Wait on His Word

“Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day… Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will He teach sinners in the way” (Psalm 25:5,8).  “Every word of God is pure: he is a Shield unto them that put their trust in Him” (Proverbs 30:5).  “Hearken to Me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD… My righteousness is near; My salvation is gone forth… the isles shall wait upon Me, and on Mine arm shall they trust” (Isaiah 51:1,5).  “God, who… spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son… who… by Himself purged our sins” (Hebrews 1:1-3). 

How gracious God is who will teach

The hearts that wait on what He’ll say.
How great His love is that will reach
The sinners taught to know His way. 

Of all the things that God has taught,

The greatest lesson is salvation!
There is no greater, sweeter thought
Than how He saves from condemnation! 

The Word of God is very pure,

Unlike the falsehood of this age.
His words forever shall endure
When kings and nations cease to rage. 

All those who follow righteousness,

Who seek the Lord with godly fear,
Are lifted from their soul’s distress
By God who brings salvation near!

Our hope is not in things of dust

Which all shall pass away in time;
In God our Savior we will trust
And wait upon His Word sublime! 

The Word of God has never failed,

His promises were never broken.
He sent His Son who then prevailed,
Accomplishing what had spoken. 

Our sins by Jesus Christ were purged,

He rose from death with saving power,
And by His Spirit He has urged
The lost to trust Him in this hour.

O Lord, we thank You that You speak

To those who on Your Word will wait!
There is no sweeter truth to seek;
There is no other need so great!

Questioning the Qualified

“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD?  Or who shall stand in His holy place?  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.  He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of His salvation… He is the King of glory” (Psalm 24:3-10).  “Every man's judgment cometh from the LORD” (Proverbs 29:26).  “He is near that justifieth me… Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me?... Who is among you that feareth the LORD… and hath no light?  Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God” (Isaiah 50:8-10).  “Receive him as myself.  If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account” (Philemon 1:17,18). 

Who shall ascend and be able to stand

Before the Lord God who is holy?
What do His qualifications demand,
And who can be justified fully? 

Clean hands, a pure heart without vanity,

And never a word falsely spoken:
The Lord God has looked on humanity,
And all of these laws have been broken!

Still everyone’s judgment must come from the Lord,

For justice provides no exemption,
But God found a way by His grace to afford
A Refuge in Christ through redemption.

Now who can condemn those by Christ justified 

Who died for our qualification?
The wounds in His hands, in His feet, and His side
Reflect how He paid for salvation.

We trust in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Who settles the sinner’s account. 
He stood in our place and was thus sacrificed
For us upon on Calvary’s Mount. 

O Lord, we give thanks!  We shall never forget:

You rescued us when we were lost,
And now every qualification is met
Since You died to cover the cost! 

Dear Shepherd vs. Death's Shadow

“The LORD is my Shepherd… Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:1-4).  “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).  “Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee… Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands” (Isaiah 49:8-16).  “The kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:4,5).

The Lord is my Shepherd; I’ve no cause for fear,

For death cannot threaten my soul now with loss.  
Though all of my sins on a long list appear,
Praise God!  All my sins were removed by His cross!

The Lord is my Refuge, my wonderful King,
My Shepherd who selflessly laid down His life,
My Hero who died to rob death its sting,  
And my risen Savior, triumphant in strife!

The shadow of death cannot cover our sins,

For death has no mercy on those without Christ.
There’s only one way that salvation begins: 
By trusting the Shepherd for us sacrificed.

Today is the day that our Lord Jesus stands

And knocks on the door to gain entrance to hearts.
Behold, He is knocking with nail-scarred hands,
Yet many refuse Him, and mercy departs!

The kindness and love of our God has appeared

By sending our Shepherd, His own precious Son!
For us our Lord died that our debt may be cleared,
That death might be conquered, and salvation won! 

For us He was laid in a laid in a tomb for three days

Allowing death’s shadow upon Him to loom.
For us He then rose, filling hearts with His praise,
Displaying the proof of His vacated tomb!

O Lord, our dear Shepherd, we see now this table

You’re spreading before us in view of our foes.
The bread and the wine tell us how You were able
To purchase salvation when You died and rose.

Victorious Shepherd, You gave Your last breath

And fought on the cross till the work was completed.
The valley remains with its shadow of death,
Yet now we rejoice that its sting is defeated!

Adoring and Adorning

“The assembly of the wicked have enclosed Me: they pierced My hands and My feet.  I may tell all My bones: they look and stare upon Me.  They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture… A seed shall serve Him… and shall declare His righteousness… that He hath done this.” (Psalm 22:16-31).  “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1).  “I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I shewed it thee… Thou hast heard, see all this; and will not ye declare it?” (Isaiah 48:5,6).  “Adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that… the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.. gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus 2:10-14). 

The prophecies concerning Christ

Upon the awful cross were true:
Behold our Savior sacrificed,
Foreseen throughout Psalm twenty-two!

They pierced our Savior’s hands and feet;

The soldiers gambled for His clothes,
And when redemption was complete,
In three days, as foretold, He rose!

Consider well this great precision

We clearly see here prophesied,
For God alone could give this vision
Of how our Lord and Savior died.

Though we may plan for our tomorrow,

We surely cannot see ahead.
The foresight that we have we borrow
By trusting what the Lord has said.

In view of prophecy’s detail

To thus declare with certainty
The grace of God, how can we fail
To preach the Gospel urgently? 

Adorned with grace that we declare,

We bring the doctrine of our Savior:
The time has come to now beware,
To seek the Lord, and find His favor!

The time has come, O Lord, as well,

To give You back in fullest measure
Our souls that You redeemed from hell
And live our days now for Your pleasure. 

We thank You, Lord, that You adorn

Our souls with garments of Your grace 
And for the prospect of that morn
When we’ll adore You face to face!

Cannot Cancel

“The king shall joy in Thy strength, O LORD; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!” (Psalm 21:1).  “The curse causeless shall not come” (Proverbs 26:2).  “The truth… is after godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 2:1,2).

Our God, by nature, cannot lie.

His promises He’ll always keep.
His holiness He can’t deny,
Nor shall His justice ever sleep.

Since all have sinned (and not just some),

We see a problem here begins:
The curse of God must surely come
For every soul on earth that sins. 

Alas!  This curse includes us all;

Like sheep we wandered from His path.
His curse of judgment now must fall
To satisfy His holy wrath!

Yet God has found a righteous way

To save us without compromise:
Though we like sheep have gone astray,
Our God is Just who justifies! 

Before creation had begun

Our God had promised a solution:
The Lamb of God, His holy Son,
Would satisfy His retribution!

Our Lord could never cease to be

The holy God He ever is: 
He had to die to set us free
And ransom us who now are His.

How greatly we rejoice in Christ!

Yet now we warn those still in sin:
Our gracious Lord was sacrificed
To save all those who let Him in. 

Though for a season Christ will knock

And seek for entrance at the door,
The sinner can’t forever mock,
And cannot cancel wrath in store. 

We thank You, Lord, that You would die

And thereby to Yourself be true,
That You might justly justify
The sinners who will trust in You!

Preach the Proof

“We will remember the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).  “Remember the former things of old: for I am God… and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Isaiah 46:9,10).  “Preach the word… For the time will come when they… shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables… Do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2-5).

Remembering our Savior’s name

Is more than titles called to mind. 
It is the reason for His fame
With evidence we amply find.

Remembering the former things  

That God Himself declared of old,
We see the evidence this brings
By prophecies that were foretold. 

There’s none like God throughout the ages,

Declaring things that would be done.
Thus written on prophetic pages,
No promise failed; no, not one! 

In Christ these prophecies fulfilled

Convince our hearts with their perfection!
Behold the Lamb of God thus killed,
His burial, and resurrection! 

We should not be surprised at some

Who turn away from hearing proof,
For prophets said the days would come
When many yet would stand aloof. 

Our evidence is surely able

To prove our Gospel’s truth is right,
Yet many will prefer a fable
And love the darkness more than light.

The work of an evangelist

Includes the preaching of salvation
With ample reasons that exist
That give our faith a sure foundation.

O Lord, we preach the proof today

That shows Your truth with certainty.
Though earth and heaven pass away,
Your words shall stand eternally.

Lord, thank You for these proofs displayed

That we may preach with confidence
The Gospel by which we persuade
The lost who heed Your evidence.

Mouth and Mind

“The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart… sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb… and in keeping of them there is great reward.  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my Strength, and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:8-14).  “My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:  so shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off” (Proverbs 24:13,14).  “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22).  “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16,17). 

The statutes of the Lord are right,

And knowing this, I will rejoice!
My meditation day and night
Is in the sweetness of God’s voice!

Yes, sweeter than the honeycomb

Are words inspired by the Lord
That teach us heaven is our home
And Christ Himself is our Reward. 

In honey there’s a parallel

Portrayed in how we think and eat: 
As on the Word of God we dwell,
We’re strengthened, and His voice is sweet.

My mouth thus hungers for His Word;

My meditation seeks to find
The thoughts of God, and I am stirred
With joy that satisfies my mind.

The Word of God gives expectation

Of things He promised He will do.
Our faith thus grows by meditation,
Convincing us His Word is true. 

Our mouth is then prepared to speak

The truth transcending mere opinion. 
We therefore plead with souls to seek
The safety of our Lord’s dominion.

Though some will mock how we’ve behaved,

We must not alter what God said:
“Look unto Me, and be ye saved!” 
This is His Gospel that we spread.

All Scripture is by God inspired

And carries His authority.
There’s nothing more that is required: 
It is the Truth that makes us free.

O Lord, we thank You that You placed

Your words within our mouth and mind.
How sweet Your words are to our taste!
How great Your thoughts are that we find!

Genesis of Gentleness

“Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation: and Thy right hand hath holden me up, and Thy gentleness hath made me great” (Psalm 18:35).  “My son, give Me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe My ways” (Proverbs 23:26).  “Thou shalt not be forgotten of Me.  I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee” (Isaiah 44:21,22).  “The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will” (2 Timothy 2:24-26). 

Now how can gentleness be learned

In such an atmosphere so cruel,
In such a time when truth is spurned,
In such a place of Satan’s rule?

Behold, in Christ we have salvation, 

And He will shield us from hate.
He loved us in humiliation;
His gentleness has made us great.

“My son,” He says, “give Me thine heart,

And let thine eyes observe My ways.”
He makes our bitterness depart;
His gentleness and goodness stays.

The genesis of gentleness

Originates in Christ our Savior. 
He is the Fountain that will bless
The souls who seek His gentle favor. 

How gently He removes all doubt

From every soul He has redeemed!
By grace our sins are blotted out;
His love is greater than we dreamed!

Into this world we are sent,

To show our Savior’s gentle love,
And when a sinner will repent,
There’s joy in heaven up above!

O Lord, what gentleness is shown

As we can see You reach each soul
To make Your lovingkindness known,
And in Your mercy make them whole.

So teach us, Lord, to love like You

With patience as we reach the lost, 
Persuading them of what is true
And teaching them to count the cost.

Counsel of His Calling

“As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Psalm 17:15).  “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?” (Proverbs 22:20,21).  “Beside Me there is no savior... I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43:11,25).  “For God… hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:7,9). 

We see the purpose God has planned

Through His amazing grace:
To blamelessly before Him stand
And thus behold His face. 

How wonderful His calling is

That gives such certainty
To His redeemed who thus are His
For all eternity!

He purged our sins for His own sake

To grant this expectation:
To be like Him when we awake,
Made righteous through salvation. 

Exactly as He prophesied,

Christ carried out His plan:
He saw it and was satisfied
Before the world began. 

Besides You, Lord, there is no savior;

There is no saving path
To righteously extend Your favor
And rescue us from wrath.

Uphold us in our calling, Lord,

To make Your Gospel known,
So others, too, make look toward
The blessings You have shown!

Directing our Delight

“I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.  Therefore my heart is glad” (Psalm 16:8,9).  “A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way” (Proverbs 21:29).  “Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My Spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles” (Isaiah 42:1).  “Our Lord Jesus Christ…in His times… shall show who is… the King of kings and Lord of lords… to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:14-16).

 

There is a single resting place

Where we may set our heart’s delight: 

Upon the Lord, our  Source of grace,

Our Refuge every day and night. 

 

We dare not turn away our glance

And set our hope in other things.

Our hope is not in circumstance,

But in our Lord, the King of kings! 

 

Upon the Lord we set our heart,

That One by whom we have been pardoned.

Let all distractions now depart

By which we vainly may be hardened!

 

Behold God’s Servant and our Savior: 

The Father’s joy in Him is full!

He brings to us salvation’s favor

And satisfies the longing soul!

 

Behold Him now at God’s right hand,

And yet at our right hand as well. 

We love Him as we understand

That He has rescued us from hell.

 

His love has surely thus been proved;

He loved His own until the end,

And therefore we shall not be moved,

For Christ is our Defense and Friend.  

 

Our focus rightly is directed

To Jesus Christ, the Lord of lords.

His work in us shall be perfected:

What confidence He thus affords! 

 

O Lord, we know You’ll show in time,

When every mocking tongue is halted,

That Your name only is sublime

When You supremely are exalted. 

 

O Lord, that time shall surely come,

Yet now before that day’s arrival,

Our daily joy is flowing from

Delight in You that brings revival.

 

 

Holiness Helper

“LORD, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle?  Who shall dwell in Thy holy hill?  He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart” (Psalm 15:1,2).  “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” (Proverbs 20:9).  “The LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee” (Isaiah 41:13).  “I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things” (1 Timothy 5:21).

The Lord dwells in His holiness

Where angels always do His will,
So who then has the righteousness
To dwell within His holy hill? 

Our every way the Lord has pondered:

Our walk, our work, and all we say.
He knows how often we have wandered
And from His will have gone astray.

We surely wouldn’t have a chance,

If not for God’s preserving grace,
To walk with God or even glance
Within His holy dwelling place!

As silver purged of all its dross,

We are made pure by Christ alone.
He purged our sins upon His cross
And made His mercy to us known. 

“Fear not!”  We hear our Savior speak,

Assuring us He holds our hand.
He strengthens us when we are weak,
And by His grace He makes us stand.

It is before our God and Savior

And all His angels we are charged
To honor God in our behavior
With hearts by holiness enlarged.

O Lord our God, we have no claim

To holiness apart from You!
Upon the cross You bore our shame
To purge transgressions from Your view.

So may You daily find us, Lord,

Increasing in our consecration
With holiness that You afford
That manifests Your great salvation.

Withering Grass vs. Wonderful Grace

“The LORD looked down… to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:2,3).  “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.  There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand” (Proverbs 19:20,21).  “Surely the people is grass.  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.  O Zion, that bringest good tidings… say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!” (Isaiah 40:7-9).  “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1). 

The Lord looked down from heaven’s height

To see if any understood,
To see if any in His sight
Would seek for God and do what’s good. 

Alas, they all are gone aside!

Not even one is so inclined
To turn to God before they’ve died
Among the souls of all mankind.

Except our gracious Lord had cherished  

Our souls, it would have come to pass
That we forever would have perished
When we had withered as the grass.

But God has given us His Word

And has reproved us by His Spirit,
So we by grace may thus be stirred
To heed His Gospel when we hear it.

The grass shall wither, flowers fade,

But counsel from our God shall stand,
Yet many foolishly will trade
The Rock of truth for shifting sand.

God’s Spirit thus has testified

That there would surely be seduction
Deceiving some who have denied  
The Gospel to their own destruction. 

O Lord, we’re debtors to Your grace!

How graciously You thus extend
The Word of God where we may trace
Such wisdom for our latter end! 

O Lord, as grass, our days are few;

How short time is after birth!
Yet we entrust our souls to You,
The Lord of heaven and of earth. 

Until we stand on heaven’s shore,

Thus gathered with Your children there,
Lord, use us now to gather more
With wondrous grace that we declare.

Separation of Salvation

“I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation” (Psalm 13:5).  “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.  A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself… The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe… There is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:1-24).  “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh… preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Timothy 3:16). 

The moment people have decided

To seek the truth of God’s salvation,
They may be sure they’ll be divided
From those who spurn their separation. 

It never could be otherwise! 

We leave the darkness for the light.
We either choose to close our eyes
Or open them to find what’s right.

The fool remains content with sin

And counts our separation strange.
He scorns all those who would begin
To seek the Lord’s transforming change.

Yet in this search we’re not alone

As from the darkness we depart,
For God will make salvation known
To those who seek with all their heart.

We find in Christ a mighty Tower

Where sinners run and thus are saved!
He makes us righteous by His power
Though we were once in sin depraved.

How great we find this mystery:

By Christ our Lord we were befriended,
Who suffered in humility
For sinful souls that He defended! 

O Lord, we cannot contemplate

The endless depths of Your great love
Compelling You to separate
Yourself from splendor up above.

Yet we are sure of this, O Lord,

That You came down in humble birth
That sinners might be drawn toward
Our God Incarnate on the earth.  

O Lord, we join those happy ranks,  

And drawn with them we blend our voice
To worship You with heartfelt thanks
And in Your saving grace rejoice!

Changeless Charges

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, Thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever” (Psalm 12:6,7).  “Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers… A foolish son is a grief to his father” (Proverbs 17:6,25).  “The father to the children shall make known thy truth” (Isaiah 38:19).  “God our Savior… will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:3-6). 

The words of God have been preserved

Through every generation.
How wondrously His truth has served
To teach our youth salvation!

How needful is this changeless treasure

Of God’s eternal truth
To show with confidence and pleasure
His Gospel to our youth.

We dare not trust this world’s school

To train our youth today
That celebrates the godless fool
Who casts God’s Word away!

As God in mercy yet enlarges

Our influential sphere
To children’s children, we have charges
To make His Gospel clear.

And so to sinners yet estranged

From Christ by their behavior,
The Gospel’s message hasn’t changed: 
He is the only Savior!

To us as parents God extends

His words of certainty
To teach our children, whom He lends,
The truth that makes them free.

O Lord our God, our great Creator,

We marvel at Your plan,
That brought You as our Mediator
Between our God and man! 

Lord, since Your charges are the same,

Unchanged throughout the ages, 
We pray our youth may rightly claim  
Your truth in Scripture’s pages.