Voice of Direction in the Valley of Decision

"Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed Thy commandments" (Psalm 119:66).  "A fool returneth to his folly" (Proverbs 26:11).  "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision… The LORD also shall… utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of His people" (Joel 3:14,16).  "Jesus… saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17). 

I heard the voice of God's direction

With truth He only could impart.   

He saved me by the good discretion

To turn to Him with all my heart.

Yet fools return to foolishness

And do so to their own perdition. 

The day is coming, nonetheless,

When they'll regret their wrong decision. 

The valley of decision's choice

Does not extend beyond the grave.

Today, if hearts will hear His voice

And call on Him, the Lord will save. 

The voice of Your direction, Lord,

Within decision's valley came:

When all my options were explored,

I gladly called upon Your name!  

Time to Turn

"I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies.  I made haste" (Psalm 119:59,60).  "As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger… As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country" (Proverbs 25:13,25).   "Whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered" (Joel 2:32).  "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel" (Mark 1:14,15).

I heard the call of Christ the Savior

And joyfully to Him I hasted

To find my refuge in His favor,

For why should time be further wasted? 

As good news from a country far,

As waters cold to quench my thirst,

As heaven's faithful guiding star,

The Gospel blesses those once cursed. 

I called upon the Savior's name; 

There was no other saving path. 

He washed away my sin and shame

And saved me from eternal wrath. 

O Lord, the time to turn to You

Had come by Your own invitation! 

Your calling that I now pursue 

Is making known Your great salvation. 

Go Tell the Gospel Truth

"Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake Thy law" (Psalm 119:53).  "If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death… doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it?  And He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it?" (Proverbs 24:11,12).  "The Word of the LORD that came to Joel… Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation" (Joel 1:1,3).  "Go quickly, and tell His disciples… Go ye therefore, and teach all nations" (Matthew 28:7,19). 

How blest are those who gladly choose

To trust in Christ for their salvation. 

Should not we warn those who refuse

God's great escape from condemnation? 

The lost are marching to their graves

As God appoints us now to tell

That there is no one else who saves

But Christ, who rescues us from hell.  

The Word that prophets have foretold

Is ours to pass on to our youth,

So they may rise up and be bold

To go and tell the Gospel truth. 

O Lord, Your great commission stands;

We go and tell whom we may reach

As Gospel truth to many lands

Goes forth by those You send to teach.  

Now Assured and Not Ashamed

"I will speak of Thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed" (Psalm 119:46).  "Surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off… Buy the truth, and sell it not" (Proverbs 23:18,23).  "What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard Him, and observed Him… for the ways of the LORD are right" (Hosea 14:8,9). "Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.  So they went, and made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch" (Matthew 27:65,66). 

There is no cause to be ashamed

To testify of God's salvation. 

The Gospel that we have proclaimed

Is open to examination. 

We ought to prayerfully invest

In thoughtful time to study well

The evidence which shall attest

To truth we buy and will not sell. 

Let idols no more turn our eyes;

Let us be done with their distraction!

They captivate the lost with lies,

But Christ the Lord is our Attraction.

How rightly now we are assured 

And not ashamed of our decision 

To trust our Savior's proven Word

As we declare that He is risen!  

Triumphant Truth

"Teach me, O LORD, the way of Thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end" (Psalm 119:33).  "Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?" (Proverbs 22:20,21).  "I will be thy King: where is any other that may save thee?... I will ransom them from the power of the grave" (Hosea 13:10,14).  "All this was done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled" (Matthew 26:56).

Triumphant truth from God is found

By those who look for evidence. 

The prophecies fulfilled abound

Of Christ who came to our defense. 

Prophetic truth with certainty

Cannot be found in any place

Except in Scripture's prophecy

Foretelling God's triumphant grace.   

There is no other risen King

Who ransoms sinners from the grave. 

He gives to us a song to sing

To praise Him who alone can save. 

O Lord, triumphant truth belongs

To You who fought for our salvation! 

Our hearts are filled with joyful songs

That overflow with adoration. 

Remove the Lies, Restore the Love

"Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me Thy law graciously… I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart" (Psalm 119:29,32).  "He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honor" (Proverbs 21:21).  "Turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually" (Hosea 12:6).  "Unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath" (Matthew 25:29). 

Let every false way be removed,

Enlarging room for Christ my Lord. 

Let indecision be reproved,

That I may run with strength restored. 

Let righteousness direct my way

With mercy as my Shepherd leads 

As I am strengthened to obey

With grace sufficient for my needs. 

Let turning to the Lord be hasted,

Since time leads to eternity,

For why should life be further wasted

On vain pursuits distracting me? 

O Lord, remove the lies at last;

Let vain distractions now depart.

Too many wasted days have passed;

Restore the first love of my heart. 

Salvation for our Sake

"Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law" (Psalm 119:18).  "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" (Proverbs 20:9).  "I drew them with cords of a Man, with bands of love" (Hosea 11:4).  "This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations" (Matthew 24:14). 

There is a Law that will not bend

For those who wish to close their eyes. 

There is a judgment in the end

That God shall never compromise. 

The Law of God is on display

To show us that we need a Savior. 

No one is clean; not one can say

That they are pure in their behavior.

But Christ has shown to us His plan

And drawn us with His cords of love:   

He laid His life down as a Man

That we might dwell with Him above. 

Your Law demanded condemnation,

But for our sake, O Lord, You died. 

This is the Gospel of salvation

Whereby Your Law is satisfied.   

Seeking His Will, Sowing His Word

"With my whole heart have I sought Thee… Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee" (Psalm 119:10,11).  "Hear counsel… that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end... the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand" (Proverbs 19:21).  "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD" (Hosea 10:12).  "How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:37).    

With all of our heart let us seek

The counsel of God's perfect will

With joy as we hear our Lord speak

Of promises He will fulfill. 

The Word of our Lord makes us wise

As we are upheld by His hand. 

His counsel that fools will despise

Shall nevertheless surely stand. 

We'll reap what we're sowing today

In fruit we will harvest tomorrow. 

The Lord, whom we seek to obey,

Gives joy that replaces our sorrow. 

While seeking Your will, Lord, we find

We're sowing Your Word with Your thought 

To those who are willfully blind: 

"I would… and [alas] you would not!"