are provided
Is certain and ready for use.
The prophecies written, which God Himself guided,
Exclude every honest excuse.

It's not about winning and argument now,
But rather removing objection,
To show those who honestly seek the Lord how
Excuses provide no protection!

We thank You, Lord Jesus, for words You have spoken
And deeds among men that You did
To demonstrate Scripture can never be broken,
And evidence cannot be hid.

Vitality in the Vine

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without Me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).

In man there's no ability
To manufacture any fruit,
For only God can make a tree
Or any life that has a root.

All attempts by men must fail,
For life proceeds from God alone.
Fools may try to no avail,
Yet their failure shall be shown.

In Christ, the Vine, alone we live,
And we, the branches, now derive
Our fruit that He alone can give;
Without Him we cannot survive.

That is why our Lord portrayed
Himself to be the Vine, of course:
Any fruit in us displayed
Is there to magnify its Source!

O Lord, we praise You as the Vine,
And thank You that in us may be
Much fruit, which by Your wise design,
Displays Your own vitality!

Having His Holiness

"Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" (Psalm 96:8,9). "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" (Proverbs 20:9).

How shall we come now to worship the Lord?
What right to approach can we claim?
Only the mercy of God could afford
To cleanse us from all of our shame!

Come in the beauty of holiness now,
Cleansed from our sin's every trace!
Only our wonderful Lord could endow
His holiness granted by grace!

Worship the Lord who has made our heart clean
And clothed us in His righteousness!
God has removed our transgressions between,
As far as the east is from west!

Yet even now, Lord, You know that we need
Your cleansing that washes our feet,
So that we may walk in the light where You lead
In fellowship constant and sweet.

Thank You for holiness, Lord, You impart
That Your righteousness must require.
You are the One who cleanses our heart,
And fills us with holy desire!

Sign of the Saved

"A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34,35).

This is how the world shall know
That we are Christian brothers:
The love we have in Christ should show
By love we have for others.

The love of Christ should show His beauty
In us which He has planned.
His love should also flow from duty,
Obeying His command.

We ought to love as Jesus did,
Whose love was not concealed.
His love in us should not be hid,
But openly revealed.

We thank You, Lord, for love's design
That brought You from above.
O may Your light in us so shine
To show the world Your love!

Prioritizing Preparation

"So king Rehoboam.... did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord" (2 Chronicles 12:13,14). "Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom" (Proverbs 18:1).

We ought to set ourselves apart,
Prioritizing preparation
To seek the Lord with all our heart,
Or else prepare for lamentation.

Within the halls of shame we see,
As Scriptures faithfully record,
The portraits there of infamy
Of those who did not seek the Lord.

In those who sought the Lord we find
A preparation first took place
To set their heart, their soul, and mind
With all their might to seek His face.

And shall we not prioritize
A heart now earnestly prepared
To seek our Lord, so good and wise,
And thus from vanity be spared?

O Lord, we seek Your face today,
As You have called us each to do.
We see the danger of delay
And hasten now to come to You!

Victorious Voice

"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 93:3,4). "And Jesus answered.... Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour? But for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify Thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again" (John 12:23-28).

The floods of the nations have lifted their voice,
But when all their clamor is done,
The Lord God Almighty has heard their vain noise,
And spoken to us by His Son.

The floods of our troubles may crash on our soul
Like waves that will roar in the sea.
The Lord God Almighty is still in control;
He speaks, and His truth makes us free.

The floods of our judgment upon Jesus came,
But trouble did not make Him pause.
He prayed to give glory to His Father's name,
Committing Himself to this cause.

The floods lift their voice, O Lord, once again
With mockery in these last days,
But Your voice is mightier than that of men,
So we'll lift our voice up in praise!

Perfect Paradox

"Jesus answered them, saying.... Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth His life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal" (John 12:23-25).

Object lessons everywhere
Are found in God's creation.
Perfect paradoxes there
Provide His illustration.

A lesson God conveys on fruit
Is centered in the seed:
Unless it dies, it won't take root,
Producing what we need.

It's not about self-preservation
Or self-exalting strife;
The paradox of our salvation
Is death that brings forth life!

How perfect is this paradox
Of life thus sacrificed!
How vividly the seed unlocks
The treasures found in Christ!

Yet listen as He now extends
That paradox to us,
Since our own fruitfulness depends
On sacrificial trust.

Lord, by this paradox so true,
Your lesson now is plain:
Unless we give our hearts to You,
Our life is lived in vain.

Start with the Stone

"Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto Him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (John 11:39,40).

Lazarus was in the grave,
And four days had elapsed.
Jesus could have come to save
Before his health collapsed.

Our Savior didn't make it known
What He would do that day;
He just said, Take away the stone:
That's all He had to say.

Our Savior surely didn't need
The help of human hands.
The wind and waves that He decreed
Would follow His commands.

But Jesus looked into the hearts
Of those so greatly grieved.
They needed grace that He imparts
To all who have believed.

He gives to us the simple task,
That He might do alone
Above what we may think or ask,
If we will move the stone.

So may we rapidly obey
What You say, Lord, to do,
And start by taking stones away
That block our trust in You.

Dwindling Days

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.... And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us" (Psalm 90:12,17).

Teach us, O Lord, to number our days
That wisdom may now be applied.
Procrastination so subtly betrays
Our hearts by intentions denied.

Our dwindling days are so fleeting and few;
How quickly our time is diminished!
So teach us, O Lord, to give back to You
Our life as a portrait unfinished.

Our life is a canvass; we wait for You, Lord,
To finish Your own work of art,
And so may Your beauty in us be restored
With wisdom applied to our heart.

Lord, thereby establish the work of our hands
With value beyond our short life:
A house that is built on the Rock, and it stands,
Though storms have besieged it with strife.

How quickly our dwindling days pass away,
Just like a short watch in the night!
So grant us the wisdom to trust and obey
And walk with You, Lord, in Your light.

Happy Half

"When the queen of Sheba heard the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions.... And she said to the king.... Behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou excellest the fame that I heard.... Because thy God loved Israel... therefore made He thee king over them, to do judgment and justice" (2 Chronicles 9:1-8). "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.... in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted" (Psalm 89:14-16).

The queen of Sheba heard the fame
Of wisdom found in Solomon,
But since that time a Greater came
In Christ our Savior, God the Son.

Because our God loved Israel,
As well as all the human race,
He found a way to save from hell,
By sending forth His truth and grace.

That justice might be satisfied,
Along with judgment's great demands,
Our Savior came to earth and died
With nails that pierced His feet and hands.

Ah! The half has not been told,
Yet we who know the joyful sound
Explore the treasures we behold
In Jesus Christ that we have found!

The half which we shall not explore
Was searched beneath those awful waves
Of wrath that Christ our Savior bore
For sinners He forever saves!

O Lord, we stand by grace alone,
And marvel at Your love displayed
When You departed from Your throne,
And on the cross our ransom paid!

Opposing Omniscience

"The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.... The way of a fool is right in his own eyes" (Proverbs 12:5,15). "Why herein is a marvelous thing, that ye know not from whence He is , and yet He hath opened mine eyes.... The Scripture cannot be broken" (John 9:30, 10:35).

The way of the foolish opposes the Lord
(Though in their own eyes they are right),
Yet all of the evidence they have ignored,
Our God has displayed in plain sight!

What marvelous madness! For who would oppose
The absolute wisdom of God?
Alas! How the multitude seeks after those
Whose folly they loudly applaud!

Opposing omniscience, as in Noah's day,
May suit our society well,
As mockers dismiss what the Scripture will say,
And lead the likeminded to hell.

But God, by the Scripture, has nonetheless spoken!
Opposing His will is absurd,
For Scripture can never, no, never be broken;
Our God will fulfill every word!

How marvelous, Lord, is this thing in our eyes:
That fools still oppose Your omniscience!
The thoughts from Your Word, Lord, are right and so wise,
Refuting this world's resistance!

Patriot Prayer

"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise" (Proverbs 11:30). "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).

The patriots who would protect
And keep their land from harm today,
Are called by God as His elect
To humbly and sincerely pray.

The patriots who understand
That God alone is our Defense,
And no one else can heal our land,
Will turn to God without pretense.

The patriots who will be wise,
Win souls to reap eternal gain.
Economies will fall and rise,
But this is fruit that will remain.

The patriots who seek revival
Will make this their priority.
They know the promise of the Bible
That truth in Christ will make us free.

O Lord, we humbly come to You,
To pray for help, to seek Your face,
To turn with a repentance true,
And wait for saving, healing grace.

Trusting in Trouble

"In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee: for Thou wilt answer me.... There is none like unto Thee, O Lord.... Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy name" (Psalm 86:7-11).

In the day of my trouble I'll call upon You,
O Lord, for I know You are there,
And no one is like You, so faithful and true,
On whom I may cast all my care.

In the day of my trouble, Lord, teach me Your way,
Uniting my heart in Your fear.
Kept in Your love, Lord, from going astray,
I know You will dry every tear.

In the day of my trouble, when tears blur my eyes,
Lord, draw me then near to Your side.
Removing distractions amounting to lies,
Remind me again why You died.

In the day of my trouble, O Lord, I have found
A refuge when my heart is broken.
What plenteous mercies and healing abound
As tenderly, Lord, You have spoken!

Mingled with Mercy

"Show us Thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us Thy salvation.... Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:7-10). "Come, eat of My bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled" (Proverbs 9:5).

Only God's love and His counsel so wise
Could mingle together by His saving act
Mercy and truth that are not compromised,
And peace with His righteousness fully intact.

Come and behold what the Savior has done;
Now eat of His bread and partake of His wine!
Mercy is mingled with truth in God's Son;
His peace and His righteousness call us to dine!

Mercy could never be offered alone;
Truth must be satisfied! God must be just!
That is why Jesus our Lord left His throne;
Thereby He justified sinners like us!

Peace without righteousness could not be ours;
Justice and judgment still have their demands!
That is why Jesus our Lord has the scars
Visible still as He shows us His hands!

What can we say as we sit at Your table
And ponder these symbols, O Lord, You employ?
In silence we worship, for words are not able
To rightly express our unspeakable joy!

Favored with Freedom

"The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). "Blessed is the man that heareth Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My doors. For whoso findeth Me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the Lord" (Proverbs 8:34,35). "Then said Jesus... If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31,32).

The grace our Lord gives with His glory is known
In the freedom that lives in the hearts of His own.
His blessing is stored for each one who waits
To hear from the Lord and watch at His gates.

Each day there is favor that God would impart
To change our behavior and strengthen our heart.
We should not forget, nor count common place,
This favor that met our need by His grace!

For we have been saved who once were not free;
Once blind and enslaved, by grace we now see!
With joy we now sing, O Lord, of Your favor.
Let true freedom ring, proclaiming our Savior!

Above the Abyss

"And He said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:23,24).

Our Lord came from above for this:
To save this sinful world!
He looked with grief on the abyss
Where sinners must be hurled.

He would not, therefore, stay above
To mourn that awful loss.
Compelled by mercy, truth, and love,
He suffered on the cross.

And thus He opened heaven's door
To all who would receive
The Savior prophesied before,
Who saves all who believe!

Yet sinners even now refuse
The gift of God's salvation;
Rejecting Christ, they thereby choose
Eternal condemnation!

It seems so strange, O Lord, today,
With all Your evidence,
That sinners still refuse to pray,
Rejecting Your Defense!

We thank You, Lord, for love displayed
Upon the cross so true
And for the fear to thus persuade
Our hearts to trust in You.

Necessity of Nicodemus

"Nicodemus saith unto them (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them), Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" (John 7:50,51).

The time for Nicodemus came
When he must speak aloud.
No longer could he bear the shame
Of blending with the crowd.

Quietly, he'd come by night
To hear our Savior's Word,
But now with boldness in the light
He spoke, and he was heard.

Nicodemus just appealed
To what the law had said:
That they should hear what Christ revealed,
And by the truth be led.

Today there is need to stand
Like Nicodemus did
Against the status quo's demand
That Christ should now be hid.

Beware, for silence gives consent
To lies that must be halted!
The dawn is near, the night far spent:
Our Lord should be exalted!

Lamenting the Loss

"Oh that My people had hearkened unto Me, and Israel had walked in My ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies... their time should have endured forever... He should have fed them also with the finest of wheat, and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee" (Psalm 81:13-16). "Hear Me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the word of My mouth.... lest thou give thine honor unto others, and thy years to the cruel... and thou mourn at the last" (Proverbs 5:7-11).

The Lord laments what might have been
If only those had hearkened
Who turned away, exchanging then
His light for paths so darkened!

Hear His anguished lamentation
In that word "Oh!" expressed.
How He longed for their salvation
Whereby they could be blessed!

The lamentation of the fool
Shall also come at last
Whose life was given to the cruel
In years that now are past.

You loved us, Lord, to the extreme!
You could not bear the loss
Of sinners whom You might redeem
Upon that cruel cross!

Oh Lord, receive our thanks today
For love that sought us first.
When we like sheep had gone astray,
To save us, You were cursed!

Death, which was our enemy,
Was conquered when You died!
You gave us life eternally;
Our souls are satisfied.

We praise You, Lord, for wondrous love
That rescued us from wrath,
And from the lamentation of
Our broad, destructive path!

Dawning or Darkness

"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.... Ponder the path of thy feet" (Proverbs 4:18-26). "Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life" (John 6:67,68).

Ponder now the path you take:
The darkness leads the lost astray.
Will you live for Jesus' sake,
Or will you also go away?

The righteous path, just like the dawn,
Grows brighter till the perfect day.
Will this be the path you're on,
Or will you also go away?

We follow Christ into the light,
When we have heard Him and obey.
Will you choose to do what's right,
Or will you also go away?

O Lord, like Peter with one voice,
Who said that with You he would stay,
Our hearts agree! We've made our choice:
By grace we will not go away!

Hard to Hear

"Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.... Many therefore of His disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" (John 6:35,60).

Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life,
Will satisfy the soul,
Will calm the storm of inner strife,
And cleanse and make us whole.

In spite of all these blessings shown,
It's hard for some to hear it.
The Father clearly made Him known,
As did the Holy Spirit.

Indeed, unless we're taught of God
These truths will not make sense.
The natural mind will count them odd,
Despite the evidence.

Savior, Teacher, Lord of all,
You came to us in love,
As manna once before did fall
From heaven's store above.

Thank You, Lord, for open eyes
To see and understand:
You are the Bread that satisfies
As in a desert land!

Same as Solomon

"In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said unto God.... Give me now wisdom and knowledge... for who can judge this Thy people that is so great? And God said to Solomon.... Wisdom and knowledge are granted unto thee" (2 Chronicles 1:7-12). "Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding... then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom" (Proverbs 2:3-6).

God appeared to Solomon,
And told him to request
Whatever that he wanted done,
And God would do the rest.

What an opportunity
To ask of God in prayer!
Yet God has said to you and me
This privilege is not rare.

If only we will likewise ask,
As Solomon then did,
For wisdom fitted to our task,
Such knowledge won't be hid.

This opportunity is ours!
For God, who made all things
(And as a footnote made the stars),
The same grace to us brings!

Ask: it shall be given you;
Seek and you shall find;
Knock: the door will open to
The wisdom of God's mind!

We need not wait another day
For wisdom now to live.
God's wisdom waits for those who pray,
Which He delights to give.

Principle of Proving

"Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah. And I said, this is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. I will remember the works of the LORD; surely, I will remember Thy wonders of old" (Psalm 77:9-11). "When Jesus then lifted up His eyes, and saw a great company come unto Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this He said to prove him: for He Himself knew what He would do" (John 6:5,6).

Jesus knew what He would do;
In every circumstance.
This is a principle that's true
That's never left to chance.

Questions that our Lord would ask
To prove the heart of man,
Always would fulfill their task
According to His plan.

When God at times will prove our soul
With a perplexity,
Let us recall this principle
In our infirmity.

For God is surely on the throne,
But sometimes we forget,
And difficulties make this known
When we begin to fret.

O Lord, You know that we are frail
And that we are inclined
To worry when the storms prevail
And overwhelm our mind.

Yet in these times we would recall
You prove us as before,
To show us You are Lord of all,
And we should trust You more.