People are Perishing

"Know ye that the LORD, He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves" (Psalm 100:3). "Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction" (Proverbs 31:8). "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). "Be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me" (Acts 27:25).

People now perish for lack of the truth:
Destruction awaits those refusing God's knowledge.
Godless instruction is taught to our youth
In primary classrooms as well as in college.

How can they come to the foolish conclusion
That we made ourselves by blind circumstance?
Open your mouth to expose this confusion:
It's God who has made us, not purposeless chance!

We thank you, O Lord, for the knowledge You gave
By sending Your prophets to clearly foretell
The coming of Christ and His power to save
The souls who will trust Him to save them from hell!

Precision of Prophecy

"Every word of God is pure" (Proverbs 30:5). "The children of Israel shall abide many days without a king... afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God... in the latter days" (Hosea 3:4,5). "I continue... saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people" (Acts 26:22,23).

The Lord has spoken, we are sure,
As evident in prophecy,
For every word of God is pure,
As proven by all history.

Hosea said that Israel,
Without a king for many days,
Would afterward return to tell
The glory of their Savior's praise.

As Paul declared before the king,
He only preached what prophets said:
That Christ would come for suffering
And be the Firstborn from the dead.

Lord, thank You for the great precision
That prophecy has clearly shown
To show us light by Your provision,
And thereby make Your Gospel known!

Transforming Trust

"Whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:25). "I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD.... and I will say to them which were not My people, Thou art My people; and they shall say, Thou art my God" (Hosea 2:19-23).

The Lord is our Refuge where safety is found;
We trust Him alone for salvation.
In Him lovingkindness and mercies abound,
Unfolded in our transformation.

For once we were lost, in unrighteousness clothed,
And unfit for heaven above,
But now we are saved and to Christ are betrothed,
Transformed by His marvelous love!

Alas! We were strangers, so sinfully flawed,
Before the Lord made Himself known,
But now we're His people, and He is our God,
Transformed by His mercy alone!

O Lord, we give thanks for the work of Your hand
That made us new creatures in Christ!
By grace You transformed us, by grace we now stand,
And Your grace alone has sufficed!

Clear Conscience

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Happy is the man that feareth [the Lord] always, but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief" (Proverbs 28:13,14). "And herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men" (Acts 24:16).

There is a choice that we must make
To clear ourselves toward God and men:
Our sins confessed we must forsake,
And we shall have God's mercy then.

If this will be our exercise,
The Lord will give us confidence
With holy fear that sanctifies
And clears our conscience of offense.

Lord, thank You for the path You've shown
That leads to mercy guaranteed,
That calls us boldly to Your throne,
And grants the cleansing that we need.

Sheep Should Shine

"O come... let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the sheep of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation.... they have not known My ways... they should not enter into My rest" (Psalm 95:6-11). "Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds" (Proverbs 27:23). "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.... Go thy way, Daniel.... for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days" (Daniel 12:3-12).

O come, let us kneel before Christ the Lord,
Yet look to ourselves as we do.
The Gospel divides all the earth with a sword,
Discerning the false and the true.

If He is our God and our Shepherd as well,
And we are the sheep He has blessed,
Then there should be features by which we can tell
That we have thus entered His rest.

For they who are wise will not harden their heart,
But shine as the stars in the skies.
Be diligent now in discerning your part
Regarding the flock God supplies.

O Lord, give us wisdom to rightly discern
The need of the sheep of Your hand
To shine with a brightness that many may turn
And enter the rest You have planned.

Atheism's Absurdity

"He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall He not correct? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall He not know? The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity" (Psalm 94:9-11). "The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth the transgressors" (Proverbs 26:10). "The great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter.... And now will I show thee the truth" (Daniel 2:45, 11:2).

How great is the faith than an atheist needs
In order to make his defense!
He blindly must hold his ridiculous creeds,
Though countered by God's evidence!

Without a Designer, who planted the ear?
And who formed the eye that can see?
Now who was the Architect and Engineer
Who brought all of these things to be?

The atheist's answer should surely give pause,
By what he declares has occurred!
To say that blind chance is the ultimate cause
Should plainly be judged as absurd!

And how can it be that we teach this in schools?
Should not we be rightly appalled?
Is not this the unfounded doctrine of fools
Called science, yet falsely so called?

The great God who formed us has made Himself known
By all that He wisely created
And also by what He's prophetically shown
Fulfilling His prophecies stated.

O Lord, help us break through this darkness today
By showing the evidence plain
That points to Your power and truth on display
And proves unbelief is insane.

Loud Waves v. Lord's Will

"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 when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered... I am ready... to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done" (Acts 21:12-14).

The will of the Lord should be done,
No matter what others may say!
All other persuasions now shun
That do not conform to His way.

The floods of the sea lift their voice
And crash with the sound of their waves.
We should not be moved by their noise:
The will of the Lord alone saves.

So whether the waves crash within
With thoughts that would rob us of peace,
Or troubles around us begin,
The will of the Lord should not cease.

O Lord, we would never be shaken
From all You would have us fulfill!
With waves of distraction forsaken,
Uphold us by grace in Your will.

Messianic Math

"O LORD, how great are thy works! And Thy thoughts are very deep." (Psalm 92:5). "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Prince shall be seven weeks (lit. "seven sevens", i.e., 49), and threescore and two weeks (lit. "62 sevens" = 434).... And after threescore and two weeks (i.e., 49 + 434 = 483, referring to years) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself" (Daniel 9:25,26).

O Lord, Your thoughts are very deep,
And yet You bid us understand
The prophecies that You would keep
Through our Messiah's mercy planned!

In Daniel's prophecy of weeks
(As history thus confirms the math),
There's proof for everyone who seeks
Your mercy that will save from wrath.

For our Messiah surely came
EXACTLY when You said He would
To take away our sin and shame
Because He knew we never could.

O Lord, You certainly have proved
Your Word of truth in prophecy,
And thereby You have thus removed
Excuses from humanity!

We thank You for the proof You gave
That fills us, Lord, with confidence
In Christ who ever lives to save,
Equipping us with evidence!

Haven of our Heart

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.... Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name" (Psalm 91:1,14). "My son, give Me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe My ways" (Proverbs 23:26).

There is a haven for the heart
From every danger we may dread
Where those who love the Lord take part
Beneath His shadow overspread.

There is no other place to go,
Though we may seek another place,
For God, alone, we surely know,
Can shelter us with truth and grace.

We hear His voice of tender love
That calls us to complete surrender;
He draws us to His throne above
To show us He is our Defender.

O Lord, what words can now convey
The love we rightly owe to You?
Receive the fumbling words we pray,
So child-like and yet so true!

Delightful Duty

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.... Let Thy work appear unto thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish the work of our hands upon us" (Psalm 90:12,16,17). "Train up a child in the way he should go.... Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth?" (Proverbs 22:6,20).

We train our children in the ways
Of God and His eternal beauty,
So they may serve Him all their days
With all their heart's delightful duty.

Now this is not a time for slumber
As precious days are slipping by,
But rather, it is time to number
And use the time we may apply!

Has not our Lord, the King of kings,
Provided in His written Truth
The certainty of future things
To answer and equip our youth?

Delightful duty! What a task!
Lord, teach us how train them well
And answer them when they shall ask
Of Christ who rescues us from hell!

Daniel's Defense

"The LORD is our Defense" (Psalm 89:18). "Safety is of the LORD" (Proverbs 21:31). "The king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel... Is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live forever. My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me" (Daniel 6:19-22).

In every trying situation
We know the Lord is our Defense.
He is our Safety and Salvation:
To trust in Him is just good sense!

Examples in God's Word abound,
And these are written for our good,
To find the faith that others found
And likewise trust Him as we should.

Consider Daniel in the den
Where lions could not do him harm,
For God had sent His angel then,
Extending His protective arm.

Is Daniel's God the God you serve?
Then You shall have his Refuge too,
For those who trust Him He'll preserve
And day by day their strength renew.

O Lord, we find in every season
That trusting You is always smart!
As Daniel trusted with good reason,
So may we too with all our heart!

Weighed, Wanting, and Winning

"Who can say, I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin?.... Diverse weights are an abomination unto the Lord, and a false balance is not good... The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts" (Proverbs 20:9,23,27). "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting" (Daniel 5:27). "Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:30,31).

Many may say, "I am pure from my sin,"
Because they have cloaked the unseen,
But God searches all of our motives within,
Declaring that no one is clean.

Indeed, as Belshazzar, we all have been weighed
And wanting on God's perfect scales,
As all of our most inward sins are displayed
And all of our righteousness fails.

So what must we do to be saved from our failure,
Seeing none of our works have sufficed?
The answer they gave the Philippian jailor
Was "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ."

We thank You, O Lord, for the glorious salvation
That You, as our Champion, won!
The weight of Your glory removes condemnation
For all who believe on God's Son!

Born out of Babylon

"Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God (Selah). I will make mention of... Babylon... this man was born there. And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the Highest Himself shall establish her. The Lord shall count, when He writeth up the people, that this man was born there" (Psalm 87:3-6). "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment: and those that walk in pride He is able to abase" (Daniel 4:37).

The glorious names of ransomed men
Are written down in Zion's roll:
The record of those born again
Declares the grace that saved their soul!

The psalmist mentions Babylon,
A place unlikely, so depraved;
Yet even there the light would dawn
Upon its ruler, whom God saved!

We see this portrait of God's grace:
Nebuchadnezzar, once so proud,
Whom God was able to abase,
In Zion's roll book thus allowed!

How glorious is God's saving love!
No matter where they're born on earth,
The Lord has written up above
The names of all who have new birth!

O Lord, we thank You for salvation
That takes us from the pit of hell
To heaven with those from each nation,
Whose names are written there as well!

Faith in the Fire

"In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee: for Thou wilt answer me.... Thou art God alone.... unite my heart to fear Thy name" (Psalm 86:7-11). "And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Daniel 3:15-18).

Our days of trouble come to show
That we must trust in God alone,
For then there is no place to go
But on our knees and to His throne.

When troubles are most keenly felt,
We call on God with all our might,
And thus our other fears will melt,
As trust and fear in God unite.

The fiery furnace surely proved
That our God reigns; there is none higher!
The king of Babylon was moved
By God's protection in that fire!

Unite our hearts to fear Your name,
And thus increase our faith, O Lord,
With testimonies that proclaim
That You alone should be adored!

Hearing Heaven

"I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people.... Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear Him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:8-10). "There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets" (Daniel 2:28). "Men and brethren... to you is the word of this salvation sent" (Acts 13:26).

Let us hear what God will speak;
Let every other voice now cease!
No one else that we may seek
Could ever grant us heaven's peace.

God has brought salvation near
To all who fear Him and repent.
Heaven speaks to those who hear:
To you His saving word is sent!

Mercy and His truth have met;
His righteousness and peace have kissed.
Heaven speaks! Do not forget:
In Christ these terms of peace exist!

Lord, we thank You that You've spoken
To Adam's sinful, fallen race
To heal hearts that have been broken
And to extend Your saving grace!

Purposely Protected

"The LORD God is a Sun and a Shield... no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). "When a man's ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7). "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.... Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs" (Daniel 1:8,9).

There is a principle we see
That demonstrates our Savior's power
And manifests His sovereignty
In every circumstance and hour.

When we have purposed in our life
In all our ways the Lord to please,
The Lord will guard us in the strife
Against our strongest enemies.

Our God extends His loving favor
As Lord of lords and King of kings
To all who live to please the Savior,
Who shelters us beneath His wings.

As Daniel purposed in his heart
That he to sin would never yield
Nor in defilement take part,
He found that God became His Shield.

O Lord, our times are in Your hand;
We need Your power everyday.
By Your protective love we stand,
As we have purposed to obey.

Standing With or Still Withstanding?

"Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying.... As I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.... Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God?" (Acts 11:4-17).

Our God is calling us to stand
And preach the Gospel without fail.
If we are heeding His command,
We'll stand with Him, and shall prevail.

And who are we to withstand God?
Should not we rather do His pleasure,
Than seek for friends who will applaud
Success by this world's faulty measure?

O Lord, we are Your servants here
To hear and heed what You will say,
To stand with You in godly fear,
To follow You, to watch and pray.

The options that we see are plain:
We're with You or against You still.
The second option is insane!
So teach us, Lord, to do Your will.

National Necessity

"In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.... Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:26,27,34). "Then Peter opened His mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation, he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him" (Acts 10:34,35).

The national necessity
That guarantees from God success
Requires true humility,
The fear of God, and righteousness.

It isn't the economy
As many politicians say;
We rather need the bended knee
And humble heart of those who pray!

Lord Jesus Christ, our confidence
And place of refuge is in You.
You are our nation's strong Defense;
No other name on earth will do!

Vessels for His Voice

"And the Lord said... Saul of Tarsus.... is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:11-16).

The Lord has vessels for His voice
To bear His name and show His grace,
And He knows why He makes His choice
In every circumstance and place.

So Saul of Tarsus was the one
That God selected and became
A messenger for God the Son
And vessel of His righteousness.

The eyes of God still deeply search
The hearts of those whom He will choose
To be His voice, to build His church,
And be the vessel He would use.

O Lord, we thank You for the love
Allowing us to bear Your name,
Though countless angels up above
Could so much better do the same!

Lord, mold in us a faithful heart
To be what we were meant to be:
Your chosen vessels to impart
The Gospel that has made us free.

Joy Created in Jesus Christ

“Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil, but to the counselors of peace is joy” (Proverbs 12:20). “Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake.... and there was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:5-8).

The truest joy is found in Christ;
It springs eternal from within.
It calls us from this world enticed
By passing pleasures found in sin.

We preach the Gospel of His peace,
A peace that’s found in Christ alone.
He paid the price for our release;
We’re called to make His mercy known.

Like Philip, we are counselors
Who preach wherever God will lead,
Commissioned as ambassadors
And laborers with precious seed.

O Lord, we thank You for the joy
That flows in us and those we reach
And for the message we employ
Within the Gospel that we preach!

Glances at Glory

"Afterward He brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: and behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like a noise of many waters, and the earth shined with His glory…. And I fell upon my face…. And the glory of the LORD came into the house…. And behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house” (Ezekiel 43:1-5). “[Stephen], being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:2,55,56).

The glory of God once appearing to men,
Recorded in Scripture that we may now trace,
Allows us to glance at the sight they saw then,
That filled them with wonder, with worship, and grace.

Ezekiel fell on his face when he saw
The glory of God that approached from the east
Which filled then the temple and struck him with awe,
Beholding the glory of heaven’s High Priest.

Stephen was preaching with firmness and love
That much-needed sermon that none would applaud;
Then looking steadfastly to heaven above,
He saw in Christ Jesus the glory of God.

Lord, we would see Jesus our Lord and behold
The glory of God in His unequaled beauty!
So grant us that vision to make us more bold,
More moved out of worship, more faithful in duty.

Flawed with Flattery

"They returned and inquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer. Nevertheless, they did flatter Him with their mouth, and they lied unto Him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they steadfast in His covenant" (Psalm 78:34-37).

There is no use in seeking God
If we have not prepared our heart.
Our empty flattery is flawed
And doomed to fail from the start.

The Lord can see hypocrisy
Beneath the cloak of words we hear.
Our superficial flattery
He surely knows is insincere.

It's time to truly seek the Lord
And cast hypocrisy away,
That we may thereby be restored
As sheep no longer gone astray!

So help us, Lord, to seek Your face
With a humility that's true,
Now purged of flattery's disgrace,
That we may rightly worship You.

Infirmity vs. Infinity

"Thou holdest mines eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.... And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.... Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God that doest wonders: Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people. Thou hast with Thine arm redeemed Thy people" (Psalm 77:10-15).

We really shouldn't be surprised
If we have been deprived of sleep
By trouble we have analyzed
In our infirmity so deep.

So troubled that we cannot speak,
It's better not to speak at all,
But rather now our Savior seek,
And at His feet in worship fall.

When sitting here at Jesus' feet,
We thus remember His great love
Where heaven's truth and mercy meet
That went before His face above.

Who is so great a God as ours,
Encompassing infinity?
He merely spoke and made the stars
With all we see and cannot see!

What was it now that troubled me?
It seems so small now in this light!
For though I have infirmity
The Lord upholds me with His might.

Lord, thank You for this invitation,
That bids us listen to Your voice,
And thus revived in adoration,
You strengthen us as we rejoice.

Predetermined Praise

"Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee: the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain" (Psalm 76:10). "For of a truth against Thy holy Child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together for to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done" (Acts 4:27,28).

The Lord will surely get His praise,
No matter who would have it halted.
No weapon that His foes can raise
Shall change that He shall be exalted.

What great assurance now this gives,
As we reflect on Jesus Christ!
He came, He died, He rose, He lives,
Who for our souls was sacrificed!

He came as God declared He would,
Though hell opposed Him all the way!
God used the wrath of man for good,
And all the rest He cast away!

The wrath of man is in denial
Of sovereignty that is so plain!
It lasts to praise the Lord awhile,
And all the rest He will restrain.

Lord, thank You that You even used
At Calvary the wrath of man!
Though evil men are yet confused,
We're resting in Your sovereign plan.

Repentance and Refreshing

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19).

The Lord commands us to repent
That He may thereby send His blessing
With His conversion that is sent
To bring the times of His refreshing.

That sins may all be blotted out,
That joy may flow eternally,
That we may not be chained to doubt,
Repentance makes us truly free.

O Lord, we have received Your grace,
Though we deserved Your condemnation.
Our refuge is in Your embrace;
Refreshment is in Your salvation.

Self Saving

"Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler" (Proverbs 6:5). "Now when they heard this, they... said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, What shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent.... for the promise is unto you.... And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation" (Acts 2:38-40).

The question came: What shall we do?
And Peter gave the invitation:
Repent! The promise is to you
To "save yourselves" from condemnation!

To "save yourselves", make no mistake,
Does not imply we somehow earn
The gift of God we freely take,
But rather that to Christ we turn!

To "save yourselves", we know implies
That God expects us to repent,
Though many may think otherwise,
This is the Gospel God has sent.

O Lord, we thank You that You gave
Redemption full in Christ our Savior
And that by faith in Him You save
The souls who thus receive Your favor.

Principles of Prevailing

"But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Thy works" (Psalm 73:28). "But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto Me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

To draw near to our God is good;
In fact, it's mandatory
To serve Him as we know we should
And to declare His glory.

The Holy Spirit lives in all
Who have His second birth
And gives His power with His call
To preach throughout the earth.

The gates of hell at last must fail;
Their tempest shall be stilled.
Against the church they'll not prevail,
Which Christ Himself shall build.

O Lord, we thank You for Your love
And for Your mighty power
Extended to us from above,
Prevailing every hour!

Perfect Path

"Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil" (Proverbs 4:25-27). "Then Peter, turning about... saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him... What is that to thee? Follow thou Me" (John 21:20-22).

There is a perfect path to walk,
And there would I remain,
Where God and I together talk,
And where the Lord will reign.

It is the path in front of me
When I obey my Lord.
It is His beauty that I see
To which I press toward.

It's not the path that I will find
If I have turned about
To see how others are inclined,
Which only leads to doubt.

It is the path of God's command
Where I obey His Word,
And thus I'm led to understand
His truth that I have heard.

Lord, thank You for the perfect path
That keeps my eyes on You!
You saved me from eternal wrath;
You'll lead me safely too.

Truer Trust

"Thou art my trust from my youth.... But I will hope continually, and will yet praise Thee more and more.... Thy righteousness, O God, is very high, who has done great things: O God, who is like unto Thee!" (Psalm 71:5-19). "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). "Jesus saith unto her [Mary], Woman, why weepest 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" (John 20:15).

O Lord, I trusted You in youth,
And I would praise You more and more.
As I continue You in Your truth,
I find so much to yet explore!

Then why, Lord, do I still regress,
Instead of trusting as I should?
I lean on me, and on You less,
Though You infinitely good!

It's like that day when Mary wept
Because she didn't realize
The promise Jesus made was kept,
That on the third day He would rise!

Lord, grant me truer trust in You!
There's none like You who can compare,
So loving, mighty, wise, and true,
Upon whom I would cast my care!

Finally Forever Finished

"Behold the Man!.... Behold Your King!.... When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost" (John 19:5,14,30).

Now finally the work is done
That saves me from eternal loss!
I hear the words of God the Son
Say: "It is finished!" on the cross!

I see the Man! I see my King!
I see the Lamb of God who died
To make Himself an Offering
By which I have been justified!

He took the cross, the crown of thorns,
The vinegar for thirst they gave,
The wagging heads, and haughty scorns
From sinners that He came to save!

I thank You for that race, O Lord,
You ran until You crossed the line
To gain for me Your great reward:
The grace that makes salvation mine!

Dreadful Drink

"The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon Me.... Reproach hath broken My heart, and I am full of heaviness.... They gave Me also gall for My meat, and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink" (Psalm 69:9-21). "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth, and said.... The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?" (John 18:4-11).

O dreadful drink, so full of wrath!
How full it was for Christ our Lord,
Who knew what lay upon His path
Awakening God's judgment sword!

Reproach would cause His heart to break,
And heaviness would fill His soul.
That cup of wrath that He would take
For our iniquity was full!

For meat they also gave Him gall,
For drink the gave Him vinegar,
And in return He gave His all
With love that caused Him to endure.

Above all we could ask or think,
You did, Lord, what we couldn't do:
You drained our curse (that dreadful drink!)
To reconcile our souls with You!