Fixed Faith

"I lie even among them that are set on fire.... My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed" (Psalm 57:4,7). "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace... But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Daniel 3:17,18).

Lord, fix this fickle heart of mine
Upon my God and Savior,
And thereby let Your light so shine
In all of my behavior.

For faith is tested by the fire,
To know what sort it is.
Let Christ be found my chief desire,
To show that I am His.

Wandering and Weeping

"Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book? When I cry unto Thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me" (Psalm 57:8,9).

What is the cause of my wand'ring and weeping?
The answer is found in God's wonderful Book!
It's not because God is indifferent or sleeping,
But rather because of my wandering look.

But God is still for me, I surely do know,
In each of my trials and all of my tears,
With goodness and mercy wherever I go;
I know every time that I cry that He hears.

Secrets of Seasons

"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever: for wisdom and might are His: and He change the times and the seasons.... But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known... what shall be in the latter days" (Daniel 2:20,21,28).

The secrets of the seasons from human eyes concealed
Cannot by human reason be discovered nor revealed.
But there is a God above who makes His secrets known,
And manifests His love through Christ toward His own.

Answer and Anchor

"[We] have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is 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" (Hebrews 6:18-20).

Jesus is the answer for those who long for hope,
For those who look for reasons and in the darkness grope.
Jesus is the anchor for the souls of all His own,
A refuge in the storm, sure and steadfast as His throne.

Daniel's Determination

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank" (Daniel 1:8). "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2).

Though others thought his choice unwise,
Daniel would not compromise.
And now we see his purposed heart
In retrospect was really smart!

Lord, give our hearts determination,
Just to know that You have smiled;
And not for this world's expectation,
Not conformed, and not defiled!

Goodness of God

"The goodness of God endureth continually" (Psalm 52:1). "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

The goodness of God cannot be diminished;
In the time of our need He has plenty of grace.
Until we are home and our course has been finished,
Let's draw from His mercy and strength for our race.

Inward Interest

"Behold, Thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me... wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.... Create in me a clean heart" (Psalm 52:6-10).

God is concerned with our innermost part,
Not with pretentious, religious behavior.
Search me, O God, exposing my heart,
Cleansing my sin by the blood of my Savior.

Calling Continually

"The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof" (Psalm 50:1). "How shall we escape, if we neglect to great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him, God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?" (Hebrews 2:3,4).

The Mighty God, the Prince of Peace,
Has called the earth and does not cease
To send His servants forth to tell:
There is but one escape from hell.

What more, oh sinner, could God say?
His words and works are on display!
What more could our Lord Jesus do?
For even now He's calling you.

Reception by Redemption

"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, nor give to God a ransom for him.... But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall receive me. Selah" (Psalm 49:6,7,15). "The Son of Man came... to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

So let the worldly boast of wealth,
Temporal pleasure, fleeting health.
But all these things must pass away,
And these cannot our ransom pay.

But God Himself redeemed my soul;
My price was weighed and paid in full.
For Jesus gave Himself for me,
And I am His eternally!

God and Guide

"We have thought of Thy lovingkindness, O God.... According to Thy name, O God, so is Thy praise.... This God is our God forever and ever: He will be our Guide even unto death" (Psalm 48:9,10,14).

O God, our God eternally,
Our Guide as well through all our days,
Your lovingkindness sets us free,
And fills our hearts with grateful praise.

Kindness of our King

"The kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared... which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4,6,7).

Behold the kindness of our King!
Behold our God and Savior's love!
Heirs by grace together sing
With heaven's choral host above!

The King of heaven has appeared:
Behold the great "I Am!"
He bore the judgment that we feared
As God's unblemished Lamb.

Looking and Laboring

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:13,14).

Looking for that blessed hope,
While we wait for God our Savior,
Calls us not to merely cope,
But to testify with our behavior.

Jesus Christ shall come again,
So let us labor while we look.
Even so, Lord, come! Amen!
Fulfill the promise of Your Book!

Faithful though Forsaken

"All men forsook me... Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me" (2 Timothy 4:16,17). "He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).

When we see ourselves forsaken
And we think we are alone,
Look again; do not be shaken:
God never leaves His own.

Finishing Forecast

"My departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:6,7).

There is a fight that must be fought.
There is a race that must be run.
There is a faith that must be taught
And lived each day through God the Son.

But God will help us finish well
In all that He would have us do.
And after all is done we'll tell
That it was grace that brought us through.

Workman in the Word

"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.... This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be... ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 2:15, 3:1,2,7).

Workman in the Word of truth,
Show yourself approved by God.
Speak to aged; speak to youth;
Though some may mock and some applaud.

For in these perilous, last days,
The world would rather heed a fable
Than know the truth and give God praise;
And so they learn, and are not able.

Help and Health

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.... for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God" (Psalm 42:5,11). "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself" (2 Timothy 2:13).

Why, my soul, are you cast down?
God's help and health are on your side!
When circumstances seem to frown,
His faithfulness shall still abide.

Spiritual Specialties

Thanksgiving Day

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).

Thanks be to God for His Spirit of power,
Giving us strength everyday, every hour.
Thanks be to God for His Spirit of love,
Sent from the heart of our Savior above.
Thanks be to God for His Spirit's sound mind:
His will to obey, His wisdom to find.

Victory in the Volume

"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). "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect" (Hebrews 10:1). "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).

The volume of the book contains
The prophecy of Christ,
And clearly there our Lord explains
Why He was sacrificed.

For all the offerings of the past
Are not what God desired:
For these were only shadows cast
To show what He required.

"I come to do Thy will," He said,
In His prophetic voice:
And thus He suffered in our stead.
Give thanks to Him! Rejoice!

Wait for What?

"And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in Thee" (Psalm 39:7).

My hope is not in fleeting health
To lengthen days upon this earth;
Nor is it in the temporal wealth
That estimates our worldly worth;
Nor is it in attractiveness
That draws fair weather friends:
My hope is in the Lord, no less;
My soul on Him depends.

Guard the Gift

"Neglect not the gift that is in thee.... Take heed unto thyself, and unto doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee" (1 Timothy 4:14,16).

Neglect not the gift which was given to you;
That gift was entrusted to you with salvation.
Take heed to yourself; hold fast to the true,
For the sake of those hearing and your preservation.