Weightier Witness

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him" (Psalm 62:5).  "If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of His Son" (1 John 5:9). 

Receiving the witness of men

Is something we do every day. 

We do it again and again,

Believing the things that they say. 

We follow the signs on the road,

We swallow prescriptions received,

We pay what the clerk says is owed,

Because of the witness believed. 

When jurors are brought into court

To hear what each witness has said,

At last they are called to report

Their findings where evidence led.

Such findings indeed may be flawed,

Yet still we accept their direction. 

Much more, then, the witness of God

Is weightier by its perfection!

O Lord, we give thanks for Your Word

Which prophesied of Your salvation.

All doubt is thus rendered absurd

In view of Your clear declaration. 

Lord, help us to use each occasion,

In view of the witness You gave,

To win by Your weighty persuasion

The souls You are longing to save.

Higher Help

"Thy God helpeth thee" (1 Chronicles 12:18).   "Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.  For Thou hast been a Shelter for me, and a strong Tower from the enemy"  (Psalm 61:2,3).   "He is a Shield unto them that put their trust in Him" (Proverbs 30:5).  "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). 

There is no helper that is higher

Than God Almighty, our Creator.

Our circumstances may be dire,

But Jesus Christ our Lord is greater. 

He is the Rock whereon we stand.  

He is our Shelter and our Tower.

He is our Shield near at hand

Who guards us with His saving power.

So let us to our Rock ascend,

And to our Tower let us go!

Our risen Lord, our greatest Friend,

Is greater that our strongest foe! 

How safely we may trust in Christ;

How rightly is He daily praised!

To save us He was sacrificed;

To justify us He was raised. 

The Lord of lords, the King of kings,

Descended from His holy throne

To shelter us beneath His wings

That we might trust in Him alone. 

O Lord, our Helper from above,

Your higher help has been displayed! 

We are astonished at Your love

And at the ransom that You paid! 

Lord, send us to the harvest field,

Commissioned with Your declaration,

To show the higher help revealed

In You, the Lord of our salvation. 

Beholding the Banner

"Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth" (Psalm 60:4).  "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God... Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:1-3). 

Lift high now the glorious banner

Displaying the truth of God's love,

Declaring His marvelous manner

That fits us for heaven above. 

This banner of truth that God gave

To those who are now born again

Proclaims that our Lord came to save

And ransom the children of men. 

Consider the marvelous fashion

In which God has rescued the lost:   

Our Lord was so moved with compassion,

He paid an unspeakable cost!

Though now it does not yet appear

What God has bestowed on His own,

The day which approaches draws near 

When those who are His shall be shown. 

We'll see Him that day face to face,

Beholding Him then as He is,

And we shall be changed by His grace

To manifest that we are His. 

In view of this banner, O Lord,

Proclaiming the reason You died,

How rightly You should be adored

And hearts should be thus purified!

Beholding the banner You give,

O Lord, we go forth to proclaim

That sinners may yet look and live

Who humbly will call on Your name. 

Divine Defense

“God is my Defense, and the God of my mercy” (Psalm 59:17).  “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy… He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool” (Proverbs 28:13,26).  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness…If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous” (1 John 1:9; 2:1). 

I trust the Lord as my Defender;

I have no other confidence. 

I find my refuge in surrender

To Him alone as my Defense.  

How often He has rescued me

As He has searched my inward part

With His reproof that set me free

From trusting in my foolish heart.

He knows my heart is still inclined

To go astray in foolishness,

Yet He is faithful, just, and kind

To cleanse my heart when I confess. 

He calls me back into His light

Where sins confessed are then forsaken.

He leads me in the way that’s right,

And shows me where I was mistaken. 

He is my Advocate and Savior: 

He shows His wounds to plead my cause! 

He covers me with saving favor;

With cords of love my heart He draws. 

O Lord, my soul’s Defense Divine,

You’ve heard my soul’s accuser roar. 

My sins are listed, line by line,

But You remember them no more! 

It was for me, O Lord, You died;

Divine Defense had such a cost!

Your justice has been satisfied;

Your ransom justifies the lost!

Lord, send me with the declaration

That Your Divine Defense is true! 

You died to purchase our salvation;

You live to save those trusting You! 

Gladness and Glory of God

"My son, be wise, and make My heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth Me" (Proverbs 27:11).  "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

This is the principle, simple and true,

That always will guide us aright:

Make the Lord glad and His glory pursue,

And shine before others His light.

This is purpose and goal that we need

To sort out the good and the bad.

Hear now the Lord with His child now plead:

"Be wise" now, "and make My heart glad!"

How shall we answer?  Should we hesitate

In view to our Father's request?

Let us not waiver or procrastinate

To do what He shows us is best!

Whatever we do, our priority one

Should be to give glory to God.

Let's seek for His gladness and for His "Well done!"

Regard not if others applaud.

Receive, Lord, the gladness and glory

You rightly deserve from Your own 

As we are recounting the story

Of love for the lost You have shown.