Light of His Love

“Beloved, let us love one another… In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the Propitiation for our sins… We love Him, because He first loved us… And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother also” (1 John 4:7-21). 

God sent His Son that we might live: 

His love was manifested thus.

There’s nothing greater He could give:

Our Savior gave Himself for us.

The love of God, supremely great,

Was moved to love the rebel first.

He came into a world of hate:

He gave His best; we gave our worst.

We marvel that He was inclined

To die for those who hated Him!

His light in darkness brightly shined,

And on the cross was never dim.

The light of countless stars above

Are dim, O Lord, compared to You,

And we would now reflect Your love

As You’ve commanded us to do.

So Lord, extend to us Your hand

And lift us to that higher place,

According to Your own command

To love each other by Your grace.

Purifying Prospect

“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).

Behold, what love has been bestowed

By God the Father on His own:

He laid on Christ our heavy load,

Who purged our sins Himself alone!

When we were helpless, without strength,

The children, not of God, but wrath,

The love of God then went the length

To bear our sins on judgment’s path.

Behold, what love the Father proved

Together with His precious Son:

Our sins forever are removed;

The work that saves us now is done!

Behold, what we are called as well:

The sons of God!  How can it be

That we who once were fit for hell

Are now God’s sons eternally?

And though it doesn’t yet appear

That we are lifted to this place,

The day approaches and is near

When we shall see Him face to face.

We’ll see Him then as He now is,

But not with vision that is dim,

For God shall transform all of His:

We shall be changed to be like Him!

O Lord, we thank You for this view

That shows the manner of Your love!

By faith we see what’s really true,

Which we shall see by sight above.

So purify us, Lord, today,

And every day until we meet,

With joy abounding all the way

By this prospective hope so sweet.

Father's Love vs. Fatal Lust

“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof… These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you” (1 John 2:15-26).

Do not love the world, nor lust for its things,

For what can compare to God’s heaven above?

The love of this world at last only brings

The tragic displacement of God’s greater love.

The lust of the flesh, which is led by seduction,

The lust of the eyes, which is not satisfied,

And pride of this life, which refuses instruction,

Are evils from which we should prudently hide.

How subtle these evil seductions can be,

Disguised by the world to look like a friend!

But God has disclosed them as our enemy,

Destroying the soul they betray in the end.

O Lord, as this world is passing away,

We’d set our affections more firmly on You.

Deliver our souls from the lusts that betray,

And lead us instead by Your love that is true.

Hating Half-Heartedness

“I hate vain thoughts (סֵעֵף ce`eph, dividedness): but Thy law do I love” (Psalm 119:113).  “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

The Law of our Savior is never divided:

Its statutes are true, and its judgments are right.

How vain is the heart that is yet undecided,

With one foot in darkness; the other in light.

Our God is pure light, and no darkness at all

Invades any part of His holy perfection.

There’s no room for half-heartedness in our call,

For darkness will walk in a different direction.

O Lord, we would walk in the light that You give

Reflecting the beauty in You thus expressed!

O help us surrender this life that we live,

For half-hearted living can never be blest.

Growth in Grace

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path… I have inclined mine heart to perform Thy statutes always, even unto the end” (Psalm 119:105,112).  “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:17,18). 

God’s Word is a lamp for our feet where we tread,

Which deals with things in the present.

His Word is a light on our path far ahead,

That shines on things fearful and pleasant.

By grace we have already made up our mind:

To perform God’s commands every day.

Now led by His Spirit, our heart is inclined

To the end of our path to obey.

The Gospel is clear as we look down the path

To behold things the future will hold.

We know there’s a heaven, and yet there is wrath,

As God has so clearly foretold.

And so we are prompted and led by the light,

For the lamp of God’s Word is not dim,

To never depart to the left or the right

From the grace and the knowledge of Him.

Uphold us, Lord Jesus, both now and forever,

To walk in the light of Your Word

That we may be steadfast in every endeavor

As growth in Your grace has occurred.

Verifying His Voice

“Thou hast taught me.  How sweet are Thy words unto my taste!” (Psalm 119:102,103).  “My son, keep thy Father's commandment… When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee” (Proverbs 6:20,22).  “The LORD passed by… but the LORD was not in the wind… not in the earthquake… not in the fire: and after the fire, a still small voice… said, What doest thou here, Elijah?” (1 Kings 19:11-13). 

“Thou hast taught me!”  O how sweet

The words of God are to my taste!

Other words cannot compete:

My trust in God alone is placed!

I go:  He leads and I rejoice.

I sleep:  He keeps me in His care.

I wake:  He greets me with His voice,

Reminding me He’s always there.

Elijah surely found it so:

When he was weary, God drew near.

The voice of God was soft and low

That led him onward without fear.

We likewise listen to our God,

And find His words are verified,

Not by speeches men applaud,

But by His still small voice inside.

O Lord, we thank You for your Word

That speaks to us right where we are!  

There is no sweeter voice we’ve heard,

Which draws us near, who once were far.