Day by Day

“This is the offering… two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even” (Numbers 28:3).  “Unto Thee will I cry, O LORD my Rock; be not silent to me: lest, if Thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit… They regard not the works of the LORD” (Psalm 28:1,5).  “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10).  “He [Jesus] went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto Him, and He taught them” (Mark 2:13). 

As day by day and night by night

A lamb was freshly sacrificed, 

The Lord shined His prophetic light

Foreshadowing the work of Christ.

We need this constant recollection

To always bring God’s work to mind,

For fools despise the Lord’s direction

And, by their choice, are rendered blind. 

So just like David, we should cry

To daily hear our gracious Lord,

Lest we be like them who deny

The works of God they have ignored. 

We need to hear what God will say,

So we may constantly increase

In wisdom thereby day by day

As He imparts His perfect peace. 

The fear of God is the beginning

Of wisdom that directs our path,

But fools, undaunted, go on sinning

And pay no heed to coming wrath. 

We know that God resists the proud,

Yet He is gracious to the lowly.

As understanding is endowed,

We grow in knowledge of the Holy. 

As by the seaside Jesus taught

Those multitudes which to Him came,

So by His Word our Lord has brought

The wisdom to exalt His name.

O Lord, we thank You for Your voice

That day by day we need to hear! 

How greatly now our hearts rejoice

As in Your presence we draw near! 

Lord, day by day we’re closer still

To when we’ll see You face to face, 

So lead us daily to fulfill  

The great commission of Your grace.  

Plain Path

“Let the LORD… set a man over the congregation… which may lead them… that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd” (Numbers 27:16,17).  “Teach me Thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path” (Psalm 27:11).  “Hear, for I will speak of excellent things… They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge” (Proverbs 8:6-9).  “Jesus said unto them, Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.  And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed Him” (Mark 1:17,18).

               

The life of Moses soon would end,  

So as a faithful interceder,

He prayed that God would therefore send

The flock of God an able leader. 

So Joshua was then appointed

To lead them to the promised land,

Yet now a Greater is Anointed

To lead God’s people by the hand. 

Our Shepherd now is Jesus Christ

Who leads us plainly on His path. 

For us our Lord was sacrificed

To save us from eternal wrath. 

But now He lives to teach and lead

In righteous paths He will ordain. 

The Lord has surely met our need

To now be led in paths so plain! 

We hear Him speak now in His Word,

Directing us to do His will. 

When waves and winds of doubt are heard,

Our Lord commands us to be still. 

Our Shepherd always leads us well;  

We know He never is mistaken.

He died to save our souls from hell,

And we shall never be forsaken. 

We hear Him saying, “Follow Me,”

And He shall make us fishers then

Of souls He saves eternally,

The precious souls of sinful men. 

We thank You, Lord, for leading us

In paths made plain now by Your light. 

Your Gospel is so glorious,

And everything You say is right! 

The promised land of heaven’s shore

Now seen by faith is just ahead. 

Your plain path shines still more and more

As we have followed where You’ve led. 

Lord, send us with Your proclamation

That saves the lost from endless doom.

The path is plain of Your salvation  

And proven by Your empty tomb! 

Dealing with Doubt

“Thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth… I will walk in mine integrity” (Psalm 26:3,11).  “He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay… Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.  And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him: but some DOUBTED.  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations… whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:17-20).   

The lovingkindness of the Lord

Has been displayed before our eyes. 

The Word of God may be explored

To know the truth He verifies. 

The truth is known by evidence;

We’ve seen God’s promises fulfilled.

This is the path to confidence

Wherein the voice of doubt stilled. 

Our Lord is risen, as He said:

His words have thus been vindicated.

He said He’d rise up from the dead:

He did EXACTLY as He stated! 

The Lord’s disciples then were told

To go to Galilee to meet 

Their Lord whom they would then behold,

And there they worshipped at His feet.

Yet some of them were plagued with doubt

When they arrived in Galilee.

The Lord had surely searched this out;

He knew they lacked integrity. 

The Lord examined their condition;

He knew the doubt which would be healed,

And thus gave the Great Commission

With His authority revealed. 

We go, therefore, to every nation

And teach the truth with doubt removed.

The prophecies of His salvation

Confirm the Gospel He has proved. 

O risen Savior, Lord of all,

Examine our most inward part

And fit us for the upward call,

Removing doubt within our heart. 

We thank You, Lord, for Your provision

To counter doubt in every case

With words that call for a decision

To trust You and be saved by grace. 

Voice and Veil

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?  That is to say, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?... Jesus, when He had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent” (Matthew 27:46-51). 

Across the land the darkness fell

To hide the noonday sun from sight

As Christ redeemed our souls from hell

And on the cross He fought our fight.

We hear Him lifting up His voice

Declaring that He was forsaken,

And yet He knew He had a choice;

Of that we shouldn’t be mistaken!

He could have had angelic powers

Descend from heaven with a shout,

And yet for us, for all those hours,

Our Savior poured His own life out. 

“My God, My God,” we hear Him say,

Now “why hast Thou forsaken Me?”

His lamentation on that day

Had been foretold in prophecy!

Within Psalm twenty-two we hear

The answer known by Jesus Christ:

As sinners we could not draw near,

Unless our Lord was sacrificed. 

Praise God for all that Christ endured

When all our sin by Him was borne. 

His work is done, we are assured:

Behold the temple veil torn!

The holiest of all, once veiled,  

Invites now to enter in

Because the Lamb of God prevailed

To take away from us our sin!   

The earth did quake, the rocks were broken,

The veil, top to bottom, tore,

But greater still were Christ’s words spoken: 

Now “It is finished” evermore!

We thank You for Your voice, O Lord,

Affirming all that You had done:

God’s voice was heard, “Awake, O sword,”

As on the cross our souls were won! 

O Lord, Your voice is all we need;  

Your Word forever has been proved.

We take the Gospel where You lead

To show the veil is removed!