Sustained by His Sufficiency

“My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me” (Psalm 63:8). “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

When we have successfully followed the Lord,

We may make the error of thinking we’re strong,

But when we’re corrected, and then we’re restored,

We think on our ways, and we know we were wrong.

It isn’t OUR strength that will cause us to stand.

It’s not by OUR wisdom we figure things out.

It’s only because we’re upheld by GOD’S hand,

That we are delivered from danger and doubt.

We find, as did Paul, that our souls are sustained,

As we are surrendered to Him in our meekness.

“My grace is sufficient,” our Lord has explained,

For thereby “My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

O Lord, we are humbled and stumbled by pride,

When we have forgotten that You are the reason

That we have prevailed when tempted and tried

By grace that perfected Your strength in due season.

We thank You, O Lord, for the marvelous love

That never has failed in our time of need.

We rest in the grace You extend from above,

And trust in Your hand to uphold and to lead.

Value of Vision

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18).  “Behold, now is the day of salvation…. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 6:2, 11:3). 

The people will perish where there is no vision;

How sad is the lack of that foresight today!

Our destiny hangs on a timely decision;

Eternity comes, and we all fly away.

The value of vision is seen up ahead

Where TIME meets FOREVER at destiny’s gate.

Behold, it is NOW that we need to be led

To trust in the Savior before it’s too late.

Eternity comes if we’re ready or not,

And time will not cater to man’s hesitation.

How dark is the vision affirming the thought

That we can afford to neglect God’s salvation!

The value of vision gives light to the lost

And surely enlightens God’s people as well,

For shouldn’t we also be counting the cost

Of living for Christ who has saved us from hell?

We thank You, O Lord, for the vision You gave

To trust You in time so that we could be healed,

And since there are so many more You would save,

Enlarge now our vision to work in Your field.

Higher Helper

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2).  “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:26).

When wearied by the upward climb,

When circumstances overwhelm,

We cry to God at such a time,

Who leads us to a higher realm.

He is the Rock to which we’re led,

Who lifts us to a higher place

Than sin and self to Him instead

And from our weakness to His grace.

We dare not trust our feeble heart

Or run with strength that is our own.

From our own wisdom we depart

And cry to God, and God alone.

And thus we’re lifted to the Rock,

That situates us far above

The noise of those who daily mock,

To hear God’s voice of truth and love.

O Lord, we’re learning day by day

To bring to You our heart’s desire.

From strength to strength You lead the way

To lift us higher and still higher.

Dreading to Drop

“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of His words fall to the ground” (1 Samuel 3:19). 

How precious are God’s words to us!

The sovereign Lord of all creation

Communicates His counsel thus

And manifests His great salvation!

We know of things that we may drop,

And these won’t matter much at all.

But when it comes to Scripture:  STOP!

How dreadful if God’s Word should fall!

The Lord could see in Samuel

A heart that trembled at His Word.

We ought to long for this a well,

And dread to drop what we have heard.

Continuing, as Christ has said,

In truth shall make us free indeed.

The more we learn, the more we dread

To drop His words we surely need.

Lord, thank You that Your words abound

To show the thoughts of Your own heart.

We wouldn’t drop them on the ground

Or ever let their truth depart!

Arguments of Arrogance

“Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed” (1 Samuel 2:3).  “The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason” (Proverbs 26:16).

Our Lord is a God of unlimited knowledge:

We see this in all of creation today,

Though many suppose that a few years in college 

Now qualifies them to explain this away.

They’re talking so proudly with arrogant looks,

Unwilling to come to a reasoned conclusion

That counters the unfounded claims in their books,

So proudly surrounding themselves with confusion.

How great is the witness of God now displayed

By all of the evidence seen in creation!

The Lord sees the pride, every action is weighed,

And yet He extends to each soul His salvation.

How great is the cost of an arrogant mind

Resisting the truth that affords Him God’s favor,

For arrogant arguments render him blind

To mercies extended to Him through our Savior.

Let seven men stand with their reasons so wise,

Defending the truth with their proofs all complete:

The proud will dismiss it with his lofty eyes,

Who counts himself wiser in his own conceit.

O Lord, we can see that deception is strong;

We’re surely not able to stop its invasion,

So keep us reminded of this all day long,

To speak what is right, yet to trust Your persuasion.

Purging Filth with Pious Fear

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

There is one way for us to scour

The filth of sin that would adhere:

It’s by God’s promises and power

That we are purged with holy fear.

All other efforts, weak and flawed,

In our own strength are doomed to fail.

It is, at last, the fear of God

Constrained by love that will prevail.

Our noblest work to battle sin

Will find us crushed and in despair

Without the fear of God within

Reminding us that He is there.

Our God is there!  He will defend

And keep our souls from every harm.

The fear of God will, to this end,

Subdue the threat of sin’s alarm.

The fear of God is understood

As necessary in our thought

Because we know that God is good,

And, by our nature, we are not.

Lord, thank You for the holy fear

That bids us find in You protection,

Assuring us that You are near

To bring us closer to perfection.

Grace for Granted

“We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.  (For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” (2 Corinthians 6:1,2). 

The grace of God may be received,

Yet we may hold its wealth in vain,

For though we’re saved since we’ve believed,

There’s much that we may lose or gain.

The grace of God that saves the soul

Equips us now to live with power.

Abundant life lived to the full

Is found in Christ for every hour.

The riches of God’s grace sublime  

Abound to meet our every need.

If we do not redeem the time,

Then we have wasted grace indeed.

The harvest waits; the fields are white:

The Lord now bids us lift our eyes.

Proclaim His grace!  The time is right,

And he who wins a soul is wise.

Lord, as the deer for water panted,

We quenched our thirst by Your salvation.

We wouldn’t take Your grace for granted,

But grow now in its application!

Have my Heart

“My son, give Me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe My ways” (Proverbs 23:26).  “The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if One died for all, then were all dead:  and that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14,15).

How wondrous is God’s invitation,

Who calls us now with love so tender,

To give, without a reservation,

Our hearts to Him with full surrender!

Now have we rightly understood

How kind this invitation is?

The Lord is infinitely good

To save our souls and call us His!

Our hearts are cold, our vision dim,

But God, who knows and loves us best,

Now bids us give our hearts to Him,

Observe His ways, and find His rest.

How great His love is that constrains:

He saved us from our self destruction!

And even now His love remains

Our faithful refuge from seduction.

O Lord, You’ve said, “Give Me thine heart.”

This is no safer thing to do!

Now reign, my King, in every part,

With less of me and more of You!

Certainty versus Cynical

“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). “But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

The truth of God is on display,

Though cynics still despise the light.

The Gospel is as clear as day,

Though mockers will prefer the night.

The things God wrote with excellence

Include the words of prophecy.

There is no greater evidence

To show the truth with certainty.

There is no other book we find

With prophecy that never fails,

Which shows that God’s omniscient mind

Against the cynical prevails.

The time and place Christ came to earth,

His life, His death, His resurrection,

His lineage, and lowly birth

Were all foretold with great perfection.

How can cynics then dispute

This evidence that they disdain?

Intelligence cannot refute

The proof that cynics can’t explain.

These cynics must be blind and lost

By Satan’s cruel, deceitful art.

Alas!  They do not count the cost

Of this rebellion in their heart.

We thank You, Lord, for solid rock,

The Word of God, our faith’s foundation!

We know the cynical will mock,

Yet we have proof of Your salvation.

Clearly Cleaving

“Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.... And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me” (Ruth 1:14-17). “The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead” (Proverbs 21:16). “Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?” (John 6:68).

Let us search our hearts and ponder

(Surely God is doing so):

Does our heart from God yet wander?

Will we stay, or will we go?

See the kiss that Orpah gave: 

It wasn't like the heart of Ruth.

Orpah left, but Ruth still clave:

Their actions showed the inner truth.

Hear the passion in Ruth’s voice

Who said “Entreat me not to leave!”

Clearly she had made a choice

With all her heart and soul to cleave.

Is this not our need today

In view of what our Savior said?

“Will ye also go away?”

Or will you cling to Christ instead?

Now shouldn’t we perceive it odd

That we are plagued with hesitation

To fully give our hearts to God,

Who gave Himself for our salvation?

O Lord, revive our hearts anew!

Ignite our passion!  Stir the fire

Of love that clearly cleaves to You

And purifies our heart’s desire!

Devil's Devices

“God looked down from heaven upon the children of men… there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psalm 53:2,3).  “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” (Proverbs 20:9).  “Ye ought rather to forgive… and comfort… I beseech you that ye would confirm your love… lest Satan should get an advantage of us:  for we are not ignorant of his devices… Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:7-14).

Is there someone who offends?

The devil says:  Forgive him not.

Is there comfort mercy lends?

The devil would forbid that thought.

Is there someone who has failed?

The devil says:  Deny him love.

See how Satan has prevailed

When we forget to look above!

How can we so soon forget

That we are debtors to God’s grace?

God looks down and has not yet

Found one who’s sinless in this place.

Who can say his heart is clean

And never was by sin defiled?

God examines and has seen

That such a person is beguiled.

Let us now be done at last

With these devices Satan uses.

Let us now release the past

To hold the triumph God now chooses.

Lord, we thank You for the joy

Of triumph over Satan’s power,

Poised to steal, kill, destroy,

And like a lion, to devour.

Thus we turn from his seduction

To trust You, Lord, and You alone,

Giving thanks for Your instruction

And for the grace You give Your own. 

Consistent Counsel

“The goodness of God endureth continually” (Psalm 52:1).  “There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand” (Proverbs 19:21).  “But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay… For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you… was not yea and nay, but in Him was yea... For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 1:18-20). 

The goodness of God and His counsel endures,

Consistent forever and ever, Amen!

His Word is as true as our Savior assures,

Who showed us His faithfulness, time and again.

We put not our confidence in the devices

In hearts that are fickle and change on demand,

For therein the devil deceives and entices,

But God and His counsel forever will stand.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was clearly foretold

By prophets who spoke with Divine inspiration,

Has given His counsel to preach and be bold,

Declaring the truth of eternal salvation.

His Word is not “Yea” and then later on “Nay”,

Like counsel that moves with political tides.

The counsel of God is consistent today,

And this is Gospel of Christ that abides.

O Lord, we give thanks for Your counsel so true,

Because it is anchored in Your faithfulness.

We find all our confidence flowing from You,

And all of the promises in You are “Yes!”

Hyssop for the Heart

“The priest shall… take… the hyssop, and shall dip… in the blood… and he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed” (Leviticus 14:5-7).  “Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom.  Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:6,7).  “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:7,9).   

We follow David’s earnest prayer;

We ponder hyssop therein spoken,

And see our Savior’s blood is there,

Thus typified by hyssop’s token. 

There was no other place to turn;

The sin of David came to light:

He would be washed, as he would yearn,

Much whiter than the snow is white.

As hyssop (just a wild plant)

Then spoke of precious blood applied,

Our God today will likewise grant

Our hearts may thus be purified.

For through the blood of Jesus Christ

Our sins are washed which we confess.

The Lord was therefore sacrificed

To cleanse us from unrighteousness.

We thank You, Lord, for what You did

That we might know this cleansing too.

Our sinful hearts could not be hid,

But they are purified by You!

Crown Crisis

“Children's children are the crown of old men” (Proverbs 17:6).  “Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” (Revelation 3:11).

The children’s children, Scriptures say,

Are crowns that old men see in youth.

Let no one take those crowns away:

Now guard and guide them in the truth.

There is a crisis we behold

In children as they’re taught in schools:

If they believe what they are told,

They’re bound to graduate as fools!

The battle ground is in the mind

Of children who are fed with lies.

The blind indoctrinate the blind,

But God yet calls them to be wise.

O Lord, we call upon Your name

To help us reach this generation,

That You may rescue them from shame

And crown them with so great salvation!

Author of Absolutes

“In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6).  “God is not the Author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33). 

Are we hopelessly confused?

Can we never know what’s wise?

Is there not a standard used

To determine truth and lies?

There was a time in Israel,

When men were yet without a king.

And in those days they could not tell

Who might be right about a thing.

For every man would then assume

Whatever he perceived was right,

And for this cause there was no room

For truth to ever come to light.

But God had clearly spoken then,

For He had given them His Word,

And so it is today again,

The same confusion has occurred.

Our God is not the Author of

Confusion that abounds today.

The Word of God confirms His love:

Prophetic proof is on display.

We thank You, Lord, for what You’ve said,

So that confusion is removed.

We know the truth by which we’re led,

Which prophecies fulfilled have proved.

Believing our Beloved

“We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God… This God is our God forever and ever: He will be our Guide even unto death” (Psalm 48:9,14).  “The heart of the righteous studieth to answer” (Proverbs 15:28).  “Charity [“agape” love]… rejoiceth in the truth… believeth all things… Charity never faileth” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

We’ve thought of the great lovingkindness of God;

We’ve studied the Person and work of His Son.

We’ve learned to believe Him, which shouldn’t seem odd,

In view of the things He has said and has done.

Our God never fails; His light and His love

Have taught us to trust what the Scriptures have said;

His prophets foretold He would come from above

And promised, as well, He would rise from the dead.

This God is our God; we will trust Him forever,

Since He is our Guide until death and beyond.

His Word is the truth; it will pass away never.

His evidence stands, so we gladly respond.

O Lord, our Beloved, our Wonderful Savior,

How great is the sureness You give to our mind!

We joy in the truth as we study Your favor

And strengthen our faith by the proof that we find.

Showing the Shields

“O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph… The shields of the earth belong unto God: He is greatly exalted” (Psalm 47:1,9).  “There is a way which seemeth right to 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… In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge” (Proverbs 14:12,15,26).

The shields of earth all belong to our God,

Including the earth’s atmosphere.

How great is our Lord!  Let us loudly applaud!

He’s worthy of worship and fear!

The shields of earth that afford us protection,

We sensibly we ought to perceive,

Have come by design, not by mindless selection,

As many would have us believe.

The simple, however, believe every word,

Though evidence otherwise shows

That what fools are claiming is blindly absurd,

Though cloaked with a technical prose.

Now this is the lesson God’s shield presents:

We borrow from Him every breath.

The fear of the Lord gives us strong confidence

In Christ who redeems us from death.

The Lord is the Savior and He is the Shield

Of all who will call on His name,

But those who resist Him, refusing to yield,

Can only look forward to shame.

O Lord, we give thanks for this shield of grace

By which we are now justified,

For You are our Refuge affording a place  

Where we, with strong confidence, hide.

Strengthened in Stillness

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea… The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted… Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:1-10).

God is our Refuge who strengthens our heart;

He’s present when trouble near.

Even if all of the earth falls apart,
He tells us there’s no need to fear.

The mountains may crash in the midst of the sea,

Obeying the voice of God’s s will,

Yet this is the voice that says, “Come unto Me”,

Commanding His own to “be still.”

The nations shall come in the Great Tribulation,

And all of their rage shall be felt.

The Lord will then utter, in His indignation,

His voice, and the earth shall then melt.

Be still and be strengthened; consider these things,

And in this reflection, rejoice:

Our Refuge, our God, and our great King of kings

Has comforted us with His voice.

O Lord, we give thanks for Your comfort today

Conveyed in the forty-sixth Psalm.

In stillness we’re strengthened as we hear You say:

“Be still,” and our hearts are made calm.

The Rock is Right

“He is the Rock… a God of truth and without iniquity, just and RIGHT is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4).  “The Word of the Lord is RIGHT” (Psalm 33:4).  “The thoughts of the righteous are RIGHT… The way of a fool is RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES… The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor, but the way of the wicked seduceth them” (Proverbs 12:5,15,26).   

The Lord is right.  His Word is true,

Though mockers in these days will mock.

No matter what they say or do,

God does not change.  He is the Rock.

The fool is right in his own eyes,

Asserting things he does not know.

He surely thinks that he is wise,

But God declares it isn’t so.

A fool may have intelligence,

But he refuses God’s instruction.

Until the day that he repents,

His eyes are blinded by seduction.

The one who trusts in God is right,

Yet must be careful every day.

Against seduction he must fight,

Lest he be likewise led astray.

Seduction dominates our schools,

Indoctrinating thus our youth.

Their atheistic doctrine rules;

They learn, but never know the truth.

Lord, help us in these days to talk

About the things that really matter.

To demonstrate that You’re the Rock,

And all Your foes, like chaff, will scatter.

O Lord, our Rock of endless years,

You are the Final Absolute.

So send us forth with seed and tears

To preach the Gospel, bearing fruit.