Blessed and Blameless

“In the son of man… there is no help” (Psalm 146:3).  “The curse causeless shall not come” (Proverbs 26:2).  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ… that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love… accepted in the Beloved, in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:3-7). 

There was no help or hope in man  

To save those who by sin were cursed. 

Our God alone brought forth the plan

To give His best, and take our worst. 

Since we forsook God’s moral laws

There had to be a consequence. 

The curse of judgment had a cause,

And we were left without defense. 

O praise the Lord who found a way

To bless those who deserved His wrath!

He weighed the Price that He must pay

To pluck us from our hell-bound path.

In Christ is where new life begins:  

In Him we have our hiding place,

Redemption, pardon for our sins,

And all the riches of His grace! 

O Lord, we praise Your holy name;  

In You we find eternal rest!

In You we’re holy, without blame;

You died so that we could be blest. 

Now blest and blameless in You, Lord,

Astonished by Your love so true,

We show the lost the great Reward

That waits for all who trust in You.  

Glory in the Greatness

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.  One generation shall praise Thy works to another… and I will declare Thy greatness” (Psalm 145:3-6).  “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).  

How great is the Lord whom we praise,

Majestic in all of creation

With glory He greatly displays

In all of His work of salvation!    

Unsearchable greatness and favor

Are seen in the works of our Lord.

Consider the cross of our Savior

Where glory and grace are explored.

Let one generation declare

The works of our Lord to another.

There’s no other name to compare;

Salvation can come by no other.

Let all other glory be hid

But that of our Lord Jesus Christ

As we contemplate what He did

For us on the cross sacrificed!

O Lord, there is no one like You

With glory beyond comprehension! 

Our hearts are astonished anew;  

Your greatness commands our attention! 

O Lord, as we ponder Your cross,

The glory this world parades

Is quickly consumed, as is dross,

And all other greatness thus fades! 

Your glory, Lord, shined on Your path

Through all of Your days on this earth. 

Your greatness delivers from wrath

With grace that imparts the new birth.

Lord, help us to show to the lost

The glory that came from above,

The greatness of salvation’s cost,

And mercy we find in Your love.  

Resting and Rising

“Blessed be the LORD my Strength… my Goodness, and my Fortress; my High Tower, and my Deliverer; my Shield, and He in whom I trust” (Psalm 144:1,2).  “Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his Resting Place: for a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again” (Proverbs 24:15,16).

How long is the list I’ve explored

Describing how I have been blest

Through Jesus my Savior and Lord,

My Refuge, Redeemer, and Rest! 

The Lord is my Strength when I’m weak,

My Goodness, my Fortress, my Tower,

My Lord who delivers the meek,

My Shield against Satan’s power. 

The Lord is the One whom I trust,

Who shelters my soul with His grace! 

Though I am but ashes and dust,

The Lord is my sure Resting Place! 

Let all of the powers of hell

Be frustrated in their surprise

To find that with me it is well

As God lifts my head and I rise. 

O Lord, I am resting in You,

Enabled by Your great salvation  

To rise up again to pursue

Your heart by Your own invitation! 

Surrendered Servants

“Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint… Surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be” (2 Samuel 15:15,21).  “Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning... Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk… Teach me to do Thy will… Lead me into the land of uprightness” (Psalm 143:8-10).  

Whatever my Lord says to do, 

Wherever He tells me to go,

Whomever He’s sending me to,

Is all that my heart needs to know. 

Lord, cause me to hear as You talk

From Scripture with kindness and love,

And cause to know how to walk

With wisdom that comes from above.

Lord, teach me to do what You will  

As I am led forth by Your Spirit,

Surrendered and serving You still,

Obeying Your Word as I hear it. 

I thank You, my Lord and Defender,

For songs that You give me to sing,

Rejoicing in happy surrender

To serve You, my God and my King! 

Deliverance Devised

“We must needs die… yet doth [God] devise means, that His banished be not expelled from Him” (2 Samuel 14:14).  “I cried unto Thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my Refuge and my Portion in the land of the living” (Psalm 142:5).  “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself” (Proverbs 22:3).  “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a Curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3:13). 

We go the way of all the earth: 

It is appointed that we die. 

Our days are numbered from our birth. 

The grave awaits where we shall lie. 

Like vapor which so soon has vanished,

Our days on earth come to an end,

And yet from God we are not banished

If we have known Him as our Friend. 

There is a means that is devised

For friendship with our holy God   

When we at last have realized

That our devices all are flawed. 

When we at last to God have cried

And turned to Him to seek His favor,

We find a Refuge where we hide

In Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Let all the earth now stand in awe

That God was moved to love us first!  

We all were guilty under law,

But Jesus Christ for us was cursed!

Upon the cross, that awful tree,

Our Lord was cursed then in our stead! 

To purge our sins eternally,

He was the Lamb to slaughter led! 

We thank You, Lord, for what You did,

Devising such a great salvation! 

In You our souls are safely hid,

Delivered thus from condemnation!