Awakened with Amazement

"O God, my heart is fixed… I myself will awake early.  I will praise Thee, O LORD… For Thy mercy is great above the heavens: and Thy truth reacheth unto the clouds" (Psalm 108:1-4).  "O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee… I will show thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth" (Daniel 10:19,21).  "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear… Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Matthew 11:15,28,29). 

O let my weary eyes awake  

To fix my heart on things above,

Beholding Christ, who for my sake

Laid down His life in matchless love! 

Let not my hearing now be dull;

Let not my vision be obscured  

As God is speaking to my soul

To show me treasures in His Word.   

I hear Him say, "Come unto Me,"

And as my eyes are to Him raised,

The peace He gives so graciously  

Has left me speechless and amazed! 

My heart is now awakened, Lord,

And with amazement I am blest

As Your salvation is explored

That promises Your perfect rest! 

Sent by the Savior

"Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy" (Psalm 107:2).  "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks… after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself" (Daniel 9:25,26).  "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). 

We're sent with the Gospel to say

That we are redeemed with a price. 

The Lord laid His life down to pay

Our ransom through His sacrifice. 

The prophecy would be fulfilled,

Regarding Messiah our Lord,

That Christ for our sakes would be killed,

As Daniel was told to record. 

We're sent with our Lord's declaration,

As sheep among wolves in each place,

Proclaiming His wondrous salvation

That rescues our souls by His grace. 

Now send us, Lord Jesus our Savior,  

To speak of Your marvelous love,

As wise as a serpent's behavior,

Yet harmless as well as a dove.  

 

Learning from the Lord

"My son, attend unto My wisdom, and bow thine ear to My understanding… for the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He pondereth all his goings" (Proverbs 5:1,21).  "When I… Daniel… sought for the meaning… he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision" (Daniel 8:15,17).  "Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy… the multitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel… When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them" (Matthew 9:13,33,36).

If we will attend to God's Word,

We'll learn from the Lord who is speaking.

If we will obey what we've heard,

He'll give us the wisdom we're seeking. 

When Daniel was seeking to know  

The meaning of visions God sent,

The Lord sent his angel to show

The truth of each future event. 

We learn from our Lord Jesus Christ

The meaning of heaven's compassion:  

He was for our souls sacrificed

With love never seen in this fashion!

O Lord, we are learning from You

How far heaven's mercy can reach 

As we have observed what You do

And we have obeyed what You teach.  

Remember with the Redeemed

"O give thanks unto the LORD… make known his deeds among the people… talk ye of all his wondrous works… Remember His marvelous works that He hath done" (Psalm 105:1,2,5).  "The kingdom and dominion… under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him" (Daniel 7:27).  "Many shall come… and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11). 

How good it is to join the ranks

Of those who love to speak of Christ

And with remembrance, give Him thanks

That He for us was sacrificed! 

We're making known the wondrous things

That Christ accomplished in the past

And showing Him as King of kings

When He shall come to reign at last. 

Throughout the great millennium

When Christ shall wear His glorious crown,

His saints redeemed shall gladly come

And talk of Him as they sit down.  

Lord, soon we shall remember You,

Our sovereign Lord and suffering Lamb,

With Your redeemed in heaven too,

As we sit down with Abraham.  

Confident Course

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths… For the LORD shall be thy Confidence" (Proverbs 3:5,6,26).  "Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God" (Daniel 6:21-23).  "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock… and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock" (Matthew 7:24,25). 

There is a path of confidence

Where God directs us in His way,

Not trusting in our competence,

But in the Lord, whom we obey. 

Like Daniel in the lion's den

Who trusted in God's saving favor,

We see our Lord's protection when

We're walking closely with our Savior. 

It's not enough to hear God's Word

Without obedience in our walk; 

It's when we do what we have heard

That we are building on a rock. 

Lord, in the course that You have planned,

We're confident to run the race

As You uphold us with Your hand,

And we are trusting in Your grace.  

Benefit of Breath

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities" (Psalm 103:2,3).  "Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding… then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD" (Proverbs 2:3,5).  "But [thou] hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven… and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified" (Daniel 5:23).  "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).

As God our Savior gives us breath

By which we yet may lift our voice

Before the day we enter death,

He gives to us the gift of choice. 

The Lord inclines His ear to hear

The prayer of those who seek His face

Because they have been moved by fear

To find in Him their hiding place. 

Each breath we breathe is from the hand

Of Christ our God, who for us died. 

Let those who seek Him understand

And say, Let God be glorified! 

The benefit of breath, O Lord,  

In every day of life You give,

Is ours that You may be adored

And served as long as we shall live.  

Groaning for Grace

"He will regard the prayer of the destitute… From heaven did the LORD behold the earth to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to death" (Psalm 102:17,19,20).  "Turn you at My reproof… Whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell safely" (Proverbs 1:23,33).  "I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven… and I blessed the most High… Those that walk in pride He is able to abase" (Daniel 4:34,37).  " Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). 

The Lord has looked down from His throne

To hear those who humbly will pray,

To free those from prison who groan,

And save those who seek Him today. 

He's calling for sinners to turn  

And thereby in Him safely dwell,

But rebels continue to spurn

The grace that would save them from hell.

When Nebuchadnezzar was humbled,

With groaning he sought the Lord's face.

In darkness and pride he had stumbled;

In light he discovered God's grace! 

You've heard those who hunger and thirst,

O Lord, for Your righteous salvation. 

Those groaning, who once had been cursed,

By grace have escaped condemnation!