Hating Half-Heartedness

“I hate vain thoughts [literally, dividedness]: but Thy law do I love” (119:113).  “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established” (Proverbs 16:3).  “Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight” (Ezekiel 36:31).  “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me… No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:23,62). 

There is a time for love and hate:

To love the Lord is always right,
And we should love to meditate
Upon His Word both day and night.

We ought to hate half-heartedness

With thoughts which from our Lord divide,
For why should Jesus Christ have less
Than all of us for whom He died?

Committing all our works to Christ,

Determined thus to do His will,
Shall save us from a heart enticed
To waste the time that we would kill. 

The time will come when we’ll recall

When were foolishly divided.
We’ll know we should have given all
And should have in the Lord confided. 

So knowing this, how should we live?

We rightly leave the past behind,
As now to Christ we fully give
Our heart, our soul, our strength, and mind!

Denying self, we take His cross

And follow daily after Him.
We learn to count all else but loss
Which, in the light of Christ, is dim. 

We’ve laid our hand upon the plough

And to His purpose we submit,
Reminded that to look back now
Will make us for His work unfit. 

O Lord, we marvel at Your love,

So patient even as we stumble!
You intercede for us above,
Extending grace that lifts the humble. 

O Lord, the Lover of our soul,

Be glorified with adoration,
As we return to You in full
Our hearts You rescued with salvation!

Lord upon the Lake

“I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O LORD, according unto Thy Word” (Psalm 119:107).  “The LORD… heareth the prayer of the righteous” (Psalm 15:29).  “[Jesus] said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake.  And they launched forth… and there came down a storm of wind on the lake… And they came to Him… saying, Master, Master, we perish. Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.  And He said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of Man is this!  For He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him” (Luke 8:22-25). 

Afflictions like a storm may blow

With howling winds and raging waves,
Yet this is all we need to know: 
Our Lord is faithful, and He saves!

The faintest prayer we raise, He hears.

The silent cry that isn’t spoken
Ascends to His attentive ears
To mend the heart that has been broken. 

The Lord would teach us in each storm

That we must cast on Him our cares.
The wind and waves His word perform,
And He will answer all our prayers.

We’re going to “the other side,”

For He has surely made this known. 
The boat may rock, but He’ll abide;
He never will forsake His own.

He’s known to all His sons and daughters

(His children by their second birth),
As Lord of all the winds and waters,
The sovereign King of all the earth! 

Within the storm we hear Christ ask: 

“Where is your faith?”  O where indeed! 
Our Lord will not assign a task
Wherein He will not meet our need.

O Lord, we praise You for the calm

That by Your Word You thus impart,
And for revival through the Psalm
That You have written on our heart.

We thank You, Lord, for this assurance,

That storms won’t come without a reason,
As You provide for our endurance
The grace we need in every season.

With joy, Lord, we have been assured

That You are Lord upon the lake!   
We’re learning thus to trust Your Word;  
We know that You make no mistake. 

His Hill

“His children shall have a place of refuge… a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death” (Proverbs 14:26,27).  “I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing” (Ezekiel 34:26).  “[Jesus] said… Thy sins are forgiven… thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace” (Luke 7:48-50). 

There is a place of refuge known,

A fountain of new life therein,
A hill where blessings shall be shown,
And showers cleansing us from sin.

It is the hill of Christ our Lord,

Golgotha’s place to where He came!
Behold His soul for us outpoured
Upon His cross to bear our shame!

Come round about His hill and see

God’s greatest Gift here on display!
Draw near the cross of Calvary
Where Christ has washed our sins away!

O let us fix this in our heart

To draw near daily to His hill,
Determine never to depart,
And ever to pursue His will. 

Our main attraction to this place,

Is Christ Himself, by whom we’re blessed,
For there we see the cost of grace
That He was willing to invest!

Upon His hill He died to save

The souls who there have found His peace.
Upon His cross He freely gave
Himself to purchase our release. 

O Lord, You’ve draw our hearts so near

As You have brought Your hill in view.
The showers of Your blessings here
Have filled our hearts with love for You!

We’ve seen You, Lord, as our Defender,

Upon this hill where You have gone. 
Now send us forth with true surrender,
So hearts to You may thus be drawn. 

Heedless Hearing

“Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth… They continue this day according to Thine ordinances: for all are Thy servants” (Psalm 119:90,91).  “The way of transgressors is hard… Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored” (Proverbs 13:15,18).  “Son of man, the children of thy people… hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.  And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not” (Ezekiel 33:30-32).  “And why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

According to God’s perfect plan

All things created heed His voice,
Except, of course, for sinful man,
Since God has given him a choice.

How strangely we are so inclined 

To wander from our Maker’s truth!
We manifest a rebel mind
By disobeying from our youth.

The Lord has given His instruction

Which we are prudent to regard,
But we may choose instead seduction;
Transgression’s way is surely hard.

It’s possible to hear God’s Word

As if it were a lovely song,
Yet never do the things thus heard,
Continuing to do what’s wrong. 

There is a question Christ has asked

That honestly should be explored 
By those who don’t do as He’s tasked: 
Why do they call on Him as Lord?

O Lord, we are reproved by this! 

We hear the gracious things you say,
Yet we forget and thus dismiss
Commandments that we should obey.

How great, Lord, is our pressing need

To run to do as You command. 
O may we hear and also heed
Your counsels that we understand.

Revival by Reflection

“Quicken me after Thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of Thy mouth” (Psalm 119:88).  “Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad” (Proverbs 12:25).  “What reason ye in your hearts?  Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?  But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (He said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.  And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God” (Luke 5:22-25). 

Revival comes by lovingkindness,

And not by mere demands of duty.
The love of God will cure our blindness
To see the splendor of His beauty. 

When heaviness is in my heart

The Lord has taught me where to go,
Reflecting now, as at the start,
That “Jesus loves me, this I know!”

Why would we reason otherwise?

What greater thought can stir joy?
What grander vision fills our eyes?
What sweeter song can we employ?

How was it Christ could pardon sins

When righteousness had called for wrath?
Reflection herein thus begins
To guide us in revival’s path!  

Our Savior healed with a word,

An act He easily displayed,
But pardon could not have occurred,
Without our ransom being paid!

O may we not lose sight of this;

Revival pivots on this fact!
Our Lord turns sorrow into bliss
When we’re reflecting on His act.

We rise to glorify His name

When we recall what Jesus did:
To bear away our sin and shame
His face from spitting was not hid!

Behold the raging lake of fire

Yet waits for those who will reject
The price that pardon would require
And will not on Christ’s love reflect!

Let us who know Him be astonished

And fall in love with Him again!
Let cold hearts thereby be admonished
As we’ve reflected on Him then!

We thank You, Lord, for what we’ve found

With this reflection on Your love!
Reviving waters thus abound
And set our hearts on things above!

Competency to Comfort

“Let those that fear Thee turn unto me, and those that have known Thy testimonies.  Let my heart be sound in Thy statutes; that I be not ashamed” (Psalm 119:79,80).  “With the lowly is wisdom.  The integrity of the upright shall guide them” (Proverbs 11:2,3).  “Jesus answered… It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God… The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18,19). 

When souls are searching for the truth,

We ought to show them where to look!
The Word of God will train our youth,
And so may we who know the Book. 

O may our hearts be thereby sound

As students who are not ashamed,
Because our competency found
Is from the Scriptures we have claimed.

Our competency is derived

From every word of God’s instruction.
O may we daily be revived
And guarded thereby from seduction.

We preach the Gospel Christ has spoken;

There is no other we can find
That heals hearts distressed and broken,
Imparting sight to those once blind. 

We preach the Gospel to the poor,

As any soul without Christ is,
To show them He is at their door,
And if they open, they are His.

We preach the Word that makes us free,

For only Christ break our chains, 
And He will grant His liberty
Which every soul He saves obtains.

O Lord, we thank You that You sent

Your comfort in this sinful place
By which we are made competent
To preach to the Gospel of Your grace!

Words in the Wilderness

“The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom” (Proverbs 10:21).  “The word of God came unto John… in the wilderness.  And he came… as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight… He will thoroughly purge His floor, and will gather the wheat into His garner; but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable” (Luke 3:2-17).

A lack of wisdom in our day

Has brought a famine the land.
Thank God for what the righteous say
And for a heart to understand. 

The words that John the Baptist preached

Were heard by those whom God would feed,
And like a mighty river reached
To souls prepared to see their need.

We’ve heard Isaiah prophesy

That such a messenger would come
And in the wilderness would cry,
Received by many, scorned by some. 

Behold this messenger God sent

Is now a model for us all. 
John called on sinners to repent,
And this is still the Gospel’s call.

We’re dwelling in a wilderness

Where God is calling on His own
To boldly preach as John, no less,
And make His great salvation known. 

Prepare the way of Christ the Lord!

Those words have not gone out of date.
The Gospel is the Spirit’s sword
By which He makes the crooked straight.

The Lord distinguishes between

His own and those who will not turn.
His people as the wheat are seen,
But all His foes like chaff shall burn. 

Lord, You have satisfied our thirst;

In fact, our cup now overflows,
For You have freely loved us first
As every soul who loves You knows!

Receive our thanks, Lord Jesus Christ,

For words declaring that You gave
Your body to be sacrificed
For thirsty souls that You will save.

Not Delaying to Now Decide

“I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies.  I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments” (Psalm 119:59,60).  “Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding… The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:6,10).  “For mine eyes have seen thy salvation…a sign which shall be spoken against… that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:30-35).

I mused, delaying not to turn:

Eternity had gripped my thought!
The fire had begun to burn,
Unquenchable and raging hot!

My heart was ready then to hear,

Which God had graciously prepared.
The grace of God taught me to fear
And taught me also that He cared. 

I heard the Word He was commanding

As He was knocking at my door.
He gave to me an understanding,
And should I wait a moment more?!

The Lord was waiting to come in;

The time had come for me to pray. 
I opened, He removed my sin,
And saved my soul without delay! 

I came by His commandment then,

Which others foolishly refuse.
Now by His grace I’m born again,
And I am preaching His good news!

My eyes have seen His great salvation! 

The fire burns within my soul
To now proclaim His invitation
To come to Christ who makes us whole!

O Lord, Your truth is not concealed

Which You’ve displayed in all the earth,
Yet rebel hearts are thus revealed,
Who thus deny themselves new birth.

Lord, keep our eyes, therefore, on You,

And grant us thereby heaven’s vision,
That we may plead with others too
To not delay in their decision.

Songs of my Sojourn

“I remembered Thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself… Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage” (Psalm 119:52,54).  “Doth not wisdom cry?... I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment” (Proverbs 8:1,20).  “When I have executed judgments… they shall know that I am the LORD their God” (Ezekiel 28:26).  “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior… For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name… He hath shewed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts” (Luke 1:46-51). 

The songs of my sojourn that comfort my soul

Are given by God in His marvelous Word,
Reminding me daily that He’s in control
By showing His judgments of old that occurred. 

Does not the great wisdom of God cried aloud?

Has not the Lord shown me His light on my path? 
Has not He brought down the high looks of the proud?
I sing for His judgments that save me from wrath! 

The judgments of God which have been executed

Astonish my soul when I’m pondering Christ! 
His pains on the cross for me had been suited,
Yet it was for me He was then sacrificed!

How shall I not magnify Him with my voice?!

My soul has a song that is filled with His praise!
Though I am a pilgrim, my heart shall rejoice
With songs that adore Him for all of my days!

My soul is rejoicing in Jesus my Savior: 

How great is His mercy!  How strong is His arm! 
He took all my judgment to give me His favor;
He stood in my place to protect me from harm! 

How vainly the proud, who supposed themselves wise,

Would seal the tomb of our Savior that day!
In three days He rose, to their fearful surprise,
And thereby His triumph was put on display!

O Lord, we give thanks for the songs that You give

To every sojourner who trusts in Your name!
Because You are living, we also shall live:  
How sweet is the Gospel Your pilgrims proclaim!   

Hastening to Heaven or Hell?

“Let Thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word” (Psalm 119:41).  “Much fair speech… caused him to yield… as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life… the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death” (Proverbs 7:21-27).  “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature… he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15,16). 

 

The Gospel of salvation heard

Extends to all God’s invitation,

But those who will reject God’s Word,

Shall hasten on to condemnation.

 

There’s much fair speech to steer those wrong

Who do not wish to turn to God,

And just like oxen led along

They march in step without a prod.

 

They may be laughing all the way

Until they’re taken by surprise.

A fool will never stop to pray

Or hear the counsel of the wise.

 

The bird that hastens to the snare

Is yet another portrait given

Of souls thus lured and unaware

Until to hell they have been driven.

 

Of course, this talk of hell offends,

But we should the record straight!

The flattery of so-called friends

Is leading to destruction’s gate!

 

So let us go therefore and preach

Wherever souls may yet be warned! 

Extending thus the Gospel’s reach,

Though for a season, we are scorned. 

 

The sins that holiness must damn

Now to the cross have all been nailed! 

Behold God’s holy, spotless Lamb

On our behalf has thus prevailed!

 

Lord, thank You for salvation’s voice,

The Gospel which we now proclaim,

That yet extends to souls a choice

To find their refuge in Your name!   

 

 

 

Terror of Tyrus

“Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually… Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy (Proverbs 6:14,15).  “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up.  And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock” (Ezekiel 26:3,4).  “Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; Himself He cannot save” (Mark 15:31).

The judgments of the Lord are true,

Though sinners mock as if they’re not.
The Lord has shown what He will do,
And souls are left to choose their lot.

Calamity shall surely come

To all who will reject salvation.
Such was the tragedy of some,
Like Tyrus, that rebellious nation.

The nations find their judgment here

On this side of eternity.
So much the more, then, souls should fear
And seek from God their remedy!

We see the terrifying case

Of Tyrus, which refused God’s warning. 
The option to refuse God’s grace
Was manifested by their scorning. 

The Lord had promised He would scrape

The city Tyrus like a rock,
So none of them would then escape,
And every mouth would cease to mock.

We turn now to a later hour

When Christ fulfilled His prophecies
Upon the cross with saving power
When He bore our iniquities!

We see the mockers wag their head,

Fulfilling their prophetic role. 
“Himself He cannot save,” they said
Of Him who would have saved their soul!

No wonder Jesus spoke of Tyrus

When He had warned His foes of hell!
Indeed, her terror thus should try us,
Reminding us of why they fell! 

O Lord, You’ve shown to us the terror

Of Tyrus and the rebel heart.
By grace we have escaped their error,
And from their judgment thus depart! 

Lord, show us how to reach the lost

That they may likewise flee from wrath
When they shall wisely count the cost
And find in You salvation’s path.

Christ or the Cruel

“Remove from me the way of lying… enlarge my heart” (Psalm 119:29,32).  “Hear Me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of My mouth…. lest thou give thine honor unto others, and thy years unto the cruel” (Proverbs 5:7,9).  “There came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on His head… And Jesus said… she hath wrought a good work on Me… She hath done what she could… but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!  Good were it for that man if he had never been born” (Mark 14:3-8,21).

There is a choice that we must make

Between surrender to the Christ
Or to the cruel (the BIG mistake
When souls by sin have been enticed). 

Removing now the way of lying

Requires washing from God’s Word
As God Himself is testifying
And we discern what we have heard.

There really is no “neutral” zone;

We’re for the Lord, or we are not.
We either live for Christ alone,
Or waste our life on things that rot. 

We’ll give our heart to Jesus Christ,

Or we shall give it to the cruel. 
Remember who was sacrificed,
And then decide which One should rule.

Portrayals in God’s Word afford

Examples of this illustrated
By those who surely loved our Lord
And those by whom our Lord was hated.

Our Lord declared the work was good

When Mary poured out her perfume,
For she had done then what she could
Before her Lord was in the tomb. 

The contrast here is surely grim

In Judas who betrayed with scorn
The Savior who would die for him;
Far better that he’d not been born!

We thank You, Lord, for Your decision

To pay that price upon the cross
Because You saw our cruel prison
And prospect of our endless loss!

O Lord, You took the cruelty

Upon the cross that we deserved! 
You knew how awful it would be,
Yet from Your purpose never swerved. 

Lord, give us vision that is right;

Enlarge our heart with true surrender!
Invade cruel darkness with Your light
To show You are the soul’s Defender!

Words for the Work

“Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law… Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors” (Psalm 119:18,24).  “I have taught thee in the way of wisdom” (Proverbs 4:11).  “I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it” (Ezekiel 24:14).  “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away… For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch” (Mark 13:31,34).

The words of God will make us wise

To do the work He has ordained.
The Lord will give us open eyes,  
So understanding may be gained.

There is a work that God will give,

A holy calling to fulfill,
As He instructs us how to live
With wondrous words that show His will.

The testimonies of the Lord

Provide His counsel every day
With wisdom He has thus outpoured
Through words that shall not pass away.

What Christ has spoken shall come true;

He always does what He has said. 
Consider things He said He’d do,
As when He rose up from the dead.

The Lord has given each of His

Authority to do a task.
If we are doubting what that is,
Perhaps it’s time for us to ask!

We thank You, Lord, for words You gave

By which we now proclaim Your grace.
O send Your power now to save,
As others also seek Your face. 

Scrutinized by Scripture

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?  By taking heed thereto according to thy Word… O let me not wander from Thy commandments” (Psalm 119:9,10).  “My son, forget not My law; but let thine heart keep My commandments” (Proverbs 3:1).  “Have ye not read this Scripture; The Stone which the builders rejected is become the Head of the corner:  this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?... They knew that He had spoken the parable against them: and they left Him, and went their way” (Mark 12:10-12).

The time is long past overdue

To come with open heart and eyes
To read the Scriptures, counting true
Our waywardness they scrutinize. 

The Word of God can stand the test

Of any honest scrutiny.
It’s time for US to be assessed
As God’s Word speaks to you and me!

Now since we know we’re prone to wander

And soon return to our own ways,
We ought to heed the Word we ponder
That God may cleanse us for His praise!

The Lord has given us commands

To do the things we rightly should.
The heart that trusts Him understands
Obedience is for our good.

Yet there are those who walk away

Refusing to receive correction.
Such was the case in Jesus’ day
When Scripture offered His protection. 

For many understood the Word

Indicting them by implication.
Instead of heeding what they heard
They turned away from God’s salvation!

They thought that they were in control,

Yet they forgot what God had shown,
That, to the peril of their soul,
They would reject the Corner Stone!

We thank You, Lord, for Your instruction

Which in the Scripture You provide
To cleanse our souls from sin’s seduction
As in our hearts Your Word we hide. 

Be glorified in us, O Lord,

As You, by Scripture, show us how,
And may Your scrutiny afford
Advancement of Your Gospel now!

Safeguard of Seeking

“Blessed are they that… that seek Him with the whole heart.  They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways”  (Psalm 119:2,3).  “If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God… He is a Buckler to them that walk uprightly.  He… preserveth the way of His saints” (Proverbs 2:3-5). 

We surely have abundant cause

For seeking God with all our heart,
For this is how our Savior draws
And sets our life for Him apart. 

It matters HOW we seek the Lord,

For God has measured half and whole.
Our hearts by Him have been explored
Who bids us give Him full control.

If we will seek Him as we should
And lift our voice for understanding,
His wisdom shall be understood
And we shall do as He’s commanding. 

If hearts decide to give Him half,

Will God delight in what is given?
Shall not He count it as the chaff
Which by the wind away is driven?

O may we give in fullest measure

Our hearts for which He gave His all
And seek His will as hidden treasure
Delighting in His upward call!

Beware, for hearts may tend to harden

Through vain affections here below,
Forgetting Him who died to pardon
And wash our sins as white as snow.

O Lord, we trust in You to guard

Our souls by Your sustaining grace,
To keep our hearts from growing hard
As we, with whole hearts, seek Your face!