Yearend Yearning

"But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference. And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. 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 forever. Amen" (Jude 20-25).

How gracious God has daily been
Throughout this passing year!
He answered prayers, time and again,
And made His counsel clear.

How precious was the truth He taught!
How needful His correction!
How great His comfort which we sought!
How perfect His direction!

And as the current year expires
To usher in the new,
We bring to God our hearts' desires
We prayerfully pursue:

Lord, build in us a faith that's strong,
More ready to obey,
And by Your Spirit led along,
Lord, teach us how to pray.

Lord, keep us always in Your love,
Expressing Your compassion
That brought salvation from above,
In humble, human fashion.

Lord, keep us yearning for the lost
To show them Your salvation,
While yet the gulf may still be crossed,
Escaping condemnation.

Now unto You eternally
And through these fleeting days,
Be glory, power, majesty,
And joyful, loving praise!

Washed Whiter

"Pharaoh... said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.... And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants" (Exodus 9:27,34). "Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me know wisdom.... Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.... Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Psalm 51:6,7,10). "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness" (Proverbs 30:12). "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" (3 John 4).

How great is the darkness deceiving our hearts!
How deeply our motives are buried within!
But God will send light to our most inward parts,
That we may be truthfully cleansed from our sin.

Confessions like Pharaoh's may seem to be true:
He said the right words, and he sounded sincere.
How soon was his hardness of heart then in view:
When trouble had ceased, his rebellion was clear!

The Scripture sheds light on our own generation:
Though not washed from sin, they are pure in their eyes.
How great is their danger, so blind to salvation,
Esteeming themselves to be guiltless and wise!

Lord, wash us that we may be whiter than snow;
Expose the intentions we foolishly hide.
Create in us clean hearts with wisdom to know
That truth makes us free as You cleanse us inside.

Self-Sufficient Savior

"I am God, even Thy God.... If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.... Offer unto God thanksgiving: and pay thy vows unto the most High: and call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me" (Psalm 50:7-15).

There's nothing we can give to God,
As if He had a need,
Though other people may applaud
An altruistic deed.

We have a self-sufficient Savior
Who is our sovereign King.
We shouldn't think that it's a favor
To give Him anything.

There's never hunger, neither thirst,
With God upon His throne.
But if there was, He'd have it first
From that which is His own.

And yet the Lord makes this request:
To offer Him thanksgiving,
To call on Him through every test
With consecrated living.

O Lord, we hear in Your command
To offer things we should
The truth that helps us understand:
These things are for OUR good!

Your grace is our sufficiency,
And we would not forget
Our greatest need at Calvary
By Jesus Christ was met!

Record of Redemption

"They that trust in their wealth.... 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 49:6-15). "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and He that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (1 John 5:11,12).

The record is clear with respect to redemption:
We don't have the means for redeeming our brother
Or paying our ransom; there is no exemption:
Redemption is precious and comes from Another!

How fearful it is when we first realize
We're void of the power to rescue our soul!
Praise God for His prompting that we may wise
By trusting the Lord who redeems us in full!

Praise God for the riches in Christ that He gave,
Above all the wealth that this earth could afford,
With power to ransom our soul from the grave
When we have received Him as Savior and Lord.

O Lord, we give thanks that the battle is won
By Christ our Redeemer, victorious in strife!
And this is the record: when we have Your Son,
We have Your eternal redemption and life!

p.s. Today marks 38 years since that fearful and wonderful night in Yokosuka, Japan, on the USS Midway. "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved! How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed!"

Real Reason

"God is love.... We love Him, because He first loved us" (1 John 4:8,19).

Knowing the reason we really love God
Does not offer language that flatters,
For hearts that are sinful are hopelessly flawed;
That He first loved us is what matters!

Yes, this is the reason for love to our Lord:
That He loved us first in our sin,
And only His great love could ever afford
A cause for our love to begin.

O Lord, we are debtors to infinite Love,
That saved us by grace You impart!
How can we but set our affections above
And love You with all of our heart?

Sensible Singing

"Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding" (Psalm 47:6,7). "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1).

Sing praises to God! Sing praises with sense!
Consider the judgment from which you were saved!
Sing praises to Christ who became our Defense,
When we were so hopelessly lost and depraved.

Sing praises to God! Behold now what love
Our Father in heaven has freely bestowed,
That we have been called as His children above,
Since Christ paid the debt for our sin that we owed.

O Lord, we give thanks for our reasons to sing:
Receive from our hearts our sincere adoration!
With more understanding we'd praise You, our King,
And gratefully worship, O Lord of salvation!

Searching for the Savior

"It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.... As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country" (Proverbs 25:2,25). "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him" (Matthew 2:1,2).

The glory of God will conceal a thing:
That we may called out to search for His treasure
To show us the honor afforded a king:
The riches of grace in the Lord's fullest measure.

As cold waters offered to satisfy thirst
To souls that are longing for God's perfect peace,
The Lord draws our souls out to come to Him first
To find satisfaction that never will cease.

O Lord, we have found out, as wise men of old,
The mercies discovered in Jesus our Savior.
The half of His glories have never been told!
We're searching His Gift of unsearchable favor.

Behold the Babe

"The daughter of Pharaoh... saw the ark... and when she had opened it, she saw the child: and behold, the babe wept" (Exodus 2:5,6). "The Word was God.... and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1,14). "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life" (1 John 1:1).

A baby born in Egypt's land
Was weeping in the water,
Whom God protected with His hand
By Pharaoh's tender daughter.

He grew to be God's chosen man
That no one had expected
Would carry out His saving plan,
Though first he was rejected.

We see the patterns here of Christ
And of redemption's story.
God's precious Son was sacrificed,
And we beheld his glory.

Behold, the Babe of Bethlehem!
The Word made flesh appears,
Rejected by Jerusalem
For whom He shed His tears!

O Lord, as we behold Your Son,
His joy, His tears, and strife,
We thank You, Lord, for what He's done
To grant eternal life!

Gracious Growth

"My son, give Me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways" (Proverbs 23:26). "Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

How great is the privilege that God now imparts
To grow in the knowledge and grace of our Savior!
He gives us more grace as we give Him our hearts,
And by that proportion increases His favor.

How great is our loss when we will not release
The throne of our hearts to our heavenly Father,
For thus by our pride we shall forfeit His peace,
Our hearts shall be cold, and our duties a bother.

O Lord, we give thanks for Your great invitation
To give You our hearts and attend to Your ways.
How rich are the blessings observed in salvation
As grace then empowers what knowledge conveys!

Guided for Good

"I have waited for Thy salvation, O Lord.... But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (Genesis 49:18, 50:20). "O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me" (Psalm 43:3). "That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known unto thee this day, even to thee" (Proverbs 22:19). "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations" (2 Peter 2:9).

Our God knows the reason why trials are sent,
Though often His purpose is misunderstood.
Whatever may be in another's intent,
Our God is still guiding His plan for our good.

As children who need to be guided in youth,
So we are dependent on God's higher ways
To send out His light and His marvelous truth,
That we may be guided to live for His praise.

The Lord surely knows how to rescue our souls
And how to deliver in time of temptation.
Throughout every trial He wisely controls
And teaches us thereby to trust His salvation.

O Lord, we give thanks for Your mercies so great
We see in the guidance You daily impart.
Through trials You've taught us upon You to wait,
And trust You completely with all of our heart.

Refreshing our Remembrance

"They continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me.... Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance" (Psalm 42:3-5). "I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things.... We were eyewitnesses of His majesty.... We also have a more sure word of prophecy" (2 Peter 1:12-19).

We ought to often think about
The reasons we believe,
That we may thus dispel the doubt
Forgetfulness can weave.

On every side we hear the chants:
"Where is your God?" they say.
Be careful in this circumstance
To not be led astray!

We shouldn't be found negligent
By failing to recall
The facts which are so evident
Displayed before us all!

Among this evidence we see
The witnesses we know
Who clearly saw Christ's majesty,
Both friend as well as foe!

The EMPTY tomb, we call to mind,
Attended by the guard,
Is hard to miss unless you're blind,
And even then it's hard!

We shouldn't pass by prophecy,
God's "more sure" Word of grace
Wherein was written history
Before events took place!

Then why now, O my downcast soul,
Should you be now depressed?
Remember God is in control,
As witnesses attest!

Lord, thank You for Your holy Word
In which we hear Your voice
That renders every doubt absurd,
And calls us to rejoice!

Confident in His Care

"By this I know that Thou favorest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. And as for me, Thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before Thy face forever" (Psalm 41:11,12). "Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?" (Proverbs 20:24). "Casting all your care on Him, for He careth for you. Be sober; be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:7,8).

By this I know I have God's favor
For time and for eternity:
He took my place and did not waver
To stand against my enemy.

By this I know my Savior's love:
He now upholds me by His grace,
And I shall dwell with Him above,
And there I'll see Him face to face.

By this I know and understand
That God determines what is best:
He holds me firmly in His hand,
He cares for me, and I am blest.

By this I know God's saving power:
The devil lurks on every side
And as a lion would devour,
If not for Christ, in whom we hide.

By this I know, O Lord, You care:
You heard my humble supplication,
You answered me in my despair,
And clothed me in Your great salvation!

Believe the Book

"Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire; Mine ears hast Thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast Thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the BOOK it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is written within my heart" (Psalm 40:6-8). "Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.... The counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.... Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge" (Proverbs 19:20,21,27).

How firmly we may now believe
God's Book with confidence
With counsel therein we receive
Confirmed with evidence!

The greatest evidence of all,
Which God has placed therein,
Is Christ responding to the call
To take away our sin.

The search is vain upon all shelves,
No matter where we look,
For prophecies that prove themselves,
Except in God's great Book!

In prophecies He would fulfill,
We hear our Savior's voice
Declare that He would do God's will,
And in that will rejoice.

The sacrifices offered then
Were shadows of the Christ,
But these could never ransom men,
Though often sacrificed.

How rightly then we're told to cease
To hear the false instruction
By which the soul rejects God's peace
Through Satan's cruel seduction.

Your Book, O Lord, is truly light
On which our souls depend.
We know Your counsels there are right,
Both now and in the end.

Reasoning with Reality

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21). "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15).

The death and life of souls are in
The power of the tongue:
For by the word of God we win
The souls of old and young.

We reason with reality:
The truth is on our side!
It is the truth that makes us free,
As Christ has testified.

The Scriptures that we now behold
Are filled with evidence:
Consider prophecies foretold,
Fulfilled in their defense.

Consider too, the empty tomb,
In which our Lord had lain.
The evidence now leaves no room
For doubt now rendered vain.

O Lord, we thank You for Your Word,
Equipping us with reason
That validates the truth we've heard
In every place and season.

Priesthood Privileges

"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an HOLY PRIESTHOOD, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Unto you, therefore, which believe, He is precious.... Ye are a chosen generation, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:5-9).

The Lord ordains us each a priest
When we have put our trust in Christ.
There is no sacrificial beast
Nor blood on altars sacrificed.

We are a holy priesthood now
To offer praise and adoration.
Before our precious Lord we bow
To thank Him for so great salvation.

We are a royal priesthood too
Ordained to show our Savior's praise,
Declaring what we know is true:
The Gospel light His Word displays.

Our privileges are great indeed,
And so our duties are as well,
To shine the light that others need
To show them their escape from hell.

O Lord, You've granted us this place
As priests, who once were lost in sin.
So may we minister Your grace
That saves the souls that You would win.

Delightful Desire

"Delight thyself also in the LORD, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart" (Psalm 37:4). "Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Peter 1:3-8).

How great is the privilege to place our delight
In Jesus our Savior, beholding His grace.
We see Him by faith now, yet one day by sight,
When we shall behold then our Lord face to face.

How good is our Savior, beyond contemplation,
Who laid down His life as our judgment required.
In view of His love which provided salvation,
Our Lord far exceeds all our heart has desired!

O Lord, we rejoice as we ponder Your love
With joy inexpressibly full of Your glory,
And thus as we set our affections above,
Our cup overflows as we tell Your love story!

Bearing our Blame

"And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me.... I will be a SURETY for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me BEAR THE BLAME forever" (Genesis 43:8,9). "He that is SURETY for a stranger shall smart for it.... Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?" (Proverbs 11:15, 15:11). "He which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins" (James 5:20).

How clearly did Judah's commitment portray
The Lord as our Surety, bearing our blame!
Our Lord knew the price for our souls He would pay,
And knowing all this, He courageously came!

When hell and destruction, that horrible sight,
Were looming before Him as our destination,
With matchless compassion He left heaven's height
And came to our rescue to purchase salvation.

Lord, how can we thank You for what You have done?
You looked down, beholding our hearts from above,
And saw no one righteous; no, not even one,
Yet still You were moved to redeem us with love!

We praise You, Lord Jesus, as we contemplate
Our burden of sins on the cross that You bore.
Astonishing mercy! Compassion so great!
The more we remember, the more we adore!

Solace of our Souls

"All these things are against me.... then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave" (Genesis 42:36,38). "Say unto my soul, I am thy Salvation.... and my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in His salvation" (Psalm 35:3,9). "The heart knoweth his own bitterness, and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy" (Proverbs 14:10). "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you" (James 4:8).

In seasons when bitterness comes to our hearts
And all of our prospects seem dim,
The solace that Jesus our Lord then imparts
Is found as we draw near to Him.

We find not our solace in strangers who come,
Or even the closest of friends.
In Christ we discover where true peace is from:
On Him all our welfare depends.

We dare not find solace in temporal things
Which flee just as fast as they came,
For riches, we know, fly away as with wings,
And temporal joys are the same.

Our comfort is found in the words of our Lord,
Though in a small voice He may whisper:
"I am your Salvation." Ah! This will afford
A sweetness though all else is bitter!

O Lord, we rejoice in so great a salvation
That robs even death of its fear!
We're finding our solace in Your exhortation
To come as Your love draws us near.

Every Knee shall Eventually Kneel

"And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand... and they cried before him, BOW THE KNEE: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and with thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt" (Genesis 41:42-44). "Look unto Me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.... unto Me every knee SHALL BOW" (Isaiah 45:22,23). "At the name of Jesus every knee SHOULD BOW" (Philippians 2:10).

We see in this dramatic story
Of Joseph's rising up in power
A portrait of our Savior's glory
In His prophetic coming hour.

We know that every knee shall bow,
As God has sworn by His decree.
Yet even those who will not now,
When Christ returns, shall bow the knee!

We bow our heart and knee to Christ,
Exalted to the highest place,
Who for our souls was sacrificed
To justify us by His grace!

O Lord, we see Your beauty here,
And gladly bow the knee to You!
And as Your day is drawing near,
We pray that many more will too!

Resting in the Right

"Do not interpretations belong to God?" (Genesis 40:8). "The Word of the LORD is right, and all His works are done in truth.... The counsel of the LORD standeth forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations" (Psalm 33:4,11). "The thoughts of the righteous are right, but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.... The way of the fool is right in his own eyes" (Proverbs 12:5,15).

We rest in the knowledge that God's Word is right,
And all of His works have been truthfully done.
In darkness around us His Word is our light,
And none of His prophecies failed; not one!

How great is the peace and our confidence then,
Since God has revealed the thoughts of His heart!
Though fools will profess themselves wise among men,
The counsel of God is what sets us apart.

The counsel of Joseph was right in the prison
Who said what would happen when three days had passed.
It mattered not then who would scorn with derision,
The Word of the Lord was still standing at last.

The promise of Jesus to rise in the three days
Was met by the guards at His sepulcher's door.
But all of their efforts just added more praise
When Christ rose the third day, as stated before!

We thank You today, Lord, for what You have said,
To give us a light in this day of confusion.
We trust in our Savior, now raised from the dead;
We rest in the Word He will bring to conclusion.

Shameless Shouting

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.... Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice... and shout for joy!" (Psalm 32:1,11). "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.... Of His own will begat He us with the Word of truth" (James 1:17,18).

Be glad, rejoice, and shout for joy!
Let shallow thinking be reproved!
Let all within us now employ
Our songs of praise for sins removed!

Give thanks for every perfect gift
Which comes down from our Lord above
Through Christ who bore our sins to lift
Our souls from danger by His love.

No love like His was ever heard
Or ever seen upon the earth,
But we behold it in His Word
By which He gives us second birth.

We shouldn't think it too extreme
To shout for joy with heartfelt praise,
Since God was moved to thus redeem
And save us whom He yet will raise!

When we recall, Lord, what You've done
And yet will do without a doubt,
We find our thrill has just begun!
How can we help but sing and shout?

Times to Trust

"But I trusted in Thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand" (Psalm 31:14,15). "He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my Helper.... Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight" (Hebrews 13:5-21).

Our times are in our Savior's hand;
We know He's on the throne.
Our days are few, like grains of sand:
Each grain to Him is known.

The Lord, we know, makes no mistake.
We rest in Him forever.
Our souls, we know, He won't forsake,
And He will leave us never.

We're trusting in our risen Lord
To work in us His pleasure
To find eternity's reward
In Christ, our fullest treasure.

We thank You, Lord! You paid the cost
To ransom us, Your sheep,
And for the promise, none are lost
That You have sworn to keep!

Better Blood

"Wisdom hath... killed her beasts, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also furnished her table.... As for him that wanteth understanding, she saith unto him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. Forsake the foolish, and live, and go in the way of understanding" (Proverbs 9:1-6). "Ye are come... to Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel" (Hebrews 12:22-24).

Now wisdom is calling to all who will hear
To come the feast that is spread on her table.
The beasts have been slain, and yet it is clear,
There's blood that is better than these and of Abel.

The blood of such beasts have foreshadowed the Christ,
And Abel's blood cried from the ground against Cain.
Yet neither the blood of these beasts has sufficed
Nor Abel's to take away sin's guilty stain.

But now we have come to our Savior and Lord
Whose blood is sufficient to wash sins away!
The blood of His cross that He shed will afford
The ransom we need that no other could pay!

We thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your mediation
With blood that You shed on the cross when You died.
In Your precious blood we have found our salvation,
Our cleansing, redemption, and place where we hide.

Faith's Foundation

"Those that seek Me early shall find me.... and I will fill their treasures.... For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD" (Proverbs 8:17,21,35). "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.... Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.... Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:1-6).

Our faith is built on evidence
Which honesty demands,
As reason makes the strong defense
That logic understands.

There is no way the things we see
Were made by natural cause!
Behold the earth's complexity,
Its order, and its laws!

Alas, this evidence ignored
Has rendered many blind,
For all who have refused the Lord,
Have darkened their own mind.

But God can give the blind their sight
If only they are turned,
And He will manifest His light
That faith may be discerned.

Though many yet will stand aloof,
We ought to make our case
To those who yet will hear the proof
Of God's amazing grace!

We thank You for our faith's foundation
And for the great reward
Discovered in so great salvation
By those who seek You, Lord!

Sorrow and Sovereignty

"Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor.... And it came to pass, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she called his name Benoni (lit., son of my sorrow): but His father called him Benjamin (lit., son of my right hand)." (Genesis 35:16-18). "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12).

Benoni was titled, when Rachel travailed,
The "son of my sorrow," as life from her passed.
His father renamed him, and so he was hailed
As Benjamin, "son of my right hand" at last.

The son of my sorrow: reflect on that name
Portraying the beauty of Jesus our Lord!
The son of my right hand he later became:
What marvelous portraits these titles afford!

O Lord, we give thanks for the sweet meditation
In names where Your sorrow and glory are shown!
You humbled Yourself to accomplish salvation,
And now You're exalted upon heaven's throne!

Fading Fears

"The LORD is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the Strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1).

The Lord forever is my Light;
In view of this, whom should I fear?
He is my Strength and saving Might,
And He has promised to be near.

My enemies may boldly talk
And blindly say I am forsaken.
It doesn't matter if they mock,
For nonetheless they are mistaken!

Of whom then shall I be afraid,
Since Christ is Lord of all dominions?
He rules the universe He made;
He is not moved by vain opinions!

We thank You, Lord, for confidence
Which we may have in every hour,
For You have been our strong Defense,
And You will keep us by Your power.

New Name

"And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob (lit., he held the heel; supplanter), but Israel (prince with God): for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.... And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel (Turn Thou, God).... And Jacob came to Shalem (at peace).... and he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel (God, the God of Israel)" (Genesis 32:28-30, 33:18-20). "I will make a new covenant.... and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.... and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more" (Hebrews 8:8-12).

When Israel's identity
Was found in his new name,
The Lord had turned then graciously
To take away his shame.

For he who held his brother's heel
Could also hold God's heart
Who turned to him and would reveal
The blessings He'd impart.

There was a blessing far above
All others Jacob found:
The peace extended by God's love
Where grace and truth abound.

And in the place he came to dwell
He named his altar there
As "God, the God of Israel",
To celebrate His care.

Lord, thank that you likewise changed
Our horrible condition
Who once had been from You estranged
And destined for perdition.

And thus, O Lord, we celebrate
Our newfound reputation,
Since You were pleased to elevate
Our souls with Your salvation!

Manifested to the Meek

"And Jacob said... I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which Thou has showed unto Thy servant" (Genesis 32:10). "Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will He teach sinners in the way. The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way" (Psalm 25:9).

How good the Lord is to the meek
To guide and teach them in His way.
How good it is to hear Him speak
And also do what He will say.

The meek are sinners who have known
They're neither worthy of the least
Of all the truth that God has shown
Nor all the mercies He increased.

With Jacob we must take our place
To own our true unworthiness,
That God may thereby show His grace
To sinners He would teach and bless.

We thank You, Lord, for heaven's love
Where humble sinners find their rest
And for Your mercies from above
Which to the meek You manifest.

Doors of His Dominion

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in" (Psalm 24:7). "Trust in the LORD with all Thine heart.... He blesseth the habitation of the just.... He giveth grace to the lowly" (Proverbs 3:5,33,34). "Behold, I stand at the door and knock" (Revelation 3:20).

The door for Christ who came to earth,
Which ancient prophets saw afar,
Was opened through His humble birth,
Announced by Scripture and His star.

The doors of earth not opened now
Shall open when the King comes in,
And every knee shall surely bow
To Him who washed us from our sin!

The doors at which our Lord will knock
Are found at every heart today.
Though many in these days will mock,
He enters those who humbly pray.

O Lord, we thank You that You came
To make our hearts Your habitation.
Now come, exalt in us Your name;
Enlarge our hearts with Your salvation.

Appetite for Application

"The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.... Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over" (Psalm 23:1,5). "My son, if thou wilt apply thine heart to understanding... then thou shalt understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:1-5). "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye... are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:12-14).

The Lord is my Shepherd who feeds me so well;
He spreads out a table abundantly full.
Though enemies watch from the powers of hell
They tremble before Him who comforts my soul.

With all this abundance before me now spread,
There's more than just milk here for which I am reaching:
I ought to be hungry for strong meat instead,
And exercised thereby, I ought to be teaching!

O Lord, You have taught me to trust and obey,
That I may between good and evil discern.
How faithful You've been to my soul everyday
To grant me the strength to apply what I learn!

Lord, cause to come to Your freshly spread table
Each day with an appetite for application,
And thereby discover through Christ I am able
To do what will please You in each situation.

Remaining Rest

"They have pierced My hands and My feet.... I will declare Thy name unto My brethren.... They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this" (Psalm 22:16,22,31). "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His" (Hebrews 4:9,10).

The work that saves and gives us rest
Is now forever done,
As words upon the cross attest
Declared by God the Son!

The work "is finished!" He declared,
And nothing more remains!
Our rest in heaven He's prepared
Was purchased by His pains.

He calls us brethren, unashamed!
His work is thus complete!
The serpent's head, as God proclaimed,
Is crushed beneath His feet.

We thank You, Lord, for what You did
That left no sin behind.
They are removed, not merely hid;
What rest this gives our mind!

Present in this Place

"And Jacob went out.... and he lighted upon a certain place.... and he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it, and said.... I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest... I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and said, Surely the LORD is in this place, and I knew it not" (Genesis 28:10-16). "Who hath ascended up to heaven, or descended.... What is His name, and what is His Son's name if thou canst tell?" (Proverbs 30:4). "Jesus answered... thou shalt see greater things than these.... Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man" (John 1:50,51).

As Jacob journeyed from his home
And knew not what would lie ahead,
So we, it seems, like pilgrims roam,
Yet faithfully by God are led.

For all is not as it has seemed:
The Lord is surely in this place!
Above all that we could have dreamed,
Our God has met us with His grace!

When Jacob dreamed and saw ascending
A ladder up to heaven above
With angels up and down attending,
He saw a vision of God's love!

We know his dream's prophetic end:
It is the Son of God who came,
Descending that He might ascend
And save those calling on His name!

Lord, thank You that You came to earth
To be our Ladder to Your throne,
To make us Yours by second birth,
And grant us peace in You alone.

Heed what is Heard

"He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.... Where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:1,18). "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him, God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with diverse miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?" (Hebrews 2:1-4).

In view of the words from our Lord's gracious lips
Which we have been privileged to hear,
We ought to be sure that not one of them slips
By lending a more earnest ear.

Since all of the words that the prophets have spoken
Were steadfastly shown to be true,
And evidence stands that no promise was broken,
We ought to show others this too!

Since judgment is looming for all who dismiss
The Bible as fabled tradition,
How shall they escape from that fearful abyss
Who scoff when they're warned of perdition?

O Lord, give us boldness and earnest desire
To preach with conviction Your Word,
To show heaven's glory and hell's lake of fire,
That hearts may now heed what is heard.

Message Declared in Manners Diverse

"The heavens declare the GLORY of GOD; and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.... Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.... He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names" (Psalm 19:1-4, 147:4). "God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son... Who being the BRIGHTNESS of His GLORY... by Himself purged our sins" (Hebrews 1:1-3).

The manners in which God Almighty arranged
To manifest Christ are diverse.
The message, however, has surely not changed:
Christ ransomed our souls from the curse!

The message proclaimed in the heavens above,
Portraying the virgin-born Seed,
Is one of God's methods proclaiming His love,
Declaring His glory indeed!

It's not up to us, with our vision so dim,
To limit the means of God's glory.
The Lord named the stars! Is it not up to Him
To use them to publish His story?

It should not surprise us that Satan now mars
The message of God in the skies,
Distorting the meaning and purpose of stars,
For he is the father of lies!

O Lord, we give thanks for the message You gave
By whatever means You thought right,
Declaring Your glory to those You would save
By purging their sins out of sight!

Generously Gentle

"Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation: and Thy right hand hath holden me up, and Thy gentleness hath made me great" (Psalm 18:35).

How generous with grace is God
Who gently makes us great,
As we are found by Him so flawed
And in a sinful state.

He gives to us salvation's shield,
His right hand holds us up,
And daily blessings are revealed
Which overflow our cup.

We have no greatness of our own
Or righteousness to claim
Apart from grace, and grace alone,
That lifted us from shame.

We love You, Lord, because You first
Have loved the wayward soul;
You satisfied our inner thirst
And hunger to the full.

We thank You, Lord, and we rejoice
That You will meet the need
Of all Your sheep who hear Your voice,
Whom You will gently lead.

Decision Day

"And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left.... Hinder me not.... And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go" (Genesis 24:49-58). "But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared... He saved us... that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4-7).

There is day when souls are called
To be the Savior's bride.
Decision day cannot be stalled:
We go or we abide.

Like Abraham who sent that one
Upon that special mission
To seek a bride for his own son,
We make our own decision.

The options then are very plain:
We either stay or go.
We trust the Lord, or live in vain;
We answer yes or no.

Eternity constrains our choice
To choose while yet we may.
He call us with His Spirit's voice
While it is called Today.

But when His Spirit from above
Has heard our heartfelt, "Yes!"
God's kindness and eternal love
Are ours with righteousness.

We thank You, Lord, that You would call
And rescue by Your grace
A bride once ruined by the fall
From Adam's sinful race.

Purchased Possession

"And Abraham weighed to Ephron (lit., him of dust) the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth.... and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession" (Genesis 23:16-18). "The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea I have a goodly heritage" (Psalm 16:5,6). "The great God and our Savior Jesus Christ... gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:13,14).

By Abraham the price was paid
To make his heritage secure.
With silver of redemption weighed,
His borders thereby were made sure.

Though Ephron was a man of dust
With all those in his audience,
That price gave Abraham a trust:
That place was his forever hence.

Then how much more has God assured
That our inheritance is bought
Since He, with precious blood, secured
The lines of our eternal lot!

How pleasantly the lines are drawn,
O Lord, for our inheritance!
Our home is heaven! Sins are gone!
Redemption is our confidence!

Lord, thank You that You weighed the price
That satisfied redemption's cost;
You paid it by Your sacrifice,
Redeeming us who once were lost!

Look for the Lamb

"On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.... And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said... Where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a Lamb for a burnt offering.... And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, in the mount of the LORD it shall be seen" (Genesis 22:4-14). "In the hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began" (Titus 1:2).

We lift our eyes with Abraham;
And see afar that place
Where God provided there a Lamb
Extending to us grace!

As on the third day he could see
The place of God's selection,
We see beyond Mount Calvary
The Lamb in resurrection.

We see the greater Offering
Of Christ, the great I Am
In Isaac who was wondering,
And asked, Where is the Lamb?

Behold, the Lamb is Jesus Christ:
Our Lord, the perfect Man,
Determined to be sacrificed
Before the world began!

Jehovah-jireh (God provides)
This Lamb whom we receive!
Our Savior now in us abides,
And He will never leave!

We thank You, Lord, as we behold
The Lamb whom we adore,
As by Your Spirit You unfold
His glories more and more!

Earnest Evangelist

"Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long, for surely there is an end, and thine expectation shall not be cut off" (Proverbs 23:17,18). "Preach the Word.... Do the work of an evangelist.... For the time will come when they shall not endure sound doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:2-5).

Be sure of this: there is an end;
The finish line is not far off.
So preach the Word; its truths defend,
Though many, as foretold, will scoff.

Be earnest in eternal things,
And serve the Lord with godly fear.
Exalt the Lord, the King of kings,
Assured that His return draws near.

Though souls may choose to not endure
The Gospel truth that saves the soul,
Still every word of God is pure,
And all are held accountable.

O Lord, we fix our eyes on You,
And thank You for the expectation
That all Your promises are true
Which yet extend Your great salvation.

We thank You, Lord, that we may be
Evangelists with earnest hearts,
Who preach the truth that makes us free
And everlasting life imparts.

Stewards of the Scriptures

"That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. 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 22:19-21). "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

Has not the Lord provided well
His words by inspiration?
Are not we now equipped to tell
The lost of His salvation?

How excellent His counsels are
That give us certainty,
For by them we can see afar
The things that yet shall be!

We thank You for the excellence,
O Lord, within Your Word.
Its certainty is our defense
And armor that we gird.

Lord, thank You for this stewardship
Of precious words with power,
By which You thoroughly equip
And fit us for this hour.

Until the day the day we see Your face,
O Lord, may we be found
Good stewards of Your truth and grace,
Which in Your Word abound.

Set in Safety

"Help, LORD, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.... I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him. The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD; Thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever" (Psalm 12:1-7). "There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the LORD. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is of the LORD" (Proverbs 21:30,31).

The enemy puffs with an arrogant face
At all who would hold to the truth.
He scoffs at those trusting in God's saving grace,
And aims at destroying our youth.

Come help us, O Lord, for the godly man ceases!
The armies of hell gain more ground!
Deception continues, confusion increases,
And those who forget You abound!

God sets us in safety! His answer we've heard!
And none from His safety can sever:
We need nothing more than His purified Word
Preserved by His power forever.

Lord, thank You for meeting our need for protection
Against Satan's wiles today,
Providing Your counsel for us with perfection
To guard all who humbly obey.

Flawed Flight

"In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?" (Psalm 11:1). "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

Now flee as a bird to your mountain, we hear
From those whose alarming perspective is flawed.
Yet we were not given the spirit of fear,
But power, and love, and a sound mind from God.

To all who have told us to flee as a bird,
We ought to inform them their efforts will fail.
For we have the promise of Christ in His Word
That hell and its armies shall never prevail.

O Lord, we give thanks for the boldness we find
When led by Your Spirit with deeper surrender,
With power, with love, and with soundness of mind,
Since You are our Savior, our Lord, and Defender!

Forsaking the Falsehood

"There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless, the counsel of the LORD shall stand.... Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge" (Proverbs 19:21,27). "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called" (1 Timothy 6:20).

So many devices in man's wicked heart
Imagine a counsel that contradicts God's.
From all such instruction, we're called to depart,
Forsaking the counsel this world applauds.

Such "science" so called, we are called to resist,
Which argues against what the Lord says is true.
It starts with presuming that God is not there,
And that false assumption perverts all they do.

Praise God for the anchor of truth in His Word,
Defining true science with counsel that stands!
The godless assumptions of men are absurd,
Refusing to see the design of God's hands!

O Lord, we are thankful for all You have shown,
Which we are committed to teach to our youth.
So grant us the wisdom to make Your truth known,
That they may discern between falsehood and truth.

Questions of my Quest

"And the angel of the LORD... said, Hagar (lit. Sojourner)... Whence camest thou? And whither wilt thou go?.... She said, Have I also looked after Him that seeth me?" (Genesis 16:8,13). "Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.... There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:1,24).

How well I can remember when
My questions plagued me in the night.
With no one else to turn to then,
I searched for God with all my might.

Was I a product then of chance?
And what about eternity?
Was everything blind circumstance?
My questions would not let me be!

I feared my quest could have no end,
But to my joy and great surprise,
I found in God my closest Friend,
Who saw me then with loving eyes.

O Lord, I've found in You my rest,
With all my questions satisfied!
You met me in my fearful quest,
And saved me when to You I cried.

I thank You, Lord, for mercy shown
And truth unveiled on my path:
You gave Yourself, and You alone
Could save me from eternal wrath!

Until the day we meet above
Lord, help me now to clearly speak
And satisfy the quest for love
And truth in You that others seek.

Narrating, Not Numbering!

"The LORD.... brought him [Abram] forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven and tell (Heb. "sawfar" narrate) the stars, if thou be able to number (same word: "sawfar" narrate) them: and He said unto Him, So shall thy Seed (i.e. Christ: Genesis 3:15, Galatians 3:6,16, "thy Seed, which is Christ") be. And he believed in the LORD, and He counted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:4-6). "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth, who has set Thy glory above the heavens!.... When I consider the heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained, What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8:1-4). "The heavens declare (Heb. "sawfar" again!) the glory of God.... There line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.... He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names" (Psalm 19:1-4, 147:4).

The Lord brought Abram forth abroad
And told him then to look above
And tell the stars (all named by God),
Unveiling Christ's triumphant love.

Yes, Abram surely saw Christ's day
(As Jesus Christ so plainly said).
He knew that Christ would come to pay
Our ransom, dying in our stead.

The stars were named to understand
And to expound redemption's story.
Their WORDS have gone to every land
Declaring thus our Savior's glory.

The ancient star names we can read,
Like Virgo, Spica, and much more,
All speak of Christ, "The Virgin's Seed!"
How much there is we may explore!

So Abram didn't count each star,
But rather he was naming them.
And thereby he could see afar
His Seed which came to Bethlehem.

O Lord our Lord, how excellent
In all the earth is Jesus' name!
May we, as stars, be likewise sent
To tell the glory they proclaim!

Youtube exposition: http://youtu.be/yBzuc2Lt8Lc

Preparing and Purging

"The preparations in the heart of man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.... By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.... Understanding is a wellspring of life.... The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth" (Proverbs 16:1,6,22,23).

The preparations in the heart
To give eternal answers right
Is from the Lord, who will impart
An understanding in His light.

On matters of eternity
We should not ever speak amiss!
Through Christ alone we are made free:
The Lord has clearly taught us this.

By truth and mercy we are purged
From all iniquity within,
And by the fear of God we're urged
To flee from wrath and from our sin.

These principles are surely plain,
Yet many still don't understand.
The search for truth is all in vain
Unless we seek it from God's hand.

Yet God will give the preparation
To every heart that is sincere
And calls on Him for His salvation,
Instructed by a Godly fear.

O Lord, we thank You that You teach
The hearts that You prepare with grace.
Prepare us, therefore, now to reach
The souls You prompt to seek Your face.

Priority and Privilege of Prayer

"The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer" (Psalm 6:9). "The prayer of the upright is His delight.... He heareth the prayer of the righteous" (Proverbs 15:8,29). "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.... For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all.... I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Timothy 2:1-8).

There is a great priority
That God has placed on prayer
For matters of eternity
As well as daily care.

The Lord has called for supplication
That souls may not be lost,
But rather learn of His salvation
And of their ransom's cost.

There's many things to pray about,
But surely none is greater
Than precious souls, without a doubt,
Who need a Mediator.

For this is why our Savior came
And paid so great a price:
To bear away our sin and shame
Through His great sacrifice.

Indeed, there is no other one
Who can extend God's grace
But Christ the Man, yet God the Son,
Who took the sinner's place.

O Lord, we stand by grace alone,
Permitted now to pray,
As we are called now to Your throne
While it is called today.

O may this privilege You afford
For us to intercede
Be exercised each day, O Lord,
To pray for souls in need!

Proving the Prudent

"Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou peceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way.... There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 14:7-12). "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying.... from which some having swerved have turned aside to vain jangling.... This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:4-7).

Now go from the presence of those who reveal
Their foolishness by what they say,
For words have the power to kill and to steal,
Destroying those thus led astray.

We prove what is prudent and weigh what we've heard
Against what we know to be right,
For this is the standard we have in God's Word,
Exposing all things to its light.

We know there's a way which can seem right to man,
Yet death, after all, is its end,
For Christ came to save us; there's no other plan
That heaven will ever extend.

O Lord, we give thanks for the way of salvation
That's proven, since Christ Jesus came
To save helpless sinners approaching damnation
Who find refuge now in His name!

Terminated Tower

"God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply.... bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.... And the whole earth was one speech.... And they said, Go to, let us build a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.... And the LORD said.... Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language.... So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth" (Genesis 9:1,7, 11:1-8).

God gave a very plain command
To Noah's children giving birth.
It wasn't hard to understand:
"Be fruitful," filling all the earth.

But his descendants thought instead
That they would rather build a tower,
Thus contradicting what God said,
Unmindful of His sovereign power.

Their purpose set aside God's grace,
As they united then to build
A tower and a dwelling place
In conflict with what God had willed.

God brought their plans to a conclusion,
And they were scattered all abroad.
Through languages He brought confusion
To those who tried to withstand God.

O Lord, how gently then You brought
That tower to its termination,
That rebel sinners might be taught
To turn and find in You salvation!

So teach us, Lord, to know Your will
And do (the first time) what You say,
That we may joyfully fulfill
Your plan for us as we obey.

Deceiver's Delusion

"Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But Thou, O Lord art a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of mine head" (Psalm 3:2,3). "The thoughts of the righteous are right.... the way of a fool is right in his own eyes" (Proverbs 12:5,15). "God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: the they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:11).

How many there are who will foolishly say:
There's no help from God for the soul.
Yes, that is the thinking around us today,
Enforced by Satanic control.

Praise God who has shined in the darkness His light
To show us His truth and His love,
That we might perceive what is holy and right
And set our affections above!

The way of a fool may seem right in his eyes,
Though still he is lost in confusion,
For though he professes himself to be wise,
He chooses to trust a delusion.

O Lord, we give thanks that You caused us to see
The blessings in You that we find
And in You the refuge where sinners might flee
Where You will give sight to the blind.

Lord, grant us the privilege to show others too
The wonderful treasure received
Of righteousness freely imparted by You
To all who in Christ have believed.

Settled on the Son

"The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against His Anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall... have them in derision. Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath... Yet have I set My King on My holy hill of Zion.... Be wise now therefore.... Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him" (Psalm 2:2-12).

There's only one important vote
When all is said and done.
The Lord has spoken, and we note:
He's settled on the Son.

The kings of earth make their decision
Against the Father's voice.
The Lord shall have them in derision;
They shall lament their choice.

The kings of earth may cast away
The Gospel and its cords.
How foolishly they go astray
From grace that God affords!

Be wise, therefore, the Spirit warns,
While yet there is a path
To turn from foolishness that scorns
God's coming day of wrath!

Though many choose to still despise
The warning of God's Spirit,
The Gospel yet will make them wise,
If they will humbly hear it.

We kiss the Son once sacrificed,
And preach Him unashamed!
We lift Your name, Lord Jesus Christ,
Above all others named!

Difference of the Dove

"Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: and he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him... but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark" (Genesis 8:6-9). "For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish" (Psalm 1:6). "Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death" (Proverbs 10:2).

From Noah's ark was sent a raven,
Which went forth as a scavenger.
The dove was sent, but found no haven:
Those waters held no rest for her.

The dove, by nature, turned again
To find her rest inside the ark.
We clearly see the contrast then
Of natures in those birds was stark.

The raven in that scene of wrath
With death was then content to roam.
The dove, by nature, chose the path
Where life was at to make her home.

The portrait seen within the dove
Reflects the nature of the saved,
Who long to be with Christ above
In Whom they find the rest they craved.

But in the raven, so inclined,
The nature of the lost we see,
Depicting thus a state of mind
Indifferent to eternity.

O Lord, we thank You for salvation
That changed our destiny and ways,
That rescued us from condemnation,
And gave to us a heart of praise!

Allegory of the Ark

"In the selfsame day entered Noah... and they that went in... as God had commanded him: and the Lord shut him in.... and the waters increased, and bare up this ark, and it was lift up above the earth" (Genesis 7:13-17). "Wisdom hath builded her house.... She crieth upon the highest places of the city, Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither.... Forsake the foolish, and live" (Proverbs 9:1-6). "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven... and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17).

Our God arranges history
In patterns that unfold
His allegories that we see
Of future things foretold.

We see that this surely plain
In Noah's ark that rose
Above the earth by flood and rain
Escaping judgment's woes.

There is a day not far ahead
When Christ will come again
With those he raises from the dead,
And we shall be changed then.

And in the twinkling of an eye
We'll meet them in the air,
As once the ark was lifted high
With all His chosen there.

O Lord, by faith we see that day
Is surely drawing near
When You shall catch Your own away
And lift us far from here.

Until that day of expectation
With judgment clouds so dark,
We would extend Your invitation
In Christ, as in the ark!

Nearness of Noah

"Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.... and Noah walked with God.... Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he" (Genesis 6:8,9,22). "Now therefore hearken unto Me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep My ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.... For whoso findeth Me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD. But he that sinneth against Me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate Me love death" (Proverbs 8:32-36).

The nearness of Noah, the Scriptures record,
Protected his children and moved him with fear.
For Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord,
Obeying instruction as judgment drew near.

The nearness of Noah was seen as he walked,
Who found his contentment in doing God's pleasure.
The Word of the Lord could be heard as he talked,
In preaching the Gospel and showing its treasure.

The nearness of Noah amid all the strife
Provided a refuge for him and his seven:
His three sons, their wives, and also his wife
Were blest in the favor extended from heaven.

O Lord, we give thanks for Your gracious instruction
Preserved in the record of Noah we trace!
We live in a world that faces destruction:
Yet by his example we also find grace!

Lamech's Lament

"And Lamech... begat a son: and he called his name Noah (lit. Rest).... And Lamech lived AFTER HE BEGAT NOAH five hundred ninety and five years, and BEGAT SONS AND DAUGHTERS... and he died" (Genesis 5:28-31). "Both young men and maidens, old men and children: let them praise the name of the LORD" (Psalm 148:12,13). "We exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, that ye would walk worthy of God" (1 Thessalonians 2:11,12).

We read of Lamech's firstborn boy:
His name was Noah, meaning "Rest",
And in that son was cause for joy:
He walked with God, and so was blest.

But Lamech lived for many years,
And sons and daughters yet were born.
The life they chose would cause him tears,
Unless they turned away from scorn.

For Noah's sisters and his brothers
All had their opportunity,
But Noah's seven (and no others)
Were in the ark, where they could flee.

O fathers, teach your children well:
Exhort them daily while you may
To find their Hiding Place from hell
In Christ who bids them come today!

We ponder, Lord, the lamentation
And cause for fear that Lamech knew
For children turned from Your salvation
And from the truth that's found in You.

Lord, thank You for Your faithful love
That longs to spare us from lament,
That brought our Savior from above,
And bids each sinner to repent.

So teach us, Lord, to speak the truth
With love to all who yet will hear
In later years or tender youth,
That we may make Your Gospel clear.

Place of His Pleasure

"Adam knew his wife again, and she bare a son, and called his name Seth (lit. Appointed), for God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos (lit. Mortal Frailty): then began men to call upon the name of the LORD" (Genesis 4:25,26). The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy" (Psalm 147:11). "We give thanks... remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 1:2,3).

The many advances ascribed to Cain's line
In Genesis Four are conveyed
In cattle, in music, and metal design,
With all of man's genius displayed.

Yet all these devices that man would applaud,
Increasing their worldly treasure,
Were not then commended in Scripture by God
As those in which He would take pleasure.

The eyes of the Lord still behold from above
The place of His pleasure and favor:
The work of our faith with our labor of love
And patience of hope in our Savior.

O Lord, we have heard where Your pleasure is found!
The words of Your Gospel proclaim:
Where sin once abounded, more grace will abound
In all who will call on Your name!

Savior vs. Serpent

"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?.... And the LORD God said unto the serpent.... I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:1-15). "Happy is he... whose hope is in the LORD his God... which keepeth truth forever" (Psalm 146:5,6).

The subtle serpent in the garden
Had done his very worst
By prompting hearts to doubt, then harden,
And then at last be cursed.

And "hath God said?" we hear him say;
His wiles are the same
As in the past, and so today
Deception is his aim.

But God has claimed the victory!
We rest in what God said:
He promised to send enmity
To bruise the serpent's head!

Rejoice! Our Lord has come to earth
Through Christ, the woman's Seed!
Our Savior came by virgin birth
And did as God decreed!

And has God said? Indeed He did!
He keeps His truth forever!
In Christ our Savior we are hid,
And none from Him can sever!

We thank You, Lord, for what You've done
To fight for us and win
By bruising Satan through Your Son,
Who rescued us from sin.

We thank You, Lord, as we recall
That Christ was bruised as well,
To thereby lift us from our fall
And ransom us from hell.

Musing on Man

"LORD, what is man, that Thou takest knowledge of him? Or the son of man that Thou makest account of him? Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away" (Psalm 144:3,4). "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.... And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul" (Genesis 1:26, 2:7). "Your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3).

"What is man?" the psalmist asked.
By what means can we find this out?
Many surveys may be tasked,
Yet these will lead to greater doubt!

"Man is like to vanity,"
From the vantage point of time,
Yet when viewed eternally,
God esteems his worth sublime.

Man became a living soul,
When God imparted His own breath,
Made like Him, and capable
Of choosing between life and death.

Man was worth the mortal strife
That brought the Savior to this earth,
In order that we might choose life,
Escaping death by second birth!

By musing then on what God did
In laying down His life for us,
We find our worth, and we are hid
In Christ in whom we place our trust.

We thank You, Lord, for answering
That wondrous question "What is man?"
When You became our Offering
Accomplishing redemption's plan!

Finding His Fullness

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.... The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens" (Proverbs 3:13-19). "[In] Christ... are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.... In Him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:2-9).

How happy, when wisdom and knowledge are found,
Are those who discover their worth!
The Lord, in whom wisdom and knowledge abound,
By these made the heaven and earth!

How happy are they, and how great are their pleasures,
Who find in Christ Jesus our Lord
The fullness of God and the infinite treasures
His wisdom and knowledge afford!

How happy are we, precious Lord, by Your favor,
Since You have extended to us
The fullness of God in Christ Jesus our Savior,
In whom we're delighted to trust!

Elevated beyond Expectation

"When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path.... I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto Thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living" (Psalm 142:3-5). "Giving thanks to the Father... who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son" (Colossians 1:12,13).

Recalling my outlook so dim
When pondering God on my path,
I cried out for mercy from Him,
Just hoping to hide from His wrath.

I did not expect Him to hear,
For why should He care about me?
The sorrows of death drawing near
Were all I could fearfully see.

Imagine how great my surprise,
So far above all expectation!
The Lord God then opened my eyes
And rescued me by His salvation!

He lifted me up to His realm
To dwell in His kingdom above!
No longer by fear overwhelmed,
I'm now overcome by His love!

O Father, we give You our thanks
For grace You bestowed by Your Son!
We join with the heavenly ranks
To praise Him for what He has done!

Themes for our Thoughts

"Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name" (Malachi 3:16). "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true... honest... just... pure... lovely... of good report... virtue...praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).

Think upon our Savior's name;
Ponder well His reputation.
Think of how and why He came
To accomplish our salvation.

How this purifies the mind,
As silver purified from dross
As our thoughts are so inclined
To dwell on Christ and on His cross!

Whatsoever things are true,
What things are honest, just, and pure,
Clearly have our Lord in view,
Whose love forever shall endure.

Thank You for this good report
Of virtue, Lord, and praise supreme,
Where our thoughts with joy resort
To Christ, our most delightful Theme!

Apprehending His Approval

"I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14).

There's one thing that I surely need,
And this is what my Lord intended:
That I may apprehend indeed
The purpose I was apprehended.

Forgetting things that are behind
To reach for things before me still,
I'm pressing on that I may find
The center of my Savior's will.

The finish is not far ahead,
So this is where I'll fix my eyes:
To go where Jesus Christ has led
With His approval as my prize.

Lord, thank You for simplicity
That calls me now to do one thing:
To reach for the priority
Of pleasing You, my God and King.

Wonderful to Wake

"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.... I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.... How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me.... when I awake, I am still with Thee" (Psalm 139:6-18). "Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him" (Proverbs 30:5).

How wonderful it is to wake
And know the truth is still secure,
Assured that there is no mistake,
For every word of God is pure!

How wonderful it is indeed,
That it has pleased the Lord to show
The way that He has met our need
In things too high for us to know!

How wonderful it is each day
To wake to read our Savior's Word,
To hear and heed what He will say,
And by His precious thoughts be stirred!

How wonderful it is to find
That when we wake our Lord is there
To give His counsel to our mind
And bid us cast on Him our care!

O Lord, Your precious thoughts to us
Are more that we can comprehend,
Yet by them we have learned to trust
Your wondrous love that has no end!

Faithful to Finish

"The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O LORD, endureth forever: forsake not the works of Thine own hands" (Psalm 138:8). "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).

The mercy of God shall endure,
Perfecting His work in our hearts.
Of this we may always be sure:
He'll finish the work that He starts.

We know He will never forsake
The work of His very own hands.
The Lord never makes a mistake;
Our needs He alone understands.

Lord, thank You for what You've begun,
Performing in us everyday
Your good work persistently done
Until You shall call us away.

What are these Wounds?

"They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced.... And one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends. Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the Man that is My fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones" (Zechariah 12:10, 13:6,7).

What are these wounds which appear
Beheld in our Savior and Lord?
Why was He pierced with a spear,
And who raised against Him the sword?

What are these wounds in His hands
Received in the house of His friends?
Why does the sword hear commands
From God with the judgment He sends?

What is the answer we've heard
Declaring the truth of the matter?
God gives His unerring Word
To those whom His own hand would scatter.

Those God has scattered He draws
Assembling His own now to see
The grace He displays on the cross
Where Christ died for you and for me!

Lord, we are surely astounded
And speechless in our adoration
For love in our Savior unbounded,
Afflicted to bring us salvation!

Keep us, O Lord, through this vision
Of wounds still unveiled above,
Drawing us closer to listen
To hear as You speak of Your love.

Tomorrow's Time

"Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth" (Proverbs 27:1). "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ will give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:14-16).

We boast not ourselves of tomorrow,
For we cannot know what it brings,
Nor are we permitted to borrow,
While it is today, of its things.

Today holds the time we call now,
And now is the time to awaken!
The grace that our Lord will endow
Is forfeited if it's not taken.

O Lord, while it's yet called today,
And days are infected with crime,
We'd walk, not as fools who delay,
But wisely, redeeming the time.

Lord, teach us to number our days
And treasure each moment we live,
That we may reveal Your praise
And shine with the light that You give.

Measure of Messiah

"Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ" (Ephesians 4:7-32). "And their soul also abhorred Me.... So the poor of the flock that waited upon Me knew that it was the Word of the LORD.... So they weighed for My price thirty pieces of silver.... a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD" (Zechariah 11:8-13).

Salvation in its fullest measure
Was given through God's Son,
And with Him, grace, His precious treasure,
Enough for everyone!

This grace that God so richly gave
Was by the world priced
At just the value of a slave,
Despising Jesus Christ.

Those thirty silver pieces paid
To Judas in conclusion,
For which our Savior was betrayed,
Displayed such great confusion!

And should we also be confused,
As many in the earth,
Esteeming Christ, whom they abused,
To be of little worth?

O Lord, we have not comprehended
How infinitely then
Your holiness was thus offended
When mocked by sinful men.

Nor can we fully now esteem
The value of the cross
That heaven weighed to thus redeem
Our souls from endless loss.

But through the mercy You afford
And by Your passion driven,
We'd live to glorify You, Lord,
With grace that You have given.

Revering His Rule

"Put not forth thyself in the presence of the King.... He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls" (Proverbs 25:6,28). "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love... might be filled with all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:14-19).

How kind is God's Spirit who calls,
That we might be ruled by His pity,
Who strengthens our hearts as with walls
Surrounding a fortified city.

The glorious presence He brings,
Along with the strength He imparts,
Is Christ, who is King of all kings,
Who deigns now to reign in our hearts.

But why would God seek now to rule
In thrones so unlike His above,
In hearts still inclined, like the mule,
To slowly respond to His love?

How hesitantly we surrender
The place He deserves as our Lord!
Yet still He's our loving Defender,
And by Him our souls are restored.

Lord, come with Your fullness of grace,
And rule in the spirits You own.
Now take in our hearts the first place,
Which we now revere as Your throne.

Peace in the Person

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1). "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation.... How great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty!" (Zechariah 9:9,17). "For He is our Peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us" (Ephesians 2:14).

How good and pleasant is the sight
Of unity which will exist
For brethren as they take delight
In Jesus Christ within their midst!

The world surely cannot give
The peace that Christ alone imparts.
Our Savior died that we might live,
And love for Him unites our hearts.

Behold our King who brought salvation:
His goodness is revealed thus!
His beauty fills our meditation
As we recall His love for us.

There was a time when we were all
United by our lost condition,
But Christ broke down the middle wall
Of sin, removing its partition.

O Lord, Your love for us constrains
And unifies our hearts together
Because You are the King who reigns
In hearts that You redeemed forever!

Desired Dwelling

"For the LORD hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is My rest forever: here will I dwell, for I have desired it" (Psalm 132:13,14). "He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4).

The Lord has chosen Zion's land,
For this is where He longs to dwell.
No foes on earth shall stay His hand,
Though they align themselves with hell.

The Lord has also chosen all
Whom He foreknew would trust in Christ.
Before creation and the fall,
He saw our Savior sacrificed.

O Lord, we marvel at Your choice
Which made us objects of Your love!
How great our cause is to rejoice
And set our hope on things above!

Lord, even from the earth's foundation,
You chose us as Your rest forever!
We thank You for so great salvation
Which You bestowed, and none can sever!

Sowing Something

"He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity" (Proverbs 22:8). "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Galatians 6:7,8).

We're sowing something everyday,
And we shall reap what we have sown.
The deeds we do, the words we say,
And every motive shall be shown.

If with iniquity one sows,
He'll reap in vanity and strife.
If we are humble, God bestows
A harvest in eternal life.

Then let us choose humility
And fear the Lord that He may keep
And guard our souls from vanity,
That we in righteousness may reap.

Lord, help us take this moment now
With every minute that we live
That You may show us daily how
To reap the blessings You would give.

Brought by the Branch

"With the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption" (Psalm 130:7). "I will bring forth My Servant The BRANCH.... saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.... Behold the Man whose name is The BRANCH, and He shall grow up out of His place.... and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne, and He shall be a Priest upon His throne" (Zechariah 3:8,9, 6:12,13).

Behold God's Servant! Praise His name!
The BRANCH removed iniquity
When on the cross He bore our shame
To save our souls eternally!

Behold that Man in Bethlehem,
The BRANCH who grew up from His place!
For He shall wear the diadem
As Priest and King of saving grace!

O Lord, we thank You for the BRANCH,
Who came to earth bring redemption
For souls who wouldn't have chance,
Condemned by Law without exemption!

We praise Your name, Lord Jesus Christ,
For peace which You alone could bring!
The BRANCH who paid redemption's price
Shall bear the glory as our King!

Inheritance of Integrity

"The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him" (Proverbs 20:7). "When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law" (Galatians 4:4,5).

There is a great inheritance
Which children may receive
When we support with evidence
The things that we believe.

It's not enough to just insist
Our children should agree
With our opinions that exist
Without integrity.

We do not serve our children well
If they have not been seasoned
To face this world in which they dwell
With words that are well reasoned.

How obvious the reasons are
Which validate the truth!
We do not need to travel far
To show them to our youth.

In all creation we can see
What HAD to be designed.
Our children just need honesty
To satisfy their mind.

The Scripture also clearly shows
By prophecies of old
That God, who authored them, foreknows
The future He foretold.

The height of prophecy fulfilled
Was when God sent His Son,
Foretelling that He would be killed,
Redeeming souls He won.

Integrity! That's all we need
To guide our children right
And show them they are rich indeed
If they will walk in light.

O Lord, we thank You that You gave
Inheritance that's true
With all of those whom You will save
When they have trusted You.

Minuscule Mountain

"The counsel of the LORD, that shall stand" (Proverbs 19:21). "This is the Word of the LORD... saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. Who art thou, O great mountain?... Thou shalt become a plain: and he [the temple finisher] shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.... For who hath despised the day of small things?" (Zechariah 4:6-10). "Are ye so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3).

A problem now may seem to tower,
As does a mountain when we're near it.
But God says neither might nor power
Can overcome His Holy Spirit!

The counsel of the Lord shall stand:
No mountain ever shall diminish
His work in us which He began
Which by His Spirit He will finish.

O mountain, you are minuscule,
Compared to God's almighty reign!
For He shall overthrow your rule,
And you shall then become a plain.

And who will yet despise the day
Of things that now appear so small?
A Seed, the Christ, once looked that way,
Yet now extends His grace to all!

Lord, thank You for Your saving grace,
Your Spirit, and Your Word so true.
Though there are mountains yet to face,
They're minuscule compared to You!

As Arrows

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate" (Psalm 127:4,5). "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21).

The children God has given us,
The fruit of His reward,
Should very early learn to trust
In Jesus Christ our Lord.

Happy is the man who brings
His children in their youth
To rest beneath the Savior's wings
And rise up in His truth.

As arrows of a mighty man
With true and strengthened aim,
They find the center of God's plan
To glorify His name.

As arrows on the battlefield
Where Christ shall lead the way,
Their faith in God shall be their shield
And teach them what to say.

As arrows, children have a charge
And promise to prevail:
The enemy is still at large,
But Christ shall never fail!

O Lord, as arrows born to be released,
Our children find their place
As soldiers in Your ranks increased
By Your prevailing grace.

Lord, teach us how to aim them straight
(And let them go as well!),
To preach the Gospel in the gate
That rescues souls from hell.

Perverting the Precious

"He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing PRECIOUS seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him" (Psalm 126:6). "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another, but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:6-8).

Beware of what is preached today:
It may not help, but rather hurt!
If preachers from the Gospel stray,
Their words, like poison, will pervert!

We sow the precious Gospel seed
And dare not from its truth depart,
Declaring all that sinners need
Is Jesus Christ within their heart.

It matters not how smooth the speech
If Gospel truths are not rehearsed;
If we, or even angels, preach
Another gospel: it is cursed!

O Lord, we thank You for the Word
That settles us in saving grace!
Preserve in us the truth we've heard
That nothing false may take its place.

Lord, grant that we may never swerve
From precious words You said are true,
Which You have promised to preserve
That we may place our trust in You.

Turning, Trusting, Testing

"They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but adideth forever" (Psalm 125:1). "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil" (Proverbs 16:6). "Turn ye unto Me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you" (Zechariah 1:3). "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves" (2 Corinthians 13:5).

The Lord has called us each to turn
And trust Him for His saving grace.
The moment that we do, we learn:
A miracle has taken place!

Emotions surely come and go,
But after these evaporate,
A change in character should show
That transforms what we love and hate.

Our faith and fear in God are twins
That dwell united in our hearts:
Yes, grace by faith has purged our sins,
Yet godly fear from sin departs.

O Lord, in this examination
In which You call us to partake,
We find the proofs of our salvation
Are like a mountain none can shake.

Yet in these proofs we find, O Lord,
A longing to be more like You.
This is the mark we'll press toward;
This is the calling we'll pursue!