Mercies of Ministries

“Take away the filthy garments from him…. Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment… Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge, then… I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by” (Zechariah 3:4,7).  “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… having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us” (Romans 12:1,6). 

Behold the mercies of our Lord

Who takes away our filthy clothes

And gives us garments which afford

A ministry that He bestows. 

Thus clothed in garments of His grace

Reflecting His own righteousness,

He gives His servants each a place

To minister where He will bless. 

How rightly the apostle Paul

Beseeches every one in Christ  

By mercies to surrender all

As those alive, yet sacrificed. 

How great indeed this privilege is

As God bestows on us this favor

To be ambassadors of His

To show the mercies of our Savior! 

Consider how our Savior lifts

Our souls, once clothed in sin and shame,

To minister, equipped with gifts

By which we glorify His name! 

The angels now must watch with wonder

At mercies God extends to us,

As we are servants prone to blunder,

Yet serve our Lord so glorious! 

O Lord, we give You thanks this day

For mercies You so freely give: 

All we like sheep have gone astray;

You gave Your life that we might live!

Lord, cleanse us thoroughly within

As sacrifices purged from leaven. 

You died to save us from us our sin;

You rose to guarantee us heaven. 

Until we’re gathered at Your throne

With Your redeemed on heaven’s shores,

Lord, help us make Your mercies known

And serve as Your ambassadors.

Mirror of His Mind

“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?  Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him” (Psalm 30:4,5).  “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord?  Or who hath been His counselor?” (Romans 11:33.34).

The Lord has ascended above;

The world beheld Him below. 

Christ clearly reflected God’s love

Through mercy He came to bestow. 

The world beheld then His power,

Controlling the wind and the waves. 

The ends of the earth to this hour

Have witnessed His power that saves. 

The earth is aware of His name,

Not only through all  His creation,

But also because our Lord came

Bestowing upon us salvation. 

His Word is a perfect reflection

Of Christ who performed all that’s written,

Fulfilling each word with perfection

Foretelling that He would be smitten. 

Despised and rejected of men,

As God, through the Isaiah, foretold,

His hands and His feet were pierced then,

As God said through David of old. 

The  Lord is exceedingly kind

To show us His counsel ahead,

To mirror the thoughts of His mind,

And faithfully do what He said. 

This kindness that God thus displays,

Foretelling the things He would do,

Now mirrors His excellent ways,

Thus proving the Scriptures are true. 

O Lord, we give thanks this blessing

Reflecting Your counsel revealed. 

There’s no reason now to be guessing;

Salvation has not been concealed! 

Lord, help us to be as Your mirror,

Reflecting what You have made known,

As You are preparing the hearer

To trust in Your counsel alone. 

Turning to Trust

“How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God!  Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings” (Psalm 36:7).  “Whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25).  “Turn ye unto Me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you” (Zechariah 1:3).  “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). 

How excellent it is to trust

Our Lord who is the King of kings! 

When every kingdom turns to dust

We’ll still be safe beneath His wings. 

How rightly we should trust the Lord;  

His faithfulness is on display. 

His prophecies may be explored

To verify His truth today.

We see His work in all creation,

From molecules to outer space.

We hear the Word of His salvation

That saves the trembling soul by grace.

There is no other place to turn

As we approach eternity. 

Our Lord and Savior died to earn

The ransom that would make us free. 

We hear the voice of God today

That bids each soul to flee from wrath. 

Now what more could He do and say

To call us to salvation’s path? 

Eternal destinies are grim

For all who will refuse the Savior,

But all who put their trust in Him

Shall find their refuge in His favor.

Now all who call upon the name

Of Christ the Lord in true surrender,

Shall thus be saved from sin and shame

Through Christ their Savior and Defender! 

It’s not a matter of opinion;

The Gospel leaves no room for doubt. 

The soul rejecting Christ’s dominion

Has spurned God’s Gift and cast it out.

O Lord, we see that life is short;

We know eternity is long! 

Your Gospel gives a right report,

And those who turn away are wrong. 

O Lord, though many still are spurning

Your great salvation You impart,

We pray for souls whom You are turning

To trust in You with all their heart.   

Prosperous Praise

“Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.  And my tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness and of Thy praise all the day long” (Psalm 35:27,28).  “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:14).  “From this day will I bless you” (Haggai 2:7).  “Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed” (Romans 9:33). 

Let Jesus Christ be magnified

Who takes such pleasure in His own:
For us He suffered and He died
To bear our punishment alone!

How kind is God who longs to bless

His people with prosperity
By clothing them in righteousness
Which saves the soul eternally! 

So let our hearts bring forth a song

To tell of mercy we have found,
And let us praise Him all day long
With all who know the joyful sound. 

There is a path that souls discover

In which prosperity begins:
We must confess the wrong we cover,
Acknowledging to God our sins. 

Repentance is a path we choose

To turn from sin in which we live;
Praise God for what we thereby lose
And for His mercy He will give! 

There never was a sweeter loss 

That souls could thus experience,
For Jesus Christ upon the cross
Took all our sins in our defense! 

From that day forth our souls are blest

When we receive Him as our Savior.
In Him alone we find our rest
And prosper in His loving favor.

Praise God!  We shall not be ashamed

Who put our trust in Jesus Christ,
For by His ransom we are claimed,
Since He for us was sacrificed!

O Lord, receive our grateful praise

For this prosperity we find
As we are walking in Your ways,
As all Your sheep are thus inclined. 

As long as there are sheep astray,

Lord, grant us praise that’s prosperous
Which shall persuade the lost to pray
And find the love You have for us.

Listen to His Lessons

“Come, ye children, hearken unto Me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD” (Psalm 34:11).  “My son, be wise, and make My heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth Me.  A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished” (Proverbs 27:11,12).  “Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways” (Haggai 1:7).  “Brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh… Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (Romans 8:12,37). 

Our Father in heaven is speaking

To those who are truly His own,
And surely we ought to be seeking
To learn what the Lord would make known. 

Now come!  He invites us to hear

And learn what is good for the soul. 
He teaches about godly fear
And wisdom that gives Him control. 

So many cannot even see

The evil to which they now race. 
They seal their sad destiny
Forever without saving grace. 

Now this is where wisdom begins:

We fear the Lord, seeking His favor,
Who hides us from judgment for sins
When trusting in Him as our Savior. 

The fear of God teaches us still

The wisdom of seeking His pleasure,
The blessing of doing His will,
And nearness with Him that we treasure.

The Lord says, “Consider your ways.”

That’s surely a good place to start. 
Are we occupied with His praise?
Is He on the throne of our heart?

We’re bought with our Lord’s sacrifice;

We’re debtors to heaven above!
We cannot repay such a price,
But we can now serve Him with love. 

O Lord, our great Victor in strife,

We thank You for this confidence
In lessons You teach us in life
As conquerors by Your defense. 

O Lord, we can now understand,

The lessons You teach us today
Have guided us here by Your hand
Protecting us as we obey. 

O may we draw still closer, Lord,

Until in Your presence we’re brought
And show other souls Your reward
In lessons You’ve graciously taught.

Awe, Affection, and Adoration

“Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in AWE of Him.  For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast…. The counsel of the LORD standeth forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations… Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death” (Psalm 33:8-19).  “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in his love, He will joy over thee with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). 

How mighty is the Lord our God!

He spoke, and all things then existed! 
The thoughts of men are surely odd
Who think His might may be resisted! 

Let all the earth now stand in awe

In view of what our God has done! 
Now hear the counsel of His Law,
And trust the Savior, God the Son!  

His Law is right which must condemn

The soul that sins against the Lord,
But Christ was born in Bethlehem
To drink our cup of judgment poured. 

Behold, His marvelous affection

On those deserving only wrath!
He surely sees our imperfection,
Yet shines His mercy on our path!

Let adoration now abound

In hearts who contemplate His ways,
Who drink His cup of blessing found
Which overflows with endless praise!

Rejoice now in the King of kings

With those surrounding Him above,
As over us our Savior sings,
And He is resting in His love!

O Lord, we stand in awe of You

And marvel at Your love for us! 
We worship with these things in view:
Your grace and truth are marvelous!

Until we see You face to face,

Lord, help us rightly manifest
The wonders of Your saving grace
And of Your love in which You rest.