Elevated Honor of the Eleventh Hour

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which... had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day.... And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them.... Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive..... They received every man a penny.... But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more, and they likewise received a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured.... But he answered one of them and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong... Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?" (Matthew 20:1-15).

Sweet is the labor for God in our youth,
When children will come to the Lord.
Yet even those older who come to the truth,
Receive their Redeemer's reward.

Those who have struggled until later on,
Who lived without knowing God's power,
Will find condemnation is nonetheless gone,
Though saved in their life's latest hour.

To those who might say: "That doesn't seem right",
The Lord says, "I do thee no wrong."
Salvation's reward is not by your fight,
Or labor, no matter how long!

Though there are blessings and crowns as we run,
We're not in this race to compete,
But rather to please Him and hear His "Well done!"
The crowns we will cast at His feet.

Train up a child as God's Word has told,
And lead them to come to the Savior.
Yet let us remember that those who are old
May still enter into His favor.

Blessing of Bezaleel

"And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, See, I have called by name Bezaleel (Heb. in God's shade)... and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge.... and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee" (Exodus 31:1-6). "Trust in the Lord with all of thine heart, and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5,6).

When we're close to God, we walk in His shade,
As Bezaleel, whom He had named.
God knew the purpose for which he was made,
A blessing that Bezaleel claimed.

God has purpose that He will reveal
To those who will trust in the Lord.
So may He find us just like Bezaleel,
Whom God did so richly reward!

For God has a work that still is unfinished,
A venture He said will not fail:
His power and purpose, still undiminished,
For building His Church will prevail.

God has a plan, and we all have parts,
In building as He is commanding.
God's eye is searching obedient hearts,
To whom He may give understanding.

Trust in the Lord in all of your ways,
And lean on Him where He will lead.
For He will direct you to live for His praise,
And give you the wisdom you need.

More and More

"I will hope continually, and will yet praise Thee more and more" (Psalm 71:14). "For the Lord giveth wisdom.... He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous" (Proverbs 2:6,7).

I will yet praise You, O Lord, more and more
And trust you continually,
As long as I draw from Your limitless store
Of wisdom You've laid up for me.

I will yet hope in You, Lord, more and more;
How clearly You show me I can!
You kept every promise that You made before;
It's better to trust You than man.

I will yet love You, O Lord, more and more;
There's so many reasons I should:
To ransom my soul, You made Yourself poor;
You saved me when no one else could!

Fruit of Foolishness

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.... Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from the fear of evil" (Proverbs 1:7,29-33).

Foolishness bears a harvest of fruit
For reapers who sow their destruction.
Refusing the fear of the Lord is its root
And hating His Word of instruction.

How awful this fruit is that many will eat
Because they must have their own way!
And those who admire their way will repeat
The sins that have led them astray.

The turning away of the simple shall slay
And feed them with their condemnation.
But those who will listen to God and obey
Shall safely inhabit salvation.

Continual Connection

"One lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even... This shall be a continual burnt offering... where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.... And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon.... And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning" (Exodus 29:39-42, 30:1-7).

Morning by morning and night after night,
A lamb would be offered, and God would speak there.
Likewise each morning the priest would ignite
The altar of incense that symbolized prayer.

These were the shadows portraying our walk,
Displaying the privilege of daily communion.
By one Lamb we meet and we hear the Lord talk;
We speak to Him also in prayerful reunion.

How great is salvation in all its perfection,
That we should have access to God in this way!
How great is our need of this daily connection,
That we should commune with our Lord everyday!

Lose your Life

"Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, it he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:24-26).

Lose your life for vanity
Or lose your life for Christ.
How dark is the insanity
By emptiness enticed!

The One who came to save your soul
From its eternal loss
Has weighed the price to make us whole,
And paid it on the cross.

Christ decided we were worth
The life He would surrender.
That is why He came to earth
To be our great Defender.

Yet now we have a choice to make:
To follow Christ or not,
And some will make the great mistake,
Exchanging what He bought.

Come, follow after Christ the Lord,
For all who do shall find
That He shall be their great Reward
And give them peace of mind.

Foolish Forecasters

"He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowring. O hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16:2,3).

How is it that they have not known?
How is it that they have not learned?
The signs of times are clearly shown,
Yet even now are not discerned!

For when the sky is red at night,
They know the weather will be fair,
And when it's red at morning light,
For stormy weather they prepare.

The sky is viewed upon its face,
And confidently they forecast.
But now God bids them view His grace,
And put their faith in Christ at last.

What more could our Savior do?
What else could the prophets say?
His signs declare that He is true;
Seek and trust Him while you may!

Come and Consider

"Come and see the works of God: He... turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in Him... Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul" (Psalm 66:5,6,16).

Come and consider the works of our God!
Recall that He turned the sea to dry land.
Moses was told to lift up His rod,
And God then divided the sea with His hand.

Come and consider His works of creation!
How great is His power wherever we look!
He made all things; He laid their foundation:
He spoke and it was; that's all that it took!

Come and consider His work of salvation,
And I will declare what He did for my soul:
He gave Himself for my justification!
His work on the cross paid my ransom in full!

Appropriate Approach

"O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away. Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach unto Thee" (Psalm 65:2-4). "This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:8,9).

Thank you, Lord, for making plain
The way that You will purge:
For men's commandments are found vain,
Which mere traditions urge.

You've heard each humble sinner pray
To You, Lord Jesus Christ,
And all their sins You purged away
When You were sacrificed.

There is no other way to come
Than humbly as we are.
Religion may seem right to some,
But still their hearts are far.

By Your grace our hearts draw near,
And by Your grace alone.
Your perfect love has cast out fear
And drawn us to Your throne!

Declaring His Doing

"All men shall fear, and shall declare the work of God; for they shall wisely consider of His doing. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in Him, all the upright in heart shall glory" (Psalm 64:9,10).

Let us declare the work of God here,
And wisely consider His doing today.
The wisdom from God begins with His fear,
And gladness attends all who trust and obey.

Let us declare the work of His power:
He spoke, and creation began to exist.
By Him all things are still to this hour
Upheld by His Word that none can resist.

Let us declare the work of His love:
To spare us from judgment and eternal loss,
He set aside His glory above,
And humbled Himself, enduring the cross.

Let us declare the work of His truth:
He kept His promise to rise from the grave!
To lofty and low, to old folks and youth,
Let us declare He is faithful to save!

Joy and Love of Jesus our Lord

"Thy lovingkindness is better than life" (Psalm 63:3). "The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field" (Matthew 13:44). "Jesus... for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2).

What was it, Lord, within that field
That gave Your heart such pleasure,
Compelling You for joy to yield
Yourself to buy its treasure?

It was Your lovingkindness, Lord,
That made You sacrifice
For souls that never could afford
Salvation's awful price!

It was Your joy unspeakable
That made you count the cost
And pay our ransom price in full
To save us who were lost.

Your lovingkindness, Lord, is better
Than all this passing life,
Your joy has broken every fetter;
And vanquished judgment's strife.

We thank You that Your love so kind
And joy toward us abound,
For we who once were lost and blind
Can see, and now are found!

Destined for Division

"The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way... The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn" (Matthew 13:24-30).

Though tares and wheat together grow,
They soon will be divided.
In harvest time the Lord will show
Their destinies decided.

Humanity is racing toward
That day of separation
Between all those who love the Lord
And those without salvation.

The tares may share their favorite verse:
"Judge not lest you be judged",
But they shall not escape the curse;
God's wrath shall not be budged.

The Lord is bidding all to come:
But tares will choose derision.
And thus they shall be parted from
The wheat by their decision.

Marvelous Murmurings

"When my heart is overwhelmed, 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. I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings" (Psalm 61:2-4). "Blessed are your eyes, for the see: and your ears, for they hear" (Matthew 13:16).

In those times when I'm distressed
And overwhelmed within,
I may forget how much I'm blessed;
Then murmurings begin.

And when I am in such a case,
God knows what I require:
He leads me to that lofty place,
Up to the Rock that's higher.

From heights that reach eternity
I now can view my lot:
The shelter God has been for me,
And what His grace has wrought.

How marvelous my murmurings
In view of what God did!
He healed me by His sufferings,
And in Him I am hid!

With eyes that see and ears that hear
From heaven's point of view,
The blessings now are very clear,
That flow, O Lord, from You.

Forgive my murmurings, O Lord!
What was I thinking of?
My vantage point has been restored,
By Your amazing love!

Earnest Ears

"Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto My knowledge" (Proverbs 22:17). "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Matthew 13:9).

Come, bow down an earnest ear
To hear that which is wise!
Those who have the ears to hear:
This call to you applies.

Many simply will not fear
And have no interest now;
Those who have the ears to hear,
An earnest ear will bow.

The day is surely drawing near
When Jesus shall return.
Those who have the ears to hear
Will for His coming yearn.

Soon our Savior shall appear
And every knee shall bow.
Those who have the ears to hear
Will do so even now.

Weighing each Word

"But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in day of judgment" (Matthew 12:36).

There is a day we'll give account
For all the things we say.
God will reckon their amount,
And every word will weigh.

All the idle words we've said
While we are here on earth,
Before the living God are spread,
And He will weigh their worth.

A card or letter that we write
Of comfort to the weak,
Shall then be brought into the light
With every word we speak.

A word we said that wasn't true
Or thoughts that were unkind,
Shall all be weighed and in plain view
Of God's omniscient mind.

So let us also weigh what's heard
And speak the truth in love,
For God assesses every word
With perfect weights above.

Sincerely Sinful

"And he [Moses] took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient" (Exodus 24:7). "Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?" (Psalm 58:1). "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man, who can find?.... Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" (Proverbs 20:6,9).

"All that the Lord hath said will we do,"
The people in Moses' day said.
History proves that it just wasn't true,
When sin, like a cancer, had spread.

They didn't judge rightly the truth in their case,
Proclaiming their goodness that way.
Did they not rather require God's grace
To cleanse them and help them obey?

How great is our need for God's intervention
To cleanse us and pardon our sins!
Without His grace, our sincerest intention
Must fail before it begins!

We thank You, our faithful and merciful Savior,
For meeting souls' deepest need:
For paying the price for our sinful behavior,
And cleansing by grace whom You lead.

Changeless Chatter

"But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children" (Matthew 11:16-19).

To what shall we liken that old generation?
It's like our Lord Jesus so aptly portrayed:
A marketplace forum: a vain conversation
With those whom you never can charm or persuade.

We piped to you, but you still wouldn't dance.
We mourned to you, but you still wouldn't cry.
We showed you the way, but you wouldn't glance.
We told you the truth, but you called it a lie.

John came to baptize and thereby make straight
The way of our Savior; for this he was sent.
They demonized John and they could not relate
When he had insisted that they must repent.

Our Lord Jesus Christ then afterward came
With healing, forgiveness, redemption, and grace.
They hated Him more, they blasphemed His name,
They falsely accused Him, and spit in His face.

To what shall we liken this cold generation?
The marketplace chatter has not changed at all,
And still there is no other name for salvation
But Jesus our Savior on whom they may call.

Counted with Compassion

"The tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?" (Psalm 56:8). "The very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30).

God has counted every wandering,
When we walked not in His way.
He perceived our wayward pondering,
When our hearts had gone astray.

God has counted all our tears,
Recording each one in His book.
On our sorrows, doubts, and fears,
With compassion, He did look.

God has counted all our hairs;
He numbered each one on our head.
How good it is to know He cares,
And rest our faith on what He said!

Calling and Casting

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.... Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved" (Psalm 55:17,22). "A Friend loveth at all times, and a Brother is born for adversity" (Proverbs 17:17).

At evening, and morning, and noon will I pray.
I know God has heard me whenever I've cried.
He is my Friend at all times, everyday;
Born for adversity, for me He once died.

Call on the Lord as your unfailing Friend.
Cast on the Lord every burden of care.
Born as a Brother was Christ to this end:
To save you, sustain you, and hear every prayer.

How sweet the assurance: our Lord cannot fail!
Though adversity comes, He rules from above.
No powers against us can ever prevail
To sever our souls from His infinite love.

So Seen

"There came a certain ruler, and worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live.... When the people were put forth, He went in, and took her by the hand, and the made arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.... And the multitudes marvelled, saying, it was never so seen in Israel" (Matthew 9:25-33).

Never so seen, no, not to this hour,
Was mercy and majesty shown,
Than when our Lord Jesus unveiled His power,
And God with us then was made known.

Never so seen was such infinite worth,
Nor such a display of God's grace,
Than when our Lord Jesus descended to earth
To suffer and die in our place.

Never so seen was the marvelous love
That God in our Savior revealed,
Than when our Lord Jesus came down from above
In order that we might be healed.

Never so seen was the manifestation
Of power to conquer the grave,
Than when our Lord Jesus arose with salvation;
He lives, and He's able to save!

Perceiving our Pondering

"The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.... Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge?" (Psalm 53:1,4). "Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more, then, the hearts of the children of men?" (Proverbs 15:11). "And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" (Matthew 9:4).

We do not need to speak a word
For God to know our thought.
All our pondering is heard,
Though we may think it's not.

God has heard the thought of fools
Who say there is no God.
He hears that dogma taught in schools,
With logic false and flawed.

How is it that they have no knowledge,
And truth is never learned?
It does not matter how much college,
Or what degrees they earned.

Our God not only sees the hearts;
He sees their destiny.
The Gospel warning He imparts
Is spurned unceasingly.

Thank you, Lord, that You persist
In searching and revealing
The hearts of rebels who resist,
That they may find Your healing.

Mischievous Man

"Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually" (Psalm 52:1). "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of Man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him!" (Matthew 8:26,27).

Why are you boasting, O mischievous man,
As if over God you'll prevail?
Your arrogant words and your misguided plan
Shall soon be defeated and fail.

You may convince others, O mischievous man,
That evil shall reign as the norm.
But God shall arise, and by His command,
Shall calm all the boast of your storm.

You may have forgotten what manner of Man
Rebuked both the wind and the sea.
He measures the heavens as merely a span;
He spoke, and it all came to be.

Why are you fearful, O child of God?
The mischievous man cannot win!
Don't let his mischief your own faith defraud;
Believe Him who saved you from sin!

Foolish Foundation

"Every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and DOETH THEM NOT, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:26-27).

Hear the account of the house built on sand
That serves as a warning from God:
For when the flood came that house could not stand,
Because the foundation was flawed.

This is the story portraying destruction
By which our Lord Jesus conveyed
The folly of hearing His urgent instruction,
Which thereafter wasn't obeyed.

Foolish foundation! How great is the fall
Of those who will build in this way,
Refusing the mercy of God's gracious call
To come to the Savior today!

Conflicting Counselors

"Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counselors of peace is joy.... In the way of righteousness is life, and in the pathway thereof there is no death" (Proverbs 12:20,28). "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matthew 7:13,14).

Counselors abound today
Who share conflicting points of view:
How then can we know the way
To sort out what is false and true?

Praise the Lord! We have His Word
To guide us on the narrow path,
To prove all things that we have heard,
And give us peace instead of wrath.

The gate is wide, the way is broad,
Now leading souls to their destruction,
Turning hearts away from God,
Deceiving many through seduction.

No wonder, then, we see the gate
That leads us to eternal life
Is narrow as the path is strait,
Opposing counselors of strife!

Thank You, Lord, for making known
The way of life through Christ our Lord.
Our peace is found from Him alone,
Who is our Ransom and Reward.

Truest Treasure

"They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother.... But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me" (Psalm 49:6,7,15). "Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death" (Proverbs 11:4). "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21).

Truest treasure is not wealth
In which so many sadly trust,
Which we shall lose by failed health,
Or else by thieves, or moth, or rust.

Truest treasure will redeem
The soul from wrath and from the grave!
Riches aren't what they seem:
They have no power at all to save.

Truest treasure will impart
What wealth upon this earth cannot.
God's redemption fills the heart
With joy and peace that can't be bought.

Truest treasure is in Christ;
There surely is no other place,
For He alone was sacrificed
To save us by His truth and grace.

Primary Petition

"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.... For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:9-13).

Our God and Father, You are holy,
Yet You sent from heaven's throne,
Your Son, our Savior, meek and lowly,
To ransom those You call Your own!

Thus You brought Your kingdom near
When our Lord and Savior came.
Grace and truth were then made clear
When our Savior bore our shame.

Thus He taught us how to pray
As Your children by new birth,
That Your will be done today,
As in heaven, so on earth.

The first and foremost prayer, however,
Is that Your kingdom come again.
Come, Lord Jesus, reign forever;
Even so, Lord, come. Amen!

Thus we'll pray till You return
And labor till our days shall cease,
As we for Your kingdom yearn,
When Christ shall reign as Prince of Peace.

Ultimate Understanding

"God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding" (Psalm 47:7). "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10).

In all of the earth our God is the King,
No matter who does or who doesn't agree.
With this understanding we joyfully sing
To praise Him who rules by His sovereign decree.

In all of the earth our God is commanding,
Unerring and holy in all of His ways.
This is the knowledge that gives understanding,
That fills us with peace, and inspires our praise!

In all of the earth our God reigns supreme,
Even though now for a season we groan.
Be very sure, things are not what they seem:
Our God is the King, and He rules on His throne.

Calm in the Chaos

"Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.... The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved.... Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us" (Psalm 46:3-11).

Though the waters all have roared
And the mountains have been shaken,
Be still and know that Christ is Lord;
We shall never be forsaken.

Though heathen rage has been outpoured
And the kingdoms have been moved,
Be still and know that Christ is Lord;
Nations soon shall be reproved.

Though God's Word may be ignored
And prosperity be halted,
Be still and know the Christ is Lord;
He shall come and be exalted.

Heaven's Healer

"I am the Lord that healeth thee" (Exodus 15:26). "And Jesus went about... preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.... and they brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and He healed them" (Matthew 4:23,24).

Heaven's Healer came to earth
With His power to make us whole.
With His preaching of new birth,
And His healing for the soul.

Heaven's Healer is the Lord
Who came with heaven's remedy
That only Jesus could afford:
He gave Himself for you and me!

Heaven's Healer will reveal
The Gospel of His great salvation.
Every sinner He will heal,
Responding to His invitation!

Heaven's Healer stands today
With His healing He imparts
To everyone who will obey
Receiving Him within their hearts.

Comanding Cause

"Lift up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it.... and Moses stretched his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided" (Exodus 14:16-21). "For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: by Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst a favor unto them. Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances.... For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me" (Psalm 44:3-6).

Moses lifted up his rod,
And he stretched out his hand,
But the power was of God,
And the cause was His command.

Thus the waters were divided,
And the sea became dry land,
For the battle God decided,
And the cause was His command.

So it was for Israel,
Whom God thus made to stand,
In that land where they would dwell,
And the cause was His command.

I will not trust my feeble arm,
For now I understand:
By God alone I'm kept from harm,
And the cause is His command.

Standing and Starting

"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you today.... And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto Me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward" (Exodus 14:13-15).

There is a time for standing still
When we've done all we know.
There is a time to do His will
When God tells us to go.

God will teach us when to stay
And when to march ahead.
He will lead us in the way
To go where He has said.

God calls for obedience
From those who are His own,
And this shall be their recompense:
To make His glory known.

We may thus anticipate
That God will make it clear
When we ought to go or wait,
If we have ears to hear.

Emmanuel and Emancipator

"And the Lord went before them in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people" (Exodus 14:21,22). "And Thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.... and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" (Matthew 1:21,23).

In a pillar of cloud by day
And a pillar of fire by night,
The Lord went before in the way
To thus lead His people aright.

Their Emancipator that came
To free them would stay with them too.
Our comfort today is the same,
In Christ Who is faithful and true.

The Emancipator who frees us,
Who saved us from all of our sins,
And gave Himself for us is Jesus:
This is where new life begins!

And He is Emmanuel,
"God with us" is what this name means;
For He will be with us as well,
As on Him His sheep safely leans.

Our Lord and Emancipator,
Our Shepherd, Emmanuel,
Jesus, Your name is greater,
Than our stammering tongues can tell!

Past Paths

"And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that way was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt" (Exodus 13:17). "Lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5,6).

Looking back on how God led,
We can see in retrospect,
As the Word of God has said,
He was faithful to direct.

The paths beyond our understanding
We ourselves might not have taken.
But God was on the throne commanding,
And was never found mistaken.

Let us learn from what is past
To lean on Him who knows us best.
We shall surely find at last
That where He led, He also blessed.

Comfort of His Coming

"Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire; Mine ears hast Thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast Thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart" (Psalm 40:6-8). "He which testifieth of these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:17,20).

The sacrificial offerings that God did not desire,
Were only shadows of the One who came to do His will.
The Lord Himself declared "I come" to do what God required,
As written in the volume of the Book He would fulfill.

Indeed, the Lamb of God has come, and just as it was written;
What comfort this conveys to us, confirming thus His Word!
For He has said "I come" again, no longer to be smitten,
As written in the volume of the Book we are assured.

How thrilling, Lord, it is to read this promise in Your Book!
Even so, Lord Jesus, come; Your people say: "Amen!"
So as we labor in Your love, and as we us upward look,
We'll comfort one another with Your promise until then.

Short Show

"Behold, Thou hast made my days an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before Thee" (Psalm 39:5). "These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants the things which must shortly be done" (Revelation 22:6).

God has accounted the years of my age,
As virtually nothing in His searching eyes.
How short is our show on life's transient stage!
Surely in vain do we think otherwise!

How fleeting is time as eternity nears,
Though we may think that our days have been long!
But days become weeks, and weeks become years,
And soon we conclude that our viewpoint was wrong.

The days of my lifetime shall shortly conclude;
What shall be shown for their toil and strife?
Let this be the one thing my heart has pursued:
To live for my Savior who ransomed my life!

The plan of the ages shall shortly be done.
Soon we shall look on our Lord face to face.
It only makes sense that Priority One
Should be to surrender to God by His grace.

Passover Paradigm

"They shall take to them every man a lamb.... Your lamb shall be without blemish.... And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses.... And the blood shall be a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you" (Exodus 12:3-13). "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.... Liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Revelation 21:6,8).

The Passover calls us by its paradigm
Presenting the Gospel of Christ:
Judgment is coming, so now is the time
To come to the Lamb sacrificed.

Each of the houses where God saw the blood
In the shape of a cross on the door,
Were saved from the judgment that came like a flood,
Destroying like never before.

Our God gives salvation to all who desire
The water of life from His well,
But those who refuse shall take part in the fire,
That's burning forever in hell.

The Passover teaches that there is a way
That we may be sheltered from wrath.
The blood of the Lamb will save us today;
Salvation has no other path.

Mark the Meek

"The meek shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.... For such as be blessed of Him shall inherit the earth.... though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with His hand.... Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace" (Psalm 37:11, 22-24, 37).

The meek shall inherit the earth after all,
But not for their meekness or righteous behavior,
For even the meekest among them will fall;
The meek put their trust in our Lord and our Savior.

Yes, even the meek may be sometimes enticed
To act in self-will or give in to temptation,
Yet they are secured by the Lord Jesus Christ
Who brings to perfection His work of salvation.

Mark then the meek, and consider their peace,
For this is their end in Christ Jesus their Lord.
Though heaven and earth as we know them shall cease,
Their Lord is forever their greatest Reward.

Linen from the Lamb

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.... And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (Revelation 19:7,14).

Behold the marriage of the Lamb
Is ready to begin:
The church is clothed in righteousness
From Him who took our sin.

Her garment of salvation is
The linen, clean and white.
This righteousness she wears is His,
All spotless in His sight.

Behold the armies of the Lord
Are clothed in linen too.
His righteousness can well afford
To cleanse them in His view.

We thank You, Lord, for we have seen
The armies and the wife
Who wear the linen, white and clean,
For whom You gave Your life.

We thank You, for we see displayed
Ourselves in Revelation:
We are the ones You have arrayed
In garments of salvation!

Core Cause

"Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant" (Psalm 25:27). "Rejoice... ye holy apostles and prophets; God hath avenged you.... And after these things, I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are His judgments" (Revelation 18:20, 19:1,2).

The saints and the angels in heaven rejoice
As judgment has come with their vindication.
And after these things they lift up their voice
To magnify God for His wondrous salvation.

So may we likewise rejoice for the favor
That God has been pleased by grace to extend,
Not for our glory, but that of our Savior!
Let our prosperity be to this end!

May this be our purpose, to thus testify:
Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power
Belong to the Lord, whom we magnify!
Let this be the core our cause every hour.

Magnify His Mercy

"O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.... The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry.... The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit" (Psalm 34:3,15,18).

O magnify the Lord with me
As we exalt His name,
For time and all eternity
Cannot exhaust His fame!

The eyes of God are on His own;
He watches from above.
Let us make His mercy known:
He looks on us with love.

The ears of God can hear our cry,
Indeed, our faintest prayers.
Come and let us testify:
He listens, and He cares!

The heart of God is very near
To hearts He knows are broken,
And He will dry their every tear;
What tender words He's spoken!

The hand of God will surely save
Each one who is contrite.
O magnify the Lord with me:
What mercy and what might!

Contrast of His Counsel

"The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations" (Psalm 33:10,11).

The Lord brings the counsel of nations to naught;
He makes their inventions to crumble apart.
How great is the contrast of His profound thought,
Preserved in the counsel that comes from His heart.

Thus we may know that Divine inspiration
By heaven's decree continues to stand.
The thoughts of His heart to each generation
Are thereby extended to us by God's hand.

Kingdoms will fall and strongholds will tumble,
As all who oppose God are destined to fail.
But God will give grace to those who are humble,
And those who obey Him shall surely prevail.

Though, for a season, our God may allow
The wicked to prosper, they still move toward
That day when each knee before Him shall bow
And when every tongue shall confess Him as Lord.

Truth for Training

"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 mayest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?" (Proverbs 22:6,20,21). "And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Thy judgments.... Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth" (Revelation 16:7,15).

Lord, every word You have spoken is true,
And history is Your demonstration.
The judgments pronounced that historians view
Were tried and found true in each nation.

We know You are bringing this age to a close,
And that You will come as a thief.
It should not surprise us, for still there are those
Who continue in blind unbelief!

And so we are called to watch and to pray,
Equipped with the words of Your truth,
To answer all those who may ask us today,
As well as to train up our youth.

Hearken or Harden

"And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them, as the Lord had said" (Exodus 7:22). "A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, He directeth his way" (Proverbs 21:29).

The cold heart of Pharaoh was hardened by choice.
There's only two choices to make:
Either we choose to heed the Lord's voice,
Or make our life's biggest mistake.

Pharaoh, like many, was blinded by pride,
And therefore did not take to heart
The mountain of evidence God did not hide
And wisdom the Lord would impart.

Learn from the past, or see it repeated:
The wicked still hardens his face,
In spite of the nations that God has defeated,
That would not respond to His grace!

Our God is not willing that any be lost;
That's why our Lord Jesus came.
But if we won't hearken, there's surely a cost,
And none but ourselves we can blame.

Faithful by His Favor

"Lord, by Thy favor Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: Thou didst hide Thy face, and I was troubled" (Psalm 30:7). "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?.... Who can say, I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin?" (Proverbs 20:6,9).

Lord, indeed, it was Your hand
And Your favor on my side
That alone could make me stand
And my mountain to abide.

Sometimes You may hide Your face,
Though You never will depart,
Teaching me to trust Your grace
Rather than my sinful heart.

A faithful man cannot be found
Who from his sin is purified,
Without the grace that may abound
Because our Savior for us died.

Lord, we know it's by Your favor
That we have our faithfulness.
All we need is Christ our Savior,
Nothing more and nothing less!

Added to Almighty

"And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by My name JEHOVAH was I not known to them" (Exodus 6:2,3).

JEHOVAH was the glorious name
That God had not unveiled
Until His servant Moses came,
Who by that name prevailed.

Almighty was the name once known
When God appeared before,
But now to Moses it was shown
His name revealing more.

JEHOVAH was the name God gave
That simply means "I AM."
And by that name would Moses save
The seed of Abraham.

Yet to this world God further reached
By sending forth His Son.
There is no other Savior preached:
Christ is the only One.

God has added to "I AM"
That name exceeding all:
Jesus Christ, His spotless Lamb,
And on His name we call!

Regard or Regret

"Because they regard not the works of the Lord, nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them, and not build them up" (Psalm 28:5).

It seems so strange to not regard
The works of God in all creation.
Yet many hearts are blind and hard,
Regarding not His operation.

There is a consequence for this
That they'll regret eternally
If they likewise shall dismiss
The work of God on Calvary.

Regard the Lord who has prevailed
By the operation of His hands;
Those hands upon the cross were nailed
To pay the price your sin demands.

Oh the anguished lamentation
That awaits those who ignore
The offer of so great salvation
Freely offered them before!

Seize the opportunity:
Regard the Savior on the cross,
Or regret eternally
Neglect that wrought eternal loss!

Pharaoh's Philosophy

"And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go" (Exodus 5:2).

Defiantly Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord,
That I should obey His voice?"
Thus his philosophy would not afford
Obedience to God as a choice.

God surely knew then what Pharaoh would say;
His answer was not a surprise.
His same presumption is held in our day
By those who profess themselves wise.

Moses was not turned away by his threat;
The Lord did not change His mind.
Though judgment from God had not appeared yet,
It surely was not far behind.

Pharaoh's philosophy flourishes still
Where hearts against God are hardened.
Will you not turn and surrender your will,
And come to the Lord to be pardoned?

Habitation of Happiness

"Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thine honor dwelleth" (Psalm 26:8). "And there was give to me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein" (Revelation 11:1).

Rise, and with the measuring rod
That God has given by His Word
Measure those who worship God,
And count the blessings seen and heard.

Consider well this habitation
Where the honor of God is.
Measure there His great salvation
And the joy of being His.

Lord, I love this happy place
Where Your honor is supreme.
We measure there Your wondrous grace
Beyond which we could ever dream!

Israel's Answer: I AM

"And Moses said unto God, When I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is His name? What shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exodus 3:13,14).

Moses was appointed to declare the name of God,
The great I AM eternally for ages without end.
The Lord sent him to Egypt to spread His fame abroad,
Proclaiming thus deliverance to those God would defend.

Jesus Christ, the great I AM from all eternity,
The Source of all the absolutes of matter, time, and space,
Whose absolutes condemn as well our immorality,
Once left His throne of glory to impart to us His grace.

Israel's answer was the Lord, the great I AM indeed!
God alone could set them free from bondage and from strife.
So it is for us as well He meets our greatest need:
He is the Christ who says I AM the Way, the Truth, the Life!

Descending to Deliver

"And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows, and I am come down to deliver them" (Exodus 3:7,8). "The heart knoweth His own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy" (Proverbs 14:10).

Lord of heaven, You descended
From Your majesty above;
Thus in mercy You defended
Those on whom You set Your love.

The burning bush was not consumed
That Moses turned aside to see.
Neither were Your people doomed,
For You came to set them free.

Lord, You saw their great affliction,
And You heard their anguished prayer.
You knew their sorrowful condition,
You understood their deep despair.

Lord, with gratitude and awe,
We think of how You looked ahead,
And thus our sorrows likewise saw,
And would bear them in our stead.

Lord of love, You are no Stranger
To our sorrows here as well:
You descended to that manger
To deliver us from hell.

Thank You, Lord, for coming down
And for dying in our place!
Receive our worship as Your crown,
King of glory, Lord of grace!

Led by the Lamb

"The Lord is my Shepherd...He leadeth me" (Psalm 23:1-3). "The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto the living fountain of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Revelation 7:17).

The Lord is my Shepherd, and yet He's the Lamb,
Who leads and who feeds all His own.
He cares for my needs, He knows who I am,
And orders my way from His throne.

The Lord is the Lamb, majestic, yet lowly,
Reminding His own of His love.
Because we were sinners, undone and unholy,
Our ransom must come from above.

The Lord is the Lamb who went to the cross,
To suffer and die in our place.
He ransomed our souls from unspeakable loss,
And saved us with marvelous grace.

The Lord is the Lamb, so loving and wise,
Acquainted with all of our grief.
All of our tears He will wipe from our eyes,
And all of our thirst give relief.

Forsaken for our Favor

"My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?.... But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel" (Psalm 22:1,3).

O God, our God, what kind of love
Would ever cause You to forsake
Your Son who reigned with You above,
And for our sins atonement make?

O God, we hear His question "Why?"
And we have heard His answer too:
Unless our Savior came to die,
We never could have lived with You.

For You are holy, yet You dwell
Within the praise of Your redeemed.
Our only prospect once was hell:
There was no hope for us, it seemed.

Thank You, Lord, for what You did
To save us from eternal loss!
Your lovingkindness was not hid,
But was unveiled upon Your cross!

O God, our Lord and wondrous Savior,
In Your prophetic lamentation
We now perceive Your loving favor
Bestowed on us in Your salvation.

The Lion is the Lamb

"Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain" (Revelation 5:5,6).

Rejoice, the Lion has prevailed
To open up the Book,
Succeeding where all others failed:
We turn with John to look.

Weep not, the Lion now appears
To be the wounded Lamb.
It is the Lord who dries our tears!
Behold, the great I Am!

It is the Lord who longs to be
Within our midst to dwell
With those that He redeemed to free
From sin, from death, and hell.

The Lion is the Lamb once slain
To take away our sin
And make eternal life our gain,
When He has entered in.

This vision of our Lord above
Has filled our hearts with praise:
The Lion and the Lamb speak of
His righteous, loving ways!

Woven by Wisdom

"And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant [literally, "wove"] it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (Genesis 50:19,20).

Every circumstance in life
For those who set on God their love,
Whether it be peace or strife,
Is ordered from His throne above.

It is so good to understand
The fabric of our circumstance
Is woven by our Savior's hand,
And never, never left to chance!

We are not in our God's place;
His thoughts and ways are so much higher!
He weaves together by His grace
The outcome of His heart's desire.

So with Joseph we'll look back
And see the wisdom in believing:
In all our days there was no lack
Of goodness that God's hand was weaving.

Crave the Crown

"Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown" (Revelation 3:11).

There is a crown that we should crave
That we may lay it down
Before our Lord who came to save;
Let no man take your crown.

The Lord has given grace and power
To make His name renown,
And He may come at any hour;
Let no man take your crown.

Our Lord's return is near at hand:
How shall we then be found?
Soon we shall before Him stand;
Let no man take your crown.

We long to see our Savior's face,
But not to see Him frown.
So that may not be the case,
Let no man take your crown.

In this roller coaster life,
We may be up or down.
Trust in God in peace or strife:
Let no man take your crown.

The day approaches when He'll shout;
We'll hear the trumpet sound!
Until that day He calls us out,
Let no man take your crown.

Wakened Will

"I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I trust, by buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies" (Psalm 18:1-3).

I will love the Lord my God, and on Him I will call,
Who is worthy to be praised with all my energy.
Like a mighty fortress and a tower strong and tall,
He has saved my troubled soul from every enemy.

My will has been awakened to the great reality,
That love is a decision that surrenders my control.
So it is that I will love that One who first loved me,
Who gave Himself to rescue me and to redeem my soul.

My will has been awakened to the pressing need to pray,
Casting all my care on Him because He cares for me.
So it is that I will call upon the Lord each day,
To find the grace that He will give to live obediently.

Appealing to the Apple

"Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings" (Psalm 17:8). "Keep My commandments, and live, and My law as the apple of thine eye" (Proverbs 7:2). "Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love" (Revelation 2:4).

Lord, I know You hear me when I lift to You my cry;
You have heard the prayer that my soul in trouble brings:
Keep me as the apple of Your ever watchful eye;
Hide me now, O Lord, beneath the shadow of Your wings.

I have a calm assurance, Lord, in knowing that You heard,
And yet you have alerted me with words of Your correction:
That I should keep the precepts that You gave me Your Word,
And keep them as the apple of my eye with great affection.

And while we're on the subject of affections of my heart,
You remind me that there was a season of first love.
You have told me to recall the thrill of that new start,
Repent, and set affections once again on things above.

I know I am the apple of Your searching eye, O Lord.
Your love has never wavered, though my love is up and down.
I thank You for reproving me to seek but one reward:
That I may love You in return and seek no other crown.

Colossal Counsel

"I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel.... because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope" (Psalm 16:7,9). "My son, keep thy Father's commandment.... When thou goest it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest it shall keep thee; and when thou wakest, it shall talk with thee" (Proverbs 6:20,22). "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand" (Revelation 1:3).

I will bless the Lord who gives
His counsel that instructs my heart.
I rejoice to know He lives
And His counsel will impart.

Colossal counsel! He who reads
Shall surely by His Word be blest!
Thereby God has met our needs
For our gladness, hope, and rest.

When we're walking, when we're sleeping,
When we're waking everyday,
God is leading, He is keeping,
Giving counsel to obey.

Let us never take for granted
The counsel from our Maker's mind:
Obey His Word that He has planted
That there may be fruit He'll find.

Dominion Doxology

"Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen" (Jude 24,25).

Now to the One who can keep us from falling
Presenting us faultless one day at His throne,
To God our great Savior on whom we are calling:
Receive now the glory from each of Your own!

Now to the Author of life everlasting:
Be majesty, honor, dominion, and power
Forever— yet also as moments are passing,
Redeeming the time for His glory each hour.

Now to our Savior, our very best Friend:
Receive the thanksgiving and praise of our hearts
For love that is faithful on which we depend
And power to keep us that Your grace imparts.

Intimate Instruction

"Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding... For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words.... My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.... Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil" (Proverbs 4:1-4,20,27). "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" (3 John 4).

Hear instruction from a Father
Administered with tender love:
Lesser love would never bother
To instruct us from above.

Hear instruction that is pure,
Perfect wisdom, undefiled,
From the Father's love secure,
Finding pleasure in His child.

Hear instruction from the heart
Of the Father who knows best
How to perfectly impart
Truth that gives us joy and rest.

Hear instruction and obey,
Turning neither left nor right,
Walking in the Father's way
By His truth that gives us light.

Hear instruction we employ
As from a Father to His youth,
Who has no sweeter, greater joy
Than to know we walk in truth.

Look or Lose

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5,6). "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward" (2 John 8).

Look to yourself that you may not lose
The blessings that God would reward.
In all your ways, acknowledge and choose
The privilege to trust in the Lord.

Look to yourself that you may assess:
Who are you trusting today?
Lean on the Lord who has promised to bless
Each one who will trust and obey.

Look to yourself that you may surrender
Your heart to the Lord of your soul.
He's the Rewarder and faithful Defender
Of all who will give Him control.

Treasures vs. Trivia

"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). "My son, if thou wilt receive My words... yea, if thou criest after knowledge... 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" (Proverbs 2:1-5).

Some things aren't worth the time
We take to search them out.
Sometimes mountains that we climb
May only lead to doubt.

How different is the great reward
We find as hidden treasures
In words inspired by the Lord,
Surpassing earthly pleasures!

The words which God Himself inspired,
He faithfully preserves.
Nothing in this world desired,
Comparison deserves!

The vain pursuits now seem absurd
That waste our precious time,
When we may search God's precious Word,
Eternally sublime!

Favorable Fear

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.... They hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord.... But whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from the fear of evil" (Proverbs 1:7,27-33). "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment.... There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:17,18).

The fear of the Lord is where we begin
To find out the knowledge that God will impart.
It's where we discover the nature of sin
And how to be cleansed from that sin in our heart.

The fear of the Lord is a choice we must make
If we would dwell safely by God's own protection,
Quiet from fear of the evil mistake
That leads us astray from the Savior's correction.

The fear of the Lord is perfected by love,
Casting out fear, for there's no condemnation!
We're living below with affections above,
Grateful each day for eternal salvation.

Bearing our Blame

"And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me.... I will be a surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever" (Genesis 43:8,9). "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10).

We view a faint reflection
In the words that Judah said.
The Surety for our protection
Was Jesus in our stead.

Judah was a surety
For the youngest of his brothers.
Yet Christ for all eternity
Would bear the blame for others.

"Let me bear the blame forever!"
So Judah said that day.
Yet our Lord by His endeavor,
Has borne our blame away!

Here is love's initiation:
Before our love begins,
Christ is our Propitiation
To save us from our sins!

Lord of love, to bear our blame,
You left Your throne above,
And on that cruel cross became
Our Surety of love.

There are no words, O Lord, it seems,
To thank You as we should.
You are, beyond our grandest dreams,
Our Surety for good.

So may we give our lives to You
As living sacrifices.
There's nothing more that we can do,
And nothing less suffices.

Purifying Precepts

"Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him" (Proverbs 30:5). "And now, little children, abide in Him, that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.... 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 2:28, 3:2,3).

Every Word of God is pure,
So when we trust in Him and yield,
God will cause us to endure
As our purifying Shield.

The pure account of history,
Which witnesses have testified,
Was told before through prophecy,
By God's foreknowledge purified.

Thus purified by what God said
As day by day our Savior nears,
We look with confidence ahead:
To be like Him when He appears!

Let the Word of God proclaimed
So purify us as we learn,
That we may not be ashamed
When our Savior shall return.

Finding the Fairest

"Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said... There is none so discreet and wise as thou art.... and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt" (Genesis 41:38-43). "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth" (Psalm 8:1).

Can we find one such as this
With such a reputation?
We have found the Source of bliss:
The Lord of our salvation!

There is no other in the earth
So mighty, wise, or kind!
We search the world for such worth:
None fairer can we find!

We see the striking parallel
In Joseph's rise to fame,
When every knee in honor fell,
Exalting thus his name.

Yet Lord, our Lord, how excellent
Your name is above all!
We are lost in wonderment
As on Your name we call!

For why would You afford such grace
Through Your redemption plan
By entering the human race
To rescue sinful man?

Lord, we find no other one
Who even can compare!
We bow the knee to God the Son,
The Fairest of the fair!

Cleansing and Closure

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.... If we confess our sins, He if faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:7,9).

If we walk in the light with Jesus our Savior,
We're bound to catch sight of our sins.
The light from our Lord will expose our behavior
And check it from where it begins.

For even before our thought is a word
Or intentions have formed in our heart,
God is aware; He has seen and has heard
Our inventions before they can start.

So let us not foolishly make this mistake:
To cover our sins with a mask,
But rather confess them as well as forsake,
For cleansing is ours— if we ask!

Grief and Grace

"And Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and... an Egyptian bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man... the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight" (Genesis 39:1-4). "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

There is grace for every grief
That we may thereby grow.
There is promise of relief
Our Savior will bestow.

There is grace when we abound,
And when we are abased,
Just as Joseph likewise found
The grace of God he traced.

There is grace amid the strife
To give us inward calm.
In each season of our life,
There is a healing balm.

There is grace today, tomorrow,
And grace for all the past.
God will show that even sorrow
Was for our good at last.

Musing on our Manner

"The Lord is... not willing that any should perish.... But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away... the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.... Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be?" (2 Peter 3:9-11).

In view of the love of our God for mankind,
Not willing to see even one sinner perish,
As He looks upon us, what then should He find
Regarding our manner and things that we cherish?

In view of the day of the Lord that draws near
That surely will come as a thief in the night,
What manner of persons ought we to be here,
Assured of the judgment that God brings to light?

Lord, give us wisdom in this latter day
To live in a manner that glorifies You!
The heavens and earth shall soon pass away;
Revive in us holiness with this in view!

Wells Without Water

"Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased" (Psalm 4:7). Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain" (Proverbs 25:14). "These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest.... They speak great swelling words of vanity.... While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption" (2 Peter 2:17-19).

Wells without water: how well this portrays
The great swelling promises, hollow and vain,
That this age so proudly and loudly displays,
Like clouds that are empty and wind without rain.

Wells without water: how unlike my Lord,
Whose promises always are faithful and true!
His riches in glory will always afford
The bountiful blessings He promised to you.

Wells without water can never bestow
The joy of the Lord and His wonderful peace.
Wellsprings of gladness from Christ overflow
More than from all of this world's increase.

Lord and Lifter

"Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head" (Psalm 3:2,3). "Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place. For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again" (Proverbs 24:15). "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations" (2 Peter 2:9).

Many there are who might say of my soul:
Now there goes a pitiful case!
But God has reminded me He's in control;
He governs my life with His grace.

The Lord is the Comfort and Refuge of all
Who call on Him when they are low.
He is their Lifter when His children fall,
Their Shield against every foe.

The Lord surely knows the way very well
To deliver His own from temptation.
He Who has rescued His children from hell,
Preserves them in each situation.

Savior and Lord, we rest in Your love
That shields our souls from our shame
And lifts us to set our affections above
With all who delight in Your name.

Prophecy vs. Privacy

"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.... We have also a more sure word of prophecy... knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation" (2 Peter 1:16-20).

We have the word of prophecy
Which God has manifested,
Interpreted by history,
Fulfilled just as expected.

The birth, the life, and death of Christ
Were perfectly foretold.
The Lamb of God was sacrificed
For sinners to behold!

History sets the record straight:
This is no private claim.
The year A.D. still marks the date
That Christ our Savior came!

Our Lord declared that He would rise
Soon after He was killed,
And three days later (no surprise!),
His promise was fulfilled.

There's nothing private or obscure
About the Word of God.
Its prophecy has proved it sure,
And doubt is surely flawed.

Fruitful Factors

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season" (Psalm 1:1-3). "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue... knowledge... temperance... patience... godliness... brotherly kindness... charity.... that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-8).

Subtracting and adding must both have their place
As factors essential to fruit cultivation:
Take away things that detract from God's grace,
And add things of virtue to faith and salvation.

There are things we should do, and things we should not.
There are times we should speak, and times to refrain.
There are things we should think; let us filter each thought,
As God's Word replaces the thoughts that are vain.

These are the primary factors we find
That make us like prosperous, fruit bearing trees.
By the virtues we add, and the vain left behind,
Let us be faithful to cultivate these!

Heart in the Hand

"The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it whithersoever He will.... The Lord pondereth the hearts.... A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, He directeth His way" (Proverbs 21:1,2,29).

The Lord holds the heart of the king in His hand,
And lends to him every breath that he draws.
By God's sovereign rule he will fall or will stand,
As rivers and planets conform to His laws.

As for the upright who humbles his heart,
God will be pleased to direct in His way.
This is the privilege that God will impart
To all who will humbly and gladly obey.

How good is the option to freely surrender
The throne of our heart to Christ Jesus our Lord!
No one could ask for a greater Defender,
A better Commander, or a sweeter Reward!

Inaudible Inauguration

"Mercy and truth preserve the King: and His throne is upholden by mercy" (Proverbs 20:28). "If any man speak... if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen" (1 Peter 4:11).

Inaugural speeches and loud celebration—
Political leaders acknowledge each other—
The torch has been passed, and the inauguration
Has transitioned power from one to another.

Yet nothing has changed in heaven's opinion:
Christ Jesus is Lord, as all heaven knows.
The heavens declare His praise and dominion,
Inaudibly, though, to all who oppose.

Pray for the president coming to power.
Ask for God's mercy that he may succeed,
Yet never lose sight that our Lord every hour
Remains on the throne; He's all that we need.

So if anyone speaks, if anyone sings,
Or if anyone serves, let all our behavior
Inaugurate freshly the King of all kings,
The Lord Jesus Christ, our God and our Savior.

Unfettered by Unfairness

"Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.... For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:15-18).

Be ready always to answer the call,
In every setting, throughout every season,
To speak of your hope in your meekness to all
Who seeing a difference, are asking the reason.

What is the reason, when things are unfair,
That you don't respond or revile in kind?
Why are you free from self-pity and care,
Unfettered by malice that poisons the mind?

Christ is the reason! He gives the power
To live in a manner reflecting His love.
Call on the Lord, every day, every hour,
That He may extend you His help from above.

For Christ also suffered, the Just for unjust:
Falsely accused by unmerciful men.
So may we likewise be ready to trust,
Reflecting His image till He comes again.

He Heals

"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names" (Psalm 147:3,4). "A wounded spirit who can bear?" (Proverbs 18:14). "Christ also suffered for us... by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 1:21-24).

God put the stars and the planets in space;
He placed them in orbit and named every star.
Yet we are the objects of His love and grace:
He searches our hearts and He knows who we are.

The sorrows we bear, He knows and He feels,
For He bore our sorrows and suffered for us.
Yet by His stripes and affliction He heals,
And fits us for heaven eternally thus.

He heals the broken in heart who will turn;
He binds up the wounds of the spirit distressed.
While there is much more about Him to learn,
To know that He heals the heart gives us rest.

Troubling Trust

"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope in the Lord his God... which keepeth truth forever" (Psalm 146:3-6). "That your faith and hope might be in God.... for all flesh is a grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth forever" (1 Peter 1:21-25).

Put not your trust in corruptible man,
No matter how solemn his vow is today,
For soon every promise, intention, and plan
Shall vanish the moment he passes away.

Hoping in man is a troubling trust;
The future is out of his sphere of control.
A certain tomorrow returns him to dust,
And then he shall stand before God in his soul.

How happy is he who is trusting the Lord,
Who created all things by the word of His power,
Who never is threatened by man's feeble sword,
Neither his glory which fades like a flower.

So let all your faith and your hope be in God
Who keeps every promise He ever will make.
Trust in another is faith that is flawed,
A hope that will fail, and a troubling mistake.

Motivated Minds

"Salvation [is] ready to be revealed in the last time.... of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently.... which things the angels desire to look into. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:5-13).

Prophets foretold of the grace we would find
Within this salvation they searched and inquired.
Oh what a privilege to gird up our mind
To look into things even angels desired!

Gird up the loins of your mind's motivation,
Steadfast and ready to share the good news.
So may the Gospel with its preparation,
By sharing God's peace, be girded as shoes.

Prophets foretold with unerring detail
The sufferings of Christ to purchase salvation.
The glory they spoke of shall surely not fail
When Christ shall return at His revelation.

Let us then gird up our mind and be sober;
As stewards of grace we are debtors to all.
So may we find when our short life is over
That we were thus girded and true to our call.

Eyeing the Elect

"The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.... Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?" (Proverbs 15:3,11). "To the strangers scattered... elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you and peace be multiplied" (1 Peter 1:1,2).

The eyes of the Lord behold every place
And also look forward in time.
Nothing is hidden from His searching face,
No matter how small or sublime.

Looking through time at people's behavior,
The Lord saw the hearts of all those,
In foreknowledge, who would trust in the Savior,
And thus were elect ones He chose.

Marvelous thought! How good and how wise
The God of our salvation is!
How wondrous to know that He sets His eyes
On all those elected as His.

How great is our privilege and duty as well,
Who are by His grace set apart,
To live for the One who has save us from hell,
Obeying our Lord from the heart.

Servant Supplications

"Hear me.... Cause me.... Deliver me.... Teach me.... Lead me.... Quicken me.... for I am Thy servant" (Psalm 143:7-12).

Dear Lord, as Your servant I make supplication;
In order to serve You I've brought You my list.
I'm spreading before You my long application,
And I will be back if there's something I missed.

First, I will need Your attention above
To hear every prayer that I'm bringing to You.
Secondly, cause me to hear of Your love,
And cause me to know in my walk what to do.

Thirdly, dear Savior, deliver my soul
From all of my foes from without and within.
Fourthly, Lord, teach me to do as I'm told,
And not to slide backward again into sin.

Fifthly, Lord, lead me by Your Holy Spirit
Right to the center of Your perfect will.
Sixthly, regarding Your will when I hear it,
Quicken my heart by Your grace to fulfill.

Dear Father, I think that will do it for now.
I know that You don't really need me to serve,
Yet You have employed me and thus shown me how
To ask for the grace that I do not deserve.

Christ Cared

"When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path.... I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto Thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my Refuge and my Portion in the land of the living" (Psalm 142:3-5).

I was overwhelmed inside
And couldn't find a soul to care,
Then at last my spirit cried:
Show me, God, if You are there!

Surrounded then by apathy
With no one caring for my soul,
The vortex of eternity
Drew me with relentless pull.

I didn't know that Christ would care!
I didn't know that He would hear
My feeble cry, my anguished prayer:
I didn't know that He was near.

But Jesus pulled me with His hand
To the shelter of His love
To be my Portion in this land,
And my Advocate above.

Lord, You knew me on that path,
And You drew me to that place
To there escape eternal wrath
By finding refuge in Your grace.

Thank You, Lord, that when I cried,
My remedy had been prepared:
For on the cross You suffered, died,
And gave Yourself— because You cared.

Jehovah-Jireh

"And Abraham said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb.... And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh (i.e., The Lord Provides): as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen" (Genesis 22:8,13,14).

Here in the mount of the Lord it is seen:
The offering Abraham saw in the ram.
This is the Scriptural promise we glean:
God has provided Himself as the Lamb!

Here where the father of Isaac obeyed
We see the shadow of Christ in our stead.
This is the portrait in Isaac displayed:
Christ has been offered, and yet is not dead!

Jehovah-Jireh! Yes, that is the name
Abraham gave to that mount of provision.
On Calvary's mountain the ransomed can claim
They saw the Savior and made their decision.

Jehovah-Jireh! The Lord has provided
The blessing He promised from Abraham's Seed.
Mercy and truth in the Lamb coincided,
Providing salvation, our soul's greatest need!

Mirror Meditation

"If any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was" (James 1:23,24).

When you look into a mirror
And won't fix what's wrong with you,
This is like the careless hearer,
Hearing what he will not do.

God is faithful in His Word
To reprove us by His grace.
We should do what we have heard,
Like a man would wash his face.

Do not hear and then forget
What the Word of God will say.
There's no need for you to let
God's correction slip away.

Hearing only will not make
The changes that our God desires.
Do not make that sad mistake,
But do right now what He requires.

Searching my Sincerity

"O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me.... Thou understandest my thought afar off.... for there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether.... Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:1,4,23,24).

Before a word has reached my tongue,
Before my thought has formed a word,
Before my praises have been sung,
Lord, You've searched them and have heard.

Since, O Lord, You search my heart,
And since You understand my ways,
Try me, Lord, and thus impart,
A heart that's cleansed to give You praise.

Surely, Lord, there's much You hear
That demands Your clear reproof.
Am I callous or sincere?
Am I earnest or aloof?

Search and cleanse my heart today,
For this is what I daily need.
Purge from me each wicked way,
And I will walk where You will lead.

Wellpleasing Work

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble.... the Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth forever: forsake not the works of Thine own hands" (Psalm 138:7,8). "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20,21).

The Lord will continue His work in my life,
Until He's completed the work of His hands.
In each situation, in peace or in strife,
All things conform to His sovereign commands.

The unfailing love of my Shepherd and Savior
By His perfect wisdom and infinite might,
Works in my heart and my outward behavior
His wellpleasing plan in His merciful sight.

The Great Shepherd God brought again from the dead,
Now seated forever on His glorious throne,
Who never forsakes us, will do as He said,
His wellpeasing work in each one of His own.

Near Judgment is No Joke

"And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law" (Genesis 19:14). "See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh.... for Our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:25-29).

Judgment day is drawing near
As in the troubling days of Lot.
Mockers mock, they do not fear,
Or even give it second thought.

God, by prophets, clearly spoke,
Whom sinful scorners have refused.
The world thinks it's all a joke,
By which they merely are amused.

Eternity is very long,
And life at best is very brief.
How horrifying to be wrong,
Condemned by stubborn unbelief!

Stir again, Lord, our desire
To woo, to warn, and win the lost,
To thus escape the lake of fire,
Where unbelievers shall be tossed.

Looking at Laughter

"Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?.... Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the Lord?.... Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And He said, Nay, but thou didst laugh" (Genesis 17:17, 18:12-15).

Abraham laughed when he worshipped about
The promise that God would yet give him son.
Sarah laughed also, but God saw her doubt,
Reproving her questioning this could be done.

She tried to deny what could never be hid,
For God heard the laughter and thought of her heart.
She said that she didn't, but God said she did,
For God was the Searcher of her inward part.

Looking at laughter in this special case
Gives us an insight to God's holy view:
So may He search and reprove by His grace
Each thought underlying what we say and do.

Savior Who Sees

"And she [Hagar] called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after Him that seeth me?" (Genesis 16:13). "The idols of the heathen.... have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not" (Psalm 135:15,16).

Lord, I have looked, and to my delight,
I have discovered that You look at me!
You are the One Who gave me my sight,
And all that is in me You certainly see.

The idols imagined from man's feeble mind
Are crafted with mouths, but they cannot speak.
They're fashioned with eyes, and yet they are blind,
Like those who make them, so mindless and weak!

Lord, You have opened my once-blinded eyes:
How great is the evidence You clearly gave!
My once-muted mouth as well testifies:
God is still looking for those He may save!

Richer by Righteousness

"The Lord that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion" (Psalm 134:3). "And Melchizedek blessed him [Abram], and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, Possessor of heaven and earth.... And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt Thou give me?.... And behold, the Word of the Lord came unto him, saying.... So shall thy Seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness" (Hebrews 14:18, 15:1-6).

Lord and Possessor of heaven and earth,
Thank You for how You have chosen to bless!
Above all possessions there's far greater worth,
In what You impart by Your own righteousness!

Freely imparted, but not freely gained:
For You were the Priest and the Offering as well.
But where sin abounded Your righteousness reigned,
Imparted to those whom You rescued from hell.

"What will You give me?" Abram inquired.
That's when you pointed to Christ as his Seed.
Above all he asked for or could be desired,
You gave Him righteousness, meeting his need.

What would it profit to give us the earth,
Or anything else, Lord, without Your salvation?
Thank you for righteousness in our new birth
That saves us forever from our condemnation!

Precious Presence

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments" (Psalm 133:1,2). "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering (for He is faithful that promised), and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:23-25).

The precious presence of our Lord
Inspires unity.
How pleasant is that sweet accord
When Him alone we see.

When Aaron was anointed,
And Israel gathered round,
This portrait thereby pointed
To where our peace found.

When upon our Lord and Christ
We focus every eye,
We see our Savior sacrificed
And hear Him testify.

We see Him as our great High Priest,
Yet as our Lamb as well.
Let His presence be increased
Who rescued us from hell!

Our Lord is coming back again
To gather all His own.
Exhort each other until then,
By love, to make Him known.

Destiny after Death

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:27,28).

It is appointed once to die,
Then comes our destiny:
When God shall stand to justify
Or judge eternally.

Those who look for Jesus Christ
Have trusted in His grace,
Who for their sins was sacrificed;
And they shall see His face.

Those who will not trust the Savior,
Whose hearts will never budge,
And won't repent of their behavior,
Shall meet Him as their Judge.

O Lord, renew our urgency
To pray for the salvation
Of those who by complacency
Draw near to condemnation.

Renew our joy, O Lord, as well,
For Your enduring love
That changed our destiny from hell
To live with You above!

Sum of our Savior

"Now of the things which we have spoken, this is the sum: We have such an High Priest Who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heaven" (Hebrews 8:1).

After everything is spoken,
After all has been explored,
We perceive yet but a token
Of the glory of our Lord.

We will contemplate the sum,
Of our Savior's majesty
In His kingdom that shall come
And for all eternity.

Yet we see the total now
That the prophets look toward:
When every knee to Him shall bow,
And every tongue confess Him Lord.

Thus we see Him on His throne
As the Lord of our confession
And the High Priest of His own,
Making for us intercession.

Oh! The view is glorious here
As we see our Savior's sum!
One day closer! He draws near!
Even so, Lord Jesus, come!

Abundantly Able

"With the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption" (Psalm 130:7). "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

Able to the uttermost
Is Jesus Christ to save!
In Christ alone we make our boast,
Who rose up from the grave.

He ever lives to intercede
For those who trust in Him.
He fills our cup with every need;
It overflows the brim!

And thus we face the year ahead
With confidence in Christ,
Who robbed our future of its dread
When He was sacrificed.

And even though we cannot show
What future days entail,
Our Savior can, and this we know:
His love shall never fail!

Sure and Steadfast

"We... have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil, whither the Forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an High Priest forever" (Hebrews 6:18-20).

Sure and steadfast is our hope:
Christ, the Anchor of the soul!
In His arms that envelope,
We are sure He's in control.

Jesus Christ within the veil
Draws us homeward with His arm.
He Who promised cannot fail;
He will keep our souls from harm.

This has been our consolation
Sure and steadfast through the year.
Christ, our Refuge of salvation,
Has removed our cause for fear.

In the year two thousand eight,
God was faithful everyday.
Next year He may come or wait:
Let us therefore watch and pray!