Established in the Earth

"Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to Thine ordinances: for all are Thy servants" (Psalm 119:90,91). "Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? Who hath gathered the wind in His fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if thou canst tell?" (Proverbs 30:4). "But the greatest of these is charity" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Who has established the ends of the earth
And gathered the wind in His fists?
Who gave the waters their land-measured girth
With power that not one resists?

Who does creation so grandly proclaim,
Declaring to each generation
His faithfulness seen in His excellent name?
Christ Jesus, the Lord of creation!

Lord, You descended from heaven above
To show us much more than Your might,
But also Your faithful and infinite love
That overcame darkness with light.

Lord, as we see Your creation obey
Each ordinance that You command,
In contrast to all we like sheep gone astray,
We know it's by grace that we stand!

Lord, thank You for lessons in all that we see
Established in all that You made.
And thank You, Lord Jesus, that at Calvary
Your love was so greatly displayed!

Validated Vision

"I am become like a bottle in the smoke, yet do I not forget Thy statutes.... All Thy commandments are faithful" (Psalm 119:83,86). "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he" (Proverbs 29:18). "Is the Spirit of the LORD straitened? Are these His doings? Do not My words do good to him that walketh uprightly?" (Micah 2:7). "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal" (1 Corinthians 12:7).

Deception, like a blinding smoke,
Is everywhere we look.
It questions whether our God spoke,
And casts doubt on His Book.

We should not be at all surprised
That Satan has employed
These subtle strategies devised,
That souls may be destroyed.

How happy is the one who knows,
In spite of all derision,
That God is faithful and bestows
His validated vision.

His Holy Spirit manifests
The truth that God foretold,
And thus our faith securely rests
On evidence we hold.

O Lord, we thank You for the way
You show us what is true,
As we are Spirit-led each day
With vision fixed on You!

Justly Judged

"Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments" (Psalm 119:73). "Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.... He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:5,13). "Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is: and let the Lord GOD be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple" (Micah 1:2). "But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1 Corinthians 11:32).

The Lord who has fashioned our heart understands
Our need for correction from His point of view,
For we have been formed by the work of His hands,
And all of His judgments are righteous and true.

There's many who think they're a law to themselves,
Rejecting the truth that our God is supreme.
They rather would trust in the books on their shelves,
Promoting the lie of their vain self-esteem.

Now hear, all you people, and hearken, O earth!
Let God be the Witness against you today,
For what is the witness of foolish men worth
Who tell you whatever you want them to say?

We thank You, O Lord, for reproof You've provided
That judges us justly that we may repent!
It surely is better by grace to be chided
Than one day condemned with eternal lament!

Anger Answered

"Thou art good, and doest good; teach me Thy statutes" (Psalm 119:66,68). "Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous" (Proverbs 27:4). "Jonah... was very angry. And he prayed unto the LORD.... I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.... Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?" (Jonah 4:1-4). "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth.... that they may be saved" (1 Corinthians 10:24,33).

There's no one better qualified
Than God to teach our hearts.
He sees each soul who turns aside
And from His way departs.

We know that God is merciful
And slow to show His wrath.
He longs to save the sinner's soul
And lead him in His path.

Yet we may think, as Jonah did,
That anger should be shown;
But what if we were not now hid
In Christ from judgment's throne?

The question comes (we know the answer):
In anger, do we well?
We know we don't when pride and anger
Within our hearts will dwell!

The righteous wrath of God will come
Upon this world depraved.
Our purpose now should be that some
By grace may yet be saved.

We thank You, Lord, that You have taught
That anger has no place
Within our hearts that You have bought
Through Your redeeming grace.

Chance to Change

"I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments" (Psalm 119:59,60). "And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the SECOND TIME, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went in to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD" (Jonah 3:1-3).

A second chance to Jonah came;
He hastily obeyed!
We likewise have enjoyed the same
When sometimes we have strayed.

A second chance, a third, and more;
Perhaps we cannot trace
The chances we have missed before
Extended by God's grace.

Then let us therefore gird our mind
To do as God has said,
Forgetting things which are behind
To reach for things ahead!

Lord, thank You for Your patient love
Which gives us yet a chance
To set our hearts on things above,
And in Your will advance.

Forsaking His Favor

"Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake Thy law" (Psalm 119:53). "Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.... Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint" (Proverbs 25:14,15). "They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy" (Jonah 2:8).

It's difficult to ponder long
The horrifying consequence
Of those who choose a way that's wrong,
Forsaking thus the Lord's defense.

The way of life is surely plain:
It is through Jesus Christ alone,
Who took upon Himself our pain
And bore our sorrows as His own.

The way that leads to condemnation,
Like empty clouds that promise rain,
Will disappoint the expectation
Of all who trust in what is vain.

Their time of trouble, though delayed,
Is like a broken foot or tooth:
Their confidence shall be betrayed
Because they would not choose the truth.

O Lord, we see that fearful path,
That many blindly choose to take,
Approaching thus eternal wrath,
And their own mercy thus forsake!

So send us, Lord, into Your field
To tell the lost about the Savior
In whom Your mercy is revealed,
That they may not forsake Your favor!

Sliding into Sleep

"Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth.... I will speak of Thy testimonies before kings, and will not be ashamed" (Psalm 119:43,46). "Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep; so shall thy poverty come" (Proverbs 24:33, 34). "Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship, and he lay, and was fast asleep. So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? Call upon God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not" (Jonah 1:5,6).

Is this a time to fold our hands
And slide into a careless sleep?
Should not we heed our Lord's commands
To sow with tears and thereby reap?

Are we content with poverty
That folded hands will surely bring?
Are we indifferent as we see
Eternal souls are perishing?

Are we like Jonah in the ship
Who by his shipmate was reproved?
Will we in slumber further slip
Until our witness is removed?

O Lord, revive our hearts again
So that we may not be ashamed
To preach the Gospel to all men,
That souls for Christ may thus be claimed!

Preeminent Price

"My son, give Me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe My ways" (Proverbs 23:26). "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:20).

How kindly the Lord has extended His call
To those He has graciously bought with a price!
How great was our ransom: He laid down His all
By giving His life, the supreme sacrifice!

And since the preeminent price has been paid,
We either surrender, or else we defraud
The Lord whose redemption was clearly displayed
When He gave Himself as the great Lamb of God.

O Lord, as we think of Your gracious command
To give You our heart, and consider Your ways,
Recalling, as well, the redemption You planned,
How can withhold what You bought for Your praise?

Purged Life for the Passover Lamb

"Remove from me the way of lying... I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart" (Psalm 119:29, 32). "Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Remove from me untruthful things,
Intruding, Lord, into Your place.
Enlarge my heart, my King of kings,
By purging from me this disgrace.

Now purge my heart, Lord, from its leaven,
For Christ, my true Passover Lamb,
So worthy of all praise in heaven,
And worthy, too, of all I am.

O Lord, since You were sacrificed
To take from me sin's penalty,
Now purge my heart, Lord Jesus Christ,
And thus enlarge Your place in me.

Fearful Famine

"I am a stranger in the earth: hide not Thy commandments from me" (Psalm 119:19). "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: and they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the LORD, and shall not find it" (Amos 8:11,12).

There is a famine in the land,
Yet, sadly, many haven't heard!
They search, but will not understand:
It is the famine of God's Word.

They wander, searching to and fro
From north to east and sea to sea,
And ever learning, never know
The truth that would have set them free.

How fearful is the sinner's dearth
That starves his soul and blinds his eyes!
How temporary is his mirth
Replaced by terror when he dies!

It may be hard to take it in,
Yet it is no less true today
That souls are self-condemned by sin
Who from the Savior turn away.

Lord, in this famine so distressing,
Where ignorance is so widespread,
May we extend the Gospel's blessing
Through Christ who is the Living Bread!

Our Goings are Of God

"Man's goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?" (Proverbs 20:24). "Then answered Amos... I was no prophet.... The LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto My people Israel" (Amos 7:14,15). "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase" (1 Corinthians 3:5-7).

By God alone our way is planned,
And by the Lord we are assigned.
This is the way we understand
Our purpose He would have us find.

The prophet Amos understood
That, though he once had followed herds,
The Lord had called him where He would
To clearly prophesy His words.

Apollos ministered with Paul
As they were each assigned their toil
By God, according to His call
To sow and water in His soil.

O Lord, we look to You today
To show our goings You foreknow,
To teach us what to do and say,
And lead us where we ought to go.

Naturally Neglected

"Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. An ungodly witness scorneth judgment" (Proverbs 19:27,28). "Ye... rejoice in a thing of nought" (Amos 6:13). "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him" (1 Corinthians 2:14).

The natural man will not receive
The things which must be Spirit taught.
He scorns the things he should believe
And boasts of things which are of nought.

The natural man has thus neglected
To heed the things that God has said.
His teaching, then, should be rejected:
Believe the Word of God instead!

We thank You for Your Spirit, Lord,
And for Your Word, which we now hold,
Dividing as a two-edged sword
The Word of Truth that You unfold.

Strength, Song, and Salvation

"The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation" (Psalm 118:14). "The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe" (Proverbs 18:10).

Our Lord and Savior is our Strength,
Protecting us from harm.
Through Him we run our course's length,
Upheld by His strong arm

Our Lord and Savior is our Song
Who cheers us with His love.
We join our voices all along
With choirs up above.

Our Lord has now become Salvation
To all He saves by grace,
Who call on Him in desperation
And run to His embrace.

O Lord our God, we raise our voice
With joy as we proclaim
The many reasons to rejoice
We find in Jesus' name!

Medicine of Mercy

"O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people. For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the LORD endureth forever. Praise ye the LORD" (Psalm 117:1,2). "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones" (Proverbs 17:22). "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:13).

The medicine that heals our hearts
And makes us truly merry too
Is in the mercy God imparts
With His assurance it is true.

No pharmacy upon its shelves
This medicine shall ever carry,
Nor shall we find within ourselves
The remedy that makes us merry.

The medicine that makes us whole
Was purchased for us when Christ died,
When Mercy ransomed us in full
And Truth was fully satisfied.

Our joy, therefore, should not depend
On circumstances going well,
But on the Lord, our dearest Friend,
Who died to save our souls from hell.

O Lord, we thank You for the peace
And for the joy Your Spirit gives.
Though trials sometimes will increase,
Our Source of joy forever lives.

So help us, Lord, when sorrows come,
To fix on You our steadfast gaze,
Recalling where our joy flows from
With hope and healing in Your praise.

Agreement with the Almighty

"I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living" (Psalm 116:9). "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3). "Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God" (Romans 15:5,6).

We walk in agreement with Almighty God
When He is the One who is leading the way.
We need not be mindful if others applaud,
For God is the One whom we ought to obey.

Can two walk together, except they're agreed?
The answer implied here is: Certainly not!
The Lord will direct us and by His Word lead,
As we are obedient to what He has taught.

O Lord, we give thanks for this great consolation:
That we, by Your Word, may be walking with You
And likeminded also with Your congregation
Who give You the glory and love You are due!

Intentional Ignorance

"Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased" (Psalm 115:2,3). "Thus saith the Lord.... I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness.... And I raised up of your sons for prophets.... Is it not even thus, O ye children of Israel?" (Amos 2:6-11). "To this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living.... For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me" (Romans 14:9-11).

Now how can thinking people say:
Where is your God? Does He exist?
With all creation on display,
There's too much evidence to list!

How ignorant can people be?
And why would they dismiss the facts
Upon the face of history,
Ignoring God's prophetic acts?

God's judgment upon Egypt's land
Was plain enough for all to see.
So how could they not understand
And choose instead idolatry?

Our God is now on heaven's throne,
And yet as Man He came to earth,
Which by His prophets He made known
To show His place and line of birth.

Our Savior came, He died, He rose,
Fulfilling every prophecy.
There can be no excuse for those
Who yet reject Him willfully.

O Lord, it surely does seem odd
That people still can be so blind,
They ask the question, "Where is God?"
Then willfully, they close their mind!

O Lord, our Savior and Creator,
Center of our worship now,
We know that, sooner or else later,
Every knee to You shall bow!

Tremble and Trust

"Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord... which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters" (Psalm 114:7,8). "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" (Proverbs 14:26,27).

Now tremble, O earth, at the sight of the Lord,
The sovereign Creator, sustaining all things,
Who turned desert rock into waters outpoured,
And transformed the flint into bountiful springs.

We trust in the Lord with a reverent fear,
For He is our Refuge and strong Confidence.
Our Savior, the Fountain of Life, draws us near
To fill all our longing and be our Defense.

We tremble rejoicing and trust in His love:
For who is like God, our Creator Supreme?
And who like our Savior would come from above
To lay down His life for the souls He'd redeem?

O Lord, we have heard, in this desert so dry,
So filled with deception and dangerous snares,
You call us to drink from Your endless supply,
And safely to cast on You all of our cares!

Reasoned Response

"The LORD'S name is to be praised.... Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth Himself?.... He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill, that He may set him with... the princes of His people" (Psalm 113:5-8). "The ransom of a man's life are his riches" (Proverbs 13:8). "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).

Who can be likened to Jesus our Lord,
Who humbled Himself that we might be raised?
How rightly, when His wondrous love is explored,
From morning till evening His name should be praised!

He humbled Himself, as He looked from above
To see our condition, so sinfully poor.
Descending from heaven, so moved by His love,
He laid down His own life! What could He do more?

There's no way to pay You, our Lord Jesus Christ,
For nothing can equal Your work on the cross!
Our reasoned response is a life sacrificed
Which You have eternally ransomed from loss!

Light from the Lord

"Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous" (Psalm 112:4). "The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.... The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise" (Proverbs 12:5,15).

How great is the darkness of these latter days,
Yet light still arises from God in the night
For each one who trusts in the Lord and obeys
The Word of His counsel, which always is right.

The way to be right is to simply agree
With God who is Light in a world that is dark.
It's really no different than that which we see
In Noah's obedience when building the ark.

The thoughts of the righteous are therefore correct
Because they submit to God's gracious dominion.
The fool thinks he's right and will blindly reject
The counsel of God that reproves his opinion.

Lord, thank You for light that we surely do need
In this present darkness that fights against You.
Your Word lights the path where Your Spirit will lead
In all of Your ways, which are righteous and true.

Remembering Redemption

"The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.... He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.... He sent redemption unto His people: He hath commanded His covenant forever" (Psalm 111:2-9). "The same Lord is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:12,13).

The works of our Savior are great beyond measure;
In searching them out there is always reward,
For those who will do so shall surely have pleasure
With all who will call on the name of the Lord.

The Lord has assured by His sovereign command
That all of His wonderful works that He's done
Shall not be forgotten, but always will stand
Memorials forever of His precious Son.

O Lord, we remember redemption today:
How great was the cost of our freedom in Christ
That infinite Love was determined to pay,
Through Christ our Redeemer, the Lamb sacrificed!

Will before Words

"Return to the Lord thy God.... Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously.... What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard Him, and observed Him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is Thy fruit found" (Hosea 14:1-8).

Take with you words, but first bring your heart,
For words without heart will produce empty chatter.
Turn to the Lord, and then you may start
To worship the Lord with the words that will matter.

Say to the Lord with an earnest desire,
Lord, take all iniquity in me away.
Lead me, O Lord, to the Rock that is higher,
Renewed by Your Spirit within me each day.

O Lord, we are tired of idols so vain
That draw us away where distractions abound.
We've heard You; we've seen You, and now it is plain,
That You are the Source where our fruit may be found.

Help in Him

"O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help" (Hosea 13:9). "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities... What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He... spared not His own Son.... We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:26-37).

All we like sheep have gone astray,
And thus destroyed our inner self,
But Christ our Lord has made a way
To be alone the sinner's Help.

Our God has fully met our need;
The work that saves us has been done.
And by His Spirit we indeed
Are more than conquerors through His Son.

O Lord, what shall we say to You
To thank and praise You as our Savior?
O may our worship be found true
In thought, in word, and in behavior!

War Winner

"Vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly" (Psalm 108:12-13). "Therefore turn thou to thy God... and wait on thy God continually" (Hosea 12:6). "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind.... O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 7:24,25).

How vain is the help of a man who would win
The war of the will in the mind of a sinner;
But thanks be to God, by His Spirit within,
We triumph through Christ and declare Him the Winner!

We turn to our God and upon Him we wait,
For no other warfare within can succeed,
And thus we are saved from our sinful estate,
Delivered through Christ by the grace that we need.

O Lord, all the glory belongs now to You
For winning the war by the grace that we claim.
Through Jesus our Lord we can valiantly do
Whatever You call us to do in Your name.

Cords of Christ

"Let the redeemed of the LORD say so.... They cried to the LORD... He delivered them... and He led them forth by the right way" (Psalm 107:2-7). "I drew them with cords of a Man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke" (Hosea 11:4). "Sin shall not have dominion over you" (Romans 6:14).

How can we be silent if we are the Lord's?
Since we are redeemed, then let us say so!
With bands of His love, He drew us with cords
Extended from heaven to sinners below.

We cried to the Lord, and He rescued our soul
And led us the right way through His perfect plan:
He laid down life His to redeem us in full
And drew us to safety with cords of a Man.

We thank You, O Lord, that You took off the yoke
That fettered our souls in the sin that oppressed
Until You had drawn us and lovingly spoke
To call us to take up Your yoke and find rest!

Testing and Tilling

"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and rain righteousness upon you" (Hosea 10:12). "Tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience [i.e., tested character], and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Romans 5:3-5).

It's time to seek the Lord today;
Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
The trials God may send our way
Will cultivate the grace we need.

It's time to break up fallow ground;
We'll reap in grace the ground we till
By seeking God who shall be found
By all who seek to do His will.

We thank You, Lord, for tribulation,
For patience by the grace of God,
For testing, and the expectation
Of love Your Spirit sheds abroad.

Confident in the Covenant

"He hath remembered His covenant forever.... which covenant He made with Abraham" (Psalm 105:8,9). "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.... He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and be fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform" (Romans 4:3,20,21).

The covenant which God had made
With Abraham, whom He would bless,
Was all God needed to persuade
And reckon to him righteousness.

Behold the record that God gave
Of saving faith in Abraham,
Who trusted in the Lord to save,
And by his Seed, provide a Lamb.

He staggered not at what God said,
But rather he was confident
That God could even raise the dead
To thus fulfill His covenant.

O Lord, we thank You that we too
Can rest our faith with confidence,
Assured Your promises are true,
Persuaded by Your evidence.

Grateful for the Greatness

"My meditation of Him shall be sweet" (Psalm 104:34). "I have written to him the great things of My Law, but they were counted as a strange thing" (Hosea 8:12). "What advantage then hath the Jew?.... Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar" (Romans 3:1-4).

The fools who count God's Word as strange
And disregard His Law as odd,
Embrace a lie, and in exchange,
Forsake the Oracles of God.

Their unbelief shall not succeed
To make God's Word without effect,
For God is true, though no one heed
The Law of God that they reject.

How precious is God's written Word
That lifts us from the mental mire
Of vanity that we have heard
From every man who is a liar.

We thank You, Lord, for things so great
You wrote to show us what is true,
That we may thereby meditate
With gratefulness, O Lord, on You.

Completely Clear

"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103:12).

Now how much more could we be blest?
And how much more could grace be proved?
As far as east is from the west,
Transgressions all have been removed.

The Lord has crowned us with His love,
And given us this certainty
Through Christ who left His throne above
To give Himself for you and me.

The record is completely clear:
There's not one sin He left behind.
There's neither judgment now to fear
Nor sins that God shall call to mind.

We thank You, Lord, for what you did
That we may confidently say:
Our sins are gone, not merely hid,
For Christ has washed them all away!

Illustrating the Invisible

"Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of Thy hands. They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment... but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end" (Psalm 102:25-27). "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).

How clearly we're viewing in all of creation,
The power and nature of God our Creator!
Of old it was God who had built its foundation;
Its building is great, but its Builder is greater!

The heavens and earth are the work of God's hands,
Yet He has subjected them all to decay,
For this is judgment of God, and it stands,
No matter who else would explain it away!

For time, space, and matter require a Cause:
We find their "beginning" in Genesis one!
All things He created should now make us pause
And praise our Creator and Lord, God the Son!

We see Your invisible attributes, Lord,
In all of creation; yet how small a part!
And in Your salvation through Christ we've explored
Our reason to love You with all of our heart!

Chided Choices

"They hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD.... They despised all My reproof.... The turning away of the simple shall slay them" (Proverbs 1:29-32). "I have been a Rebuker of them all.... They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God" (Hosea 5:2-4). "Their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them (Acts 28:27).

The fear of God that makes us wise
Shall turn us to the Lord by choice.
Yet many choose to close their eyes,
And dull their hearing to God's voice.

The Lord is calling souls to frame
Their choice to turn to Jesus Christ.
It was by choice He freely came
And for their souls was sacrificed!

O Lord, how many turn away!
Deception, like a rising tide,
Has swept the multitudes today
To turn from You in foolish pride!

We thank You, Lord, for grace that saves
From this deceptive, fearful trend
Of choosing to be tossed waves
That bring destruction in the end!

Lord, keep us evermore abiding
In Christ in all we say and do,
To be Your voice as You are chiding
And calling souls to trust in You!