Dawning in Darkness

"Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness.... He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD" (Psalm 112:4,7). "The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe" (Proverbs 29:25). "Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God" (Mark 11:22).

The powers of darkness are set in array,
As people love evil, and good they despise.
The night is approaching that ebbs out the day,
And yet in this darkness God's light will arise.

This light dawns in darkness, arising in those
Who trust in the Lord with a heart that obeys,
Unmoved by the tidings of those who oppose
And show their displeasure when God receives praise.

This light is now dawning in hearts that are fixed
To train up their children the way they should go,
Refusing the teaching this world has mixed
With doctrines of science, yet falsely called so.

O Lord, in this darkness with thinking so flawed,
We thank You for light that will rise just the same
In hearts that You counsel to "have faith in God"
With hope that is fixed in Your trustworthy name!

Redemption Remembered

"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.... The works of His hands are verity and judgment.... He sent redemption unto His people" (Psalm 111:2-9). "The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

The works of God display His treasure,
And we delight to look therein,
That we may search with endless pleasure
His work redeeming us from our sin!

His works are now remembered well,
Recalling how He left His throne,
That He might ransom us from hell
And send redemption to His own.

His works are truly wonderful
Which satisfy His truth and grace!
He sent redemption for our soul
As on the cross He took our place!

O Lord our God, as Son of Man
You left Your majesty above
To bridge that great, eternal span
Of heaven's law and heaven's love!

We thank You, Lord, as we recall
The great compassion that it took
To send redemption to us all
Whose names are written in Your Book!

Think of the Thirst

"He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.... The Lord at thy right hand.... SHALL DRINK OF THE BROOK in the way: therefore shall He lift up the head" (Psalm 109:31, 110:5,7). "He shall see the travail of His soul, and SHALL BE SATISFIED: by His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities" (Isaiah 53:11). "Jesus... was transfigured.... And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.... And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son: hear Him. And suddenly, WHEN THEY HAD LOOKED round about, they saw no man any more, save JESUS ONLY with themselves" (Mark 9:7,8). "Then said Jesus unto Peter... The cup which My Father hath given Me, SHALL I NOT DRINK IT?" (John 18:11).

Think of the thirst that has brought our Lord down
To stand at the sinner's right hand!
Think of His cross and His thorn-woven crown
He bore for our ransom's demand!

Why was He stooping to drink of the brook,
Consuming the wrath from God's cup?
What was He thinking that caused Him to look
To sinners to lift their heads up?

When Moses, Elijah, and Jesus conversed,
Discussing His work of redemption
For those who were barely aware of His thirst,
The Father commanded attention.

That voice from Father which called them to hear
As Jesus was thereby made known,
Engulfed them with terror till Jesus drew near,
And then they saw Jesus alone.

And thus were their heads lifted up with relief,
When they saw alone Jesus Christ,
Who came to redeem them and drink all their grief,
And for them would be sacrificed.

O Lord, we are still at a terrible loss
To understand what You were thinking
When You were enduring that horrible cross,
With all of that cup You were drinking.

We lift up our heads, Lord, because You have died,
Yet now You are no longer dead:
You drank from the brook, You are now satisfied,
And thus You have lifted our head!

Silencing Satan

"They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.... let Satan stand at his right hand.... I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth.... For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor" (Psalm 109:2,6,30,31). "And He began to teach them, that the Son of Man must suffer many things.... And Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him. But when He had turned about and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind Me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men" (Mark 8:31-33).

The Devil counseled those who lied
And stood against our Savior.
He stood as well at Judas' side,
Directing his behavior.

O let not Satan have his way
Who whispers in the ear
To cause the heart to go astray,
Forsaking godly fear.

When Peter spoke, the Lord was kind,
Rebuking what he heard,
By telling Satan, "Get behind!"
And silenced then his word.

O Lord, we call upon Your name
To silence Satan still,
That You may spare us from the shame
Of turning from Your will!

The Fight is Fixed!

"O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise.... Vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for He it is that shall tread down our enemies" (Psalm 108:1,12,13). "If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them, then.... your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. For I will have respect unto you" (Leviticus 26:3-9).

The fight is fixed! We cannot lose,
When trusting God for victory!
No other strategy we choose
Can win against our enemy!

The enemy, we know, is strong,
As is his arsenal of darts,
But God is stronger, and our song
Of trust in Him will fix our hearts!

The enemy we know within,
Is our old nature now revealed.
We cannot overcome our sin,
Until to God we fully yield.

O Lord, we trust in You alone;
All other help must surely fail!
O come and make our hearts Your throne,
For then we know we shall prevail!

Stilling the Storm

"He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad, because they be quiet; so He bringeth them unto their desired haven. O that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" (Psalm 107:29-31). "He saw them toiling and rowing, for the wind was contrary to them.... They saw Him walking upon the sea.... And He went up unto them into the ship, and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered" (Mark 6:48-51).

The Lord makes the great storm a calm,
And by Him the waves are made still.
He gives a victorious Psalm,
As all things submit to His will.

How rightly He ought to be praised!
How awesome His majesty is!
His wonderful works have amazed
And gladdened the souls who are His.

The storm clouds had gathered above;
The forecast for us: endless loss!
Christ scattered those clouds with His love,
Securing our souls by His cross!

O Lord, by Your power that saves,
We know You will silence the storm!
Though often we're tossed by the waves,
Yet still Your command they perform.

Places to Publish

"When he was come to the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed Him that he might be with Him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis (lit. the 10-city region) how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel" (Mark 5:18-20).

The Lord of the harvest has called us to sow,
Yet He has determined the place
That each of servants should prayerfully go
To publish His marvelous grace.

Our working companions, our circle of friends,
And families the Lord set us in
Are fields of harvest to reap where He sends
And publish salvation from sin.

O Lord, we are objects of wondrous compassion!
How great are the things You have done!
In times of Your choosing and places You fashion,
We'd speak so that souls may be won.

Candlestick Candor

"O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people.... Talk ye of all His wondrous works.... Remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth" (Psalm 105:1-5). "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.... Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?" (Proverbs 22:20,21). "And He said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel or under a bed, and not to be set on a candlestick?" (Mark 4:21).

Is this a time to hide the light
That God has given to His own?
Should we be running from the fight
On battle fronts to make Him known?

Should not we rather spread His fame
And talk of all the things He did?
Is this a time to quench the flame,
Or should our candlestick be hid?

Has not the Lord made known to us
His wondrous works and words of truth?
And thus equipped, should not we thus
With these be training up our youth?

Is this is a time for us to pander
To those who call us to conform?
Should not we rather speak with candor
Against the gates of hell we storm?

O Lord, we thank You for Your Word
That speaks to us with certainty.
As candlesticks we would be stirred
To shine with candor faithfully.

Many and Manifold

"O LORD, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all: the earth is full of Thy riches.... I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD" (Psalm 104:24-34).

The manifold works of the Lord in the earth
Are full of His wisdom and riches untold.
Our God who sustains them has given them birth,
And in them His attributes we may behold.

The many and manifold works that we see
Unite in a chorus exalting our Lord.
How sweet are the movements of this symphony
Declaring His Godhead and power explored!

The works of our Lord Jesus Christ, we recall,
Include what He did to accomplish redemption.
His work on the cross is far is greater than all:
It towers above them without an exemption!

O Lord, we give thanks for the sweet meditation,
As in Your creation You daily are praised!
Yet worship excels in the theme of salvation,
As in Your redemption we're standing amazed!

Fantastic Five

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies, who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles" (Psalm 103:2-5).

Among the countless benefits
That cause our souls to thrive,
The psalmist gratefully submits
His own fantastic five.

God pardons the iniquities
Of all those who will come.
He heals every soul's disease.
He pays redemption's sum.

God gives His own a crown like kings
With tender love and truth.
He feeds the soul the best of things,
Like eagles in their youth.

Indeed, as eagles mount and soar
Expanding thus their view,
We meditate and see much more
Of blessings, Lord, from You!

But O, the depth and endless treasure
In these five, Lord, we see!
Their benefits exceed all measure:
They span eternity!

Astonishing Authority

"I am the LORD your God.... Therefore shall ye observe all My statutes, and all My judgments, and do them: I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:36,37). "There are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless, the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand" (Proverbs 19:21). "They were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as One that had authority" (Mark 1:22).

He teaches with authority:
His Word should be obeyed.
His counsel stands eternally;
His grace extends His aid.

Now Who is this admonishing
And teaching by His Word,
With doctrine so astonishing,
Unlike all others heard?

It is the Lord our God we hear,
Who saved us by His power,
Reminding us that He is near,
With grace for every hour!

It is astonishing indeed
That God would stoop in love:
He paid the ransom sinners need
By coming from above.

We see the awesome sacrifice
Our Savior came to give!
With His own life He paid the price
That we might thereby live!

O let us not approach His Law
With vision that is dim,
But come astonished and in awe
That we are hearing HIM!

With love astonishing our heart,
With light by which we see,
We thank You, Lord, that You impart
The truth that makes us free!

Friendship Forever

"There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother" (Proverbs 18:24). "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.... and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:18-20).

There is a Friend (O, what a Friend!)
Whose love is like no other,
Who loves His own until the end
Much closer than a brother.

We have a Friend through peace and strife;
He gave all that He could:
He gave Himself, His very life,
There is no friend as good.

There is a Friend with matchless love
Who knew that we were lost
And left His majesty above
To pay our ransom's cost.

There is a Friend who sacrificed
Himself to take our place:
His name is our Lord Jesus Christ,
The Author of all grace.

O Lord, there is no friend like You
In wisdom, love, or power,
That sticks so close and is so true
Until our final hour!

Until that hour comes, O Lord,
To be with You forever,
We'll find our daily joy restored
In Friendship none can sever!

Separate Sorrows

"And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.... Then Judas, which had betrayed Him... brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I have sinned, in that I have betrayed innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? See thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself" (Matthew 26:75, 27:3-5). "Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death" (2 Corinthians 7:10).

There is an endless separation
Between the world's sorrow
And the repentance to salvation
With joy upon the morrow.

We see how plain the difference is
As sorrows are explored:
Our Shepherd knows each one of His,
And they shall be restored.

There is a sharp, contrasting case
In Judas and in Peter:
For Peter sought the Lord and grace,
But Judas sought for neither.

For Judas turned to vain religion,
To reconcile thus,
But heard their answer of derision:
Now "what is that to us?"

O how gracious is our Savior
That calls to hearts today
To come to Him, to seek His favor,
And find Him while we may!

We thank You, Lord, that You have shown
Repentance that is true,
That drew us to approach Your throne
And put our trust in You.

Blessing in the Blood

"The life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:11). "He hath poured out His soul unto death" (Isaiah 53:12). "And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it, for this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:27,28).

The life of flesh is in the blood,
And by this principle
There is a fountain and a flood
Of life now for the soul!

It's not the blood of bulls and goats
That has the power to save.
The blood that God alone promotes
Is that which Jesus gave.

The principle of blood from Christ
Refers to LIFE, of course!
It was His LIFE He sacrificed,
Where blessing has its source!

Isaiah clearly prophesied
That Christ poured out His SOUL,
And this He offered when He died,
And thus He makes us whole.

It's not the blood of Christ we drink
In any literal way,
It is His LIFE (This is the link!)
That saves the soul today.

There is a link to death as well
When Jesus' blood was shed,
For thus He purchased us from hell,
And raised us from the dead!

O Lord, we thank You for Your life
For us You offered up,
And for Your blood shed in the strife,
Remembered in the cup.

Openly Obvious

"The LORD hath made known His salvation: His righteousness hath He openly showed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered His mercy and His truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God" (Psalm 98:2,3). "On that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord" (Leviticus 16:30). "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.... And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal" (Matthew 25:31,46).

The Lord has made salvation known:
His mercy is not hid.
His righteousness is clearly shown
By all He said and did.

His mercy and His truth are seen
Which brought to us salvation,
That we may from our sins be clean
And free from condemnation!

How clearly prophecies of old
Had promised us a Savior!
Christ Jesus came, as was foretold,
To grant us heaven's favor.

The animals once sacrificed
Could not themselves atone,
But they portrayed the work of Christ,
That He would do alone.

His saving work is fully done
And clearly on display,
Yet many still refuse God's Son
And from Him turn away.

Beware! Salvation may be scorned
Or carelessly ignored,
But sinners who will not be warned
Shall stand before the Lord!

The Lord shall come in majesty
And then He shall divide
His sheep from those who willfully
Refused Him by their pride.

O Lord, Your truth is obvious
And openly attested!
So may the Word You gave to us
Be boldly manifested.

Deadly Deception

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.... The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going" (Proverbs 14:12,15). "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you" (Matthew 24:4).

There is a way which may seem right,
Yet in the ways of death it ends.
We need to prove things in the light
By what the Word of God commends.

There is a path the simple take,
Believing every word they hear.
They do not care what is at stake,
As long as it will please their ear.

It may be hope in vain religion,
It may be idols they have known.
It may be holding to tradition
Instead of trusting Christ alone.

The prudent look for evidence
In what the Word of God will say.
No other path to them makes sense,
Though others mock its narrow way.

Our Savior warned us to take heed
Of deadly and deceptive arts.
If we will let His counsel lead,
Then no one shall deceive our hearts.

O Lord, we thank You for Your Word,
For by its truth You made us free!
It is the Gospel we have heard
That saves our souls eternally!

Ransom Refused

"A wise son heareth his father's instruction, but a scorner heareth not rebuke.... The ransom of a man's life are his riches, but the poor heareth not rebuke.... Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction" (Proverbs 13:1,8,18). "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:37).

There is a ransom for the lost
Who hear the Lord's instruction:
Now come to Christ who paid the cost
To save us from destruction!

Now who turn would this Gift away
That came at such a price?
Alas! The proud yet go astray
And scorn His sacrifice!

How poor indeed are they who choose
To walk that scornful path
Of those who foolishly refuse
The warning of God's wrath!

Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
We hear our Lord lament:
They killed the prophets warning them,
And stoned them who were sent!

The scorners make the same mistake
As those when Jesus came,
Unless they hear Him and awake
To realize their shame.

O Lord our Savior, King of kings,
You left Your throne above
To bring our souls beneath Your wings
And ransom us in love!

O Lord, we thank You that You gave
This ransom that we cherish,
And those who trust in Christ You save,
And they shall never perish!

Triune Tribute

"O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.... Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart" (Psalm 95:6-8). "Render therefore... unto God, the things that are God's.... Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:21,37).

Worship calls for all our heart,
With all our soul, and all our mind.
We ought to render every part:
A triune tribute God designed!

The Lord is standing in the midst
Of every single congregation,
And knowing hardened hearts exist,
Today He offers His salvation.

The lost may fill the church's pew,
And they may sing each sacred song,
But they cannot escape God's view,
Who still exposes what is wrong.

O Lord, we come transparently,
As You examine every thought.
Remove from us hypocrisy,
That we may worship as we ought!

Ridiculous Reasoning

"Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see?.... The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity" (Psalm 94:8-11). "The integrity of the upright shall guide them" (Proverbs 11:3). "And they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven, He will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?.... And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell" (Matthew 21:25-27).

How vain are the reasoning powers of man,
When guided by foolish and foregone conclusion!
In spite of our Maker's magnificent plan,
The brutish deny Him to their own confusion.

For how can a reasoning person conclude
The eye and the ear are just products of chance?
The more that creation around us is viewed,
We see God's omniscience wherever we glance!

Integrity guides us if we will be led
Where evidence leads us to see what is plain.
The Lord has fulfilled what the prophets have said;
Denying the Gospel is willfully vain!

O Lord, our integrity guides us to You,
For You are the Cause of creation's effect,
And You are the Author of all that is true
With evidence only a fool would reject!

Mightier than the Multitude

"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" (Psalm 93:3,4). "Two blind men... cried out saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more.... So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him" (Matthew 20:30-34).

The multitude may lift their voice,
Like floods that lift their crashing waves,
But we will nonetheless rejoice:
Our Lord is mightier who saves!

The multitude may now demand
That Gospel preaching now must cease,
But we have heard our Lord's command,
And we must never hold our peace!

Two blind men heard that Jesus came,
And they began to cry aloud;
They cried the more in Jesus' name,
In opposition to the crowd.

The multitude, like waves that roared,
Could never drown the humble prayer
Of those who called upon the Lord
And cast upon Him all their care.

O Lord, we find with great delight,
As did the blind men on that day,
The floods cannot negate Your might
Or silence those who humbly pray!

Discerning the Deep

"Lest ye die... put difference between holy and unholy" (Leviticus 10:9,10). "O LORD, how great are Thy works! And Thy thoughts are very deep. A brutish man knoweth not, neither doth a fool understand this" (Psalm 92:5,6). "Forsake the foolish and go in the way of understanding.... The knowledge of the Holy is understanding" (Proverbs 9:5,10). "What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" (Matthew 19:16).

There is a consequence for sin
That ought to be discerned:
How deep the trouble we are in,
For death is what we've earned!

Religion will not compensate
For what our sin has done.
There is no way to clean the slate,
Except through God the Son!

How deep the thought! How great the price
Our Lord was moved to pay
By dying as our Sacrifice
To wash our sins away!

The Law will never compromise
The knowledge of the Holy,
But Christ, through death, now satisfies
And justifies us fully!

Is there a good thing that we can do
To save our soul from loss?
Discern the truth! If that were true,
There's no need for the cross!

When we discern our sin so deep
And see the Law's demand,
We see ourselves as hopeless sheep,
And then we understand.

It's then we flee to Christ our Savior,
And truly seek His face.
We do not trust in "good" behavior,
But in His saving grace!

We thank You, Lord, for love made known
(Its depths we cannot tell!)
That prompted You to leave Your throne
To ransom us from hell!

Ways of His Wings

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the shadow of the Almighty.... He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust" (Psalm 91:1,4). "Now therefore, hearken unto Me, O ye children, for blessed are they that keep my ways.... For whoso findeth Me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD" (Proverbs 8:32,35). "For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost" (Matthew 18:11).

How great are the lessons creation provides,
Since God, for this purpose, has ordered all things.
We see in the place where the fledgling abides
God's care is portrayed in the ways of His wings.

Behold now the wings of an eagle in flight,
Displaying the strength that will rise up again.
Consider the wings that will shelter from fright
The chickens thus gathered by their mother hen.

The Guide Book of Scripture so clearly unveils
These types which provide us such portraits of Christ.
Their beauty is wondrous, yet each of them pales
In view of our Savior for us sacrificed!

O Lord, we're beholding a wonderful Savior
Portrayed in the sheltering wings of a bird.
We see in these portraits Your mercy and favor;
We rest in the shadow of Your faithful Word.

Tale of Time

"We spend our years as a tale that is told.... So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.... And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: establish Thou the work of our hands upon us" (Psalm 90:9,12,17).

We spend our years as pages turned
And like a tale that is told.
Each day has lessons to be learned,
Applicable to young and old.

"A tale told." What will it say
With every page of life completed?
We write a portion every day,
And not one word can be deleted!

We cannot edit what is past,
But we can act upon this theme:
We'll live to hear "Well done" at last
While yet there's time we may redeem!

Lord, teach us every day to treasure
The moments of our life we hold,
To be, by living for Your pleasure,
A tale of Your beauty told!

Sound of Salvation

"Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Thy countenance. In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted" (Psalm 89:14-16).

The sound of salvation announces God's grace:
His justice and judgment have been satisfied!
His mercy and truth shining forth from His face
Were in their full splendor when Christ Jesus died!

The sound of salvation is found in the song
Of hearts who will walk in the light of the LORD:
His light that exposes our sin that is wrong,
Unveils salvation His grace will afford!

O Lord, You have spoken, and gladly we've heard:
In You we are sheltered from just condemnation!
In You, by YOUR righteousness, we are assured!
How great is our joy in the sound of salvation!

Blunder of Blindness

"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.... Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch" (Matthew 15:8,14).

How dreadful it is to be willfully blind!
How great is the danger when this is the case!
How dull is the hearing, how darkened the mind,
Of all who refuse to respond to God's grace!

Deceiving themselves by their foolish volition,
The blind lead the blind till they fall in the pit,
And such is the path that will lead to perdition,
For this is the way of the blind hypocrite.

O Lord, we give thanks for the sight that You gave
That taught us to flee from Your imminent wrath,
And showed us that You (and You only) could save
And lead us aright in Your merciful path!

Reviewing the Roll

"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. Selah. As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee" (Psalm 87:5-7).

Reviewing the roll call of paupers and kings
With heaven's renown and with those little known,
Assembled in Zion the great chorus sings
With all of those born from above at the throne.

The Lord God shall count and not one shall be lost
Of all the redeemed in the Lamb's book of life.
In view of the infinite price that it cost,
He'll jealously guard those He won in the strife.

O Lord, we rejoice that the names have been written
Of all who find refuge in You for their soul.
Our springs are in You, Lord, the Rock that was smitten!
Our joy is in You, when reviewing the roll!

United or Useless

"Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy truth: unite my heart to fear Thy name" (Psalm 86:11). "He also the received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word, and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful" (Matthew 13:22).

How uselessly our hearts have been
Divided when distractions came.
Revive our hearts, O Lord, again;
Unite ours heart to fear Your name.

In parables, O Lord, You spoke
Of cares, like thorns, which soon invited
Distractions in the heart which choke
Our fruitfulness when not united.

O Lord, we thank You that You give
A single focus to pursue:
Because You live we also live!
Unite our hearts to live for You!

Hearing Heaven

"I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for He will speak peace unto His people.... Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:8,10). "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee, so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom... if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:1-6).

Let us hear what God will speak;
Let us now incline our ear.
Hidden treasures, let us seek;
Let us come with ears to hear.

Let us hear Him with desire;
God is searching every heart!
Let us stir His holy fire;
Fan the flame He will impart!

Let us hear how God has met
The deepest need of every soul.
We too frequently forget
The price He paid to make us whole!

Let us hear and ponder this:
How truth and mercy met in Christ,
How righteousness and peace could kiss,
Because our Lord was sacrificed!

God is speaking! Have we heard
The depths of love He would convey?
Do we thus approach His Word
Prepared to hear Him and obey?

O Lord, the treasures You would show
Exceed the bounds of time and space!
Yet, hearing heaven, we would grow
To better know You and Your grace!

Nesting Necessities

"Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God" (Psalm 84:3). "But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil" (Proverbs 1:33). "Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.... Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:25-29).

How sweet the view is in the Psalm
Portraying birds who build their nest.
The sparrow finds a place that's calm;
The swallow for her young finds rest.

The altars of our God and King,
Where Jesus Christ is typified,
Portray the shelter of His wing,
That covers those for whom He died.

There is a nest to lay our youth
In Christ where they may safely dwell:
They hear the Gospel of His truth,
They trust in Him, and all is well!

These things are hid from prideful eyes
But God will show them to the meek.
God hears the humble one who cries,
And saves the lowly who will seek.

O Lord, we've heard Your gentle call,
We've seen the portrait of the bird,
"Come unto to Me," You've said to all,
Though many cast away Your Word.

Yet as You call, Lord, we attest
To everyone who yet will hear:
There is a Refuge in Your nest;
Beneath Your wing there is no fear!