Worthy of our Worship

"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 will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised" (Psalm 18:1-3).  "Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come" (1 Thessalonians 1:9,10).

How good it is to exercise

The human will that God imparts

To do the thing that is most wise: 

To worship Him with all our hearts. 

Praise God for the prerogative

To love Him freely as we should!  

He gave His life that we might live

Because He is supremely good. 

Our Lord is worthy to be praised;

We banish idols from our sight

As grateful worship now is raised

With all our heart, and soul, and might.

O Lord, remove from us the leaven

That hinders worship that is true.

We wait for You to come from heaven

And gladly serve You as we do. 

Messenger Ministry

"Make the seven lamps... that they may give light" (Exodus 25:37).  "Men of the world... have their portion in this life... As for me... I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness" (Psalm 17:14,15).  "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise" (Proverbs 11:30).  "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time... Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it" (Colossians 4:5,17). 

The tabernacle lamps were made

To shine the light as God ordained,

That Christ might thereby be portrayed

As light where darkness once had reigned.

How great the darkness is today

That leads the blind to hopeless graves!

The Gospel shines to show the way

Of our escape through Christ who saves. 

The Lord has called us to be wise

By leading souls to His salvation 

With truth that will expose the lies

And rescue them from condemnation. 

So teach us, Lord, to do Your will

As messengers whom You have sent

With ministry that we fulfill

By winning sinners who repent.  

Hope of our Heritage

"Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua... And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you... and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights" (Exodus 24:13-18).  "The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance... I have a goodly heritage. Therefore my heart is glad... my flesh also shall rest in hope" (Psalm 16:5-9).  "The hope of the righteous shall be gladness" (Proverbs 10:28).  "Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:4).  

When Moses went up to the mount,

He said that he would come again. 

The days the people then would count

Discouraged the forgetful men. 

Our Lord has said He will return;

He did not say when that would be,

Yet we may rest as we discern

His Word is true eternally. 

Is this the time to merely cope

And not redeem the time God gives? 

The glad assurance of our hope

Should change the way a Christian lives! 

O Lord, our Heritage forever,

Our hope is settled in Your Word.

We trust not in our own endeavor,

But in Your grace, we rest assured.  

 

Far from Falsehood

"Keep thee far from a false matter... and in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect" (Exodus 23:7,13).  "LORD, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle?... He that... speaketh the truth in his heart" (Psalm 15:1,2).  "Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding" (Proverbs 9:6).  "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (Colossians 2:8). 

Let falsehood be like chaff that scatters

And truth be like the wheat that stays. 

Let us be wise in all that matters

And circumspect in all our ways. 

Let everything we say and do

Be pleasing in our Father's sight,

Be far from things that are not true,

And firmly hold to what is right. 

Let us forsake the foolish things

That only tend to stir up strife. 

We serve our Lord, the King of kings

Who, for our souls, laid down His life. 

O Christ, Your truth now makes us free 

And keeps us far from falsehood here, 

Exposing vain philosophy

And making Your salvation clear!  

Hope of our Holiness

"Ye shall be holy men unto Me" (Exodus 22:31).  "The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God... there is none that doeth good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:2,3).  "Whoso findeth Me findeth life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD" (Proverbs 8:35).  "You... hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable... in His sight... Christ in you [is] the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:21-27). 

The Lord calls His own to be holy,

But how can this virtue be gained,

Since God surely understands fully

That we all by sin have been stained?

Isaiah said, "I am undone!" 

In view of the Lord's holy throne. 

Since no one is good, no not one,

Isaiah's lament is our own.  

Our hope is in Jesus our Savior,

Our Lord who is lowly and meek,

Who calls us to find in Him favor,

Extending the mercy we seek. 

The hope of our holiness, Lord,

Is told in the greatest love story,

For You gave Yourself to afford

Our righteousness found in Your glory.  

Meditate on His Mercy

"Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them... Eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (Exodus 21:1,24).  "But I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.  I will sing unto the LORD, because He hath dealt bountifully with me" (Psalm 13:5,6).  "My son, keep My words, and lay up My commandments with thee... go not astray" (Proverbs 7:1,25).  "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true... think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).   

The law would demand tooth for tooth

To punish a sinful behavior, 

But mercy that pardons with truth

Is what we receive from our Savior!

By mercy we have our salvation

Through Christ, who for sinners has died

To thereby remove condemnation

From those who are now justified!  

So let us obey the command

To love as our Savior has spoken,

For it is by grace that we stand,

And not by the law we have broken. 

We meditate, Lord, on Your love

And think on the mercy You've shown

That sets our affections above

And moves us to make Your love known.