Refuge in Repentance

“Appoint out for you… your refuge from the avenger of blood” (Joshua 20:1-3).  “Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee, our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance… Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us” (Psalm 90:8,17).  “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22).  “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). 

There is a Refuge God provides,

A Hiding Place in His Anointed,

Where a repentant sinner hides

Who runs into this Place appointed. 

The Lord beholds iniquities;

Upon our sins He shines His light.

The sinner therefore wisely flees

To find a Refuge in His sight. 

Behold the beauty of our God

Is now beheld in Jesus Christ

Who bore for us the judgment rod

Of wrath when He was sacrificed.

There is no other Hiding Place; 

No, not in all our noblest duty!

Repentance leads us to His grace

To find our Refuge in His beauty!

He gives the blessing of salvation

Because He bore for us our sorrow. 

Yet souls must choose their destination;

They dare not wait until tomorrow. 

Our Refuge in repentance stands;

In Christ we have our souls’ defense. 

We come as Jesus Christ commands;

His beauty is our confidence. 

O Lord, we thank you for such love

By which You died and then so moved  

Your Holy Spirit from above

To turn us as we were reproved.   

Until You call us home, O Lord,

We show the Refuge that is true:

Repentance has the great reward

Of saving souls who trust in You.  

Self Saving

“Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before Thy face.  Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound… In Thy righteousness shall they be exalted” (Psalm 89:14-16).  “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding… If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it” (Proverbs 9:5,12).  “Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts 2:40). 

Behold God’s holy habitation

With judgment in that fearful place!

Yet He has sent us His salvation

With grace and truth before His face!  

His people know the joyful sound,

Though once as sheep they went astray:  

In Christ their righteousness is found,

And He has washed their sins away.

The grace of God that He will give

In His salvation has been shown.    

Forsaking foolishness, we live 

By trusting Jesus Christ alone.

We wisely do ourselves a favor

In choosing thus salvation’s path,

But those who will reject the Savior,

Themselves shall bear God’s holy wrath. 

Though God alone can save the soul,

We each must choose to heed His voice. 

Whenever hearing is found dull,  

The Lord declares it is by choice. 

O Lord, Your saving work is done:

We save ourselves by trusting You. 

You are the Refuge where we run;

There is no wiser thing to do! 

We thank You for Your love, O Lord,

Which we have found astonishing!

Forever You shall be adored,

Our gracious Savior and our King!  

Power to Possess

“Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?” (Joshua 18:3).  “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

The Promised Land which God had given

Was waiting still to be possessed.

The Canaanites had not been driven

From lands which God before addressed. 

It wasn’t power they would lack,

Which God had promised to instill,

But rather that their hearts were slack

To be committed to God’s will.

Consider now what Christ has said

Regarding where we ought to be

And where we find ourselves instead

In view of God’s priority. 

Be sure that Christ is first adored

Before we witness for our Savior,

For only as we love the Lord

Do we bear fruit in our behavior. 

Yet now Christ bids His worshippers

To lift their eyes upon the fields  

As God the Holy Spirit stirs

A heart of love that gladly yields. 

Our Lord is sending forth His own

To go forth teaching every nation

To make His saving mercies known,

Declaring thus His great salvation. 

We thank You, Lord, in this late hour

That we may labor here with love

Possessing Your imparted power

From Your own Spirit from above.  

Dealing with Distractions

“Keep My commandments, and live; and My law as the apple of thine eye” (Proverbs 7:2).  “Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following… Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?  Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou Me” (John 21:20-22). 

The key to dealing with distractions

Is found in where you keep your eyes. 

This world’s fleeting, vain attractions

May yet ensnare us by surprise. 

For life is now confined by time;

A moment lost is not regained. 

Each day should be esteemed sublime,

A gift from God that He ordained. 

Distractions rob us of the treasure

Of pressing for a higher call.

We only serve with fullest measure

When we’re prepared to give our all. 

We see this principle was learned 

In Peter when he was restored. 

How quickly was his head then turned

From simply following His Lord! 

“And what shall this man do?” he asked. 

The Lord said, “What is that to thee?” 

Care not how others have been tasked,

For Christ is saying, “Follow Me.”  

O Lord, as we are led by You,

Distractions shall be set aside

As we are focused to pursue   

The calling for us You provide. 

Lord, thank You for this simple way

To deal with distractions shown,

As we delight in what You say  

And follow You, and You alone!  

Risen Reality

“Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.  And when He had so said, He showed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord... And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book:  but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name” (John 20:19-31). 

The day began with those who sorrowed;

Their Lord was slain three days before. 

His tomb at last was only borrowed;  

He didn’t need it anymore!  

The day concluded in the room

Where His disciples sought to hide,

When Jesus, risen from the tomb,

Then came and showed His hands and side.

Their sorrow had been turned to gladness,

Exactly as their Savior said! 

The Lord then swept away their sadness,

For He was risen from the dead! 

And many other signs He did

Before and after resurrection.

They were not in a corner hid;

His deeds were open for inspection. 

Yet God selected words and deeds

To then be written that sufficed

To draw each one who humbly reads

To trust alone in Jesus Christ. 

All those believing in His name,

Receiving Him as Lord and Savior,

Are ransomed from their sin and shame

And saved forever by His favor!

O risen Lord, receive our thanks

For saving us in our distress! 

We join the grateful and adoring ranks

Now robed in Your own righteousness!

O Lord, You died to set us free

And rose as Victor from the grave!

How sweet is the reality

That You are risen now to save!