Songs In The Night

The Lord Our Righteousness I once was a stranger to grace and to God, I knew not my danger, and felt not my load; Though friends spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree, JEHOVAH TSIDKENU was nothing to me. I oft read with pleasure, to soothe or engage, Isaiah's wild measure and John's simple page; But e'en when they pictured the blood-sprinkled tree, JEHOVAH TSIDKENU seemed nothing to me. Like tears from the daughters of Zion that roll, I wept when the waters went over His soul; Yet thought not that my sins had nailed to the tree, JEHOVAH TSIDKENU -- 'twas nothing to me. When free grace awoke me, by light from on high, Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die; No refuge, no safety in self could I see -- JEHOVAH TSIDKENU my Saviour must be. My terrors all vanished before the sweet name; My guilty fears banished, with boldness I came To drink at the fountain, life-giving and free -- JEHOVAH TSIDKENU is all things to me. JEHOVAH TSIDKENU! my treasure and boast, JEHOVAH ...

The Prodigal's Return The Far Country could never satisfy, Oh what a foolish soul I have been. I've come to myself, and I wonder now, Will my Heavenly Father take me in? Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned - I have wandered astray for many days; Now broken inside, I'm coming home again - I'm so tired of my wayward ways. My thoughts run faster than my feet can go - What kind of reception awaits me there? No, I won't falter, I have to know, "Will He receive me?" my only prayer. Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. No more wandering about in a daze - Cleanse my heart, make me whole again, Restore the joys of yesterdays. What is that on the horizon? Is that my Father waiting there? A thousand thoughts hedge my ways... But with arms opened wide, He receives me to Himself; My heart's so filled with love and praise. Like the Prodigal, I've come home again, So tired of my wayward ways - Now a peace within and a song of joy; My heart's so filled wit...

I Met The Master I had walked life's way with an easy tread, Had followed where comforts and pleasure led, Until one day in a quiet place I met the MASTER face to face. With station and rank and wealth for my goal, Much thought for my body, but none for my soul, I had entered to win in life's mad race, When I met the MASTER face to face. I had built my castles and reared them high, With their towers had pierced the blue of the sky, I had sworn to rule with an iron mace, When I met the MASTER face to face. I met Him and knew Him and blushed to see That His eyes, full of sorrow, were fixed on me; And I faltered and fell at His feet that day, While my castles melted and vanished away. Melted and vanished and in their place Naught else did I see but the MASTER's face. And I cried aloud, "Oh, make me meet To follow the steps of Thy wounded feet." My thought is now for the souls of men, I have lost my life to find it again, E'er since one day in a quiet place I met ...

This I Know I do not know what next may come Across my pilgrim way; I do not know tomorrow's road, Nor see beyond today. But this I know -- my Saviour knows The path I cannot see; And I can trust His wounded hand To guide and care for me. I do not know what may befall, Of sunshine or of rain; I do not know what may be mine, Of pleasure and of pain; But this I know -- my Saviour knows And whatsoe'er it be, Still I can trust His love to give What will be best for me. I do not know what may await, Or what the morrow brings; But with the glad salute of faith, I hail its opening wings; For this I know -- that my Lord Shall all my needs be met; And I can trust the heart of Him, Who has not failed me yet. -- E. Margaret Clarkson

The following poem was taken from chapter 11 of A Minister's Obstacles . I am not sure if the author of the book is also the author of the poem. The Hand That Held It Was Not Seen He held the lamp that Sabbath day So low that none could miss the way, And yet so high, to bring to sight That picture fair of Christ the Light, That, gazing up, the lamp between The hand that held it was not seen. He held the pitcher, stooping low, To lips of little ones below; Then raised it to the weary saint, And bade him drink when sick and faint. They drank, the pitcher them between, The hand that held it was not seen. He blew the trumpet soft and clear, That trembling sinners need not fear; And then with louder note and bold, To storm the walls of Satan's hold; The trumpet coming thus between, The hand that held it was not seen. And when our Captain says, 'Well done, Thou good and faithful servant; come, Lay down the pitcher and the lamp; Lay down the trumpet, leave the camp,' The weary...

I Will Never Leave You I will never leave you, I promised it in My Word. I, Jehovah God, your Creator, Your Master, your Friend, the Lord. WILL of My own free choice, Not because I must, But because I love you so dearly And desire that in Me you trust. NEVER will I leave you, You can depend solely on Me. Though friends and family forsake you, I'm with you for eternity. LEAVE you? -- No, not ever. I will stay right by your side. You will always be in My presence, With Me you will forever abide. YOU -- Yes you, dear believer, My most precious valued one. Because you turned away from sin And believed in My Holy Son. Yes, just as He has told us, As He promised in His Word, "I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU", Oh, what a wonderful Lord! © 1991 Jan McIntosh (Used With Permission)

The Battle Is The Lord's Our God is the God of the impossible, Oh stand still, and He shall make a way. Jesus is the Captain of the Lord's Host; Fear not, He shall fight for you this day. He's God of all the hills and valleys, All earth's treasures are under His command. Oh be not fretful nor discouraged, All we need comes from His loving hand. When evil seems to overwhelm you, Fear not sin's entanglements and cords, With steadfast faith, claim the victory, My brethren, the battle is the Lord's. May 26th, 2003 Jerry Bouey 1 Samuel 17:45-47 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild...

Near To The Throne Of God In sin so long I had wandered, My spirit, in darkness had trod, But someone stood in the gap for me, Brought me near to the throne of God. The Lord opened my eyes to see, He heard my repentant heart pray. In faith, I came to the rugged cross, To Jesus, the Life and the Way. I owe it all to my Saviour: His servant He placed in my way, He brought me near to the throne of God - And praise Him, He saved me that day! Now I am under commission; In service to my King - I am awed. He charged me with a solemn duty: To bring others to the throne of God. February 3rd, 2004 Jerry Bouey 2 Corinthians 5:17-21  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; a...

Wait On The Lord My soul, wait only on the Lord, Expecting nothing save from Him. Rest all on His unfailing Word Nor ever let thy faith grow dim. Thine every need shall be supplied, Thy heart's desires be freely given, And no good thing shall be denied The soul in harmony with heaven. All human strength but disappoints, Its wrecks along life's path are strewed; But they who wait as God appoints Shall daily find their strength renewed. On eagles' wings of faith they rise And far above earth's tumult sail, They run, unwearied, toward the prize, They walk, and neither faint nor fail. However, hope!, as seems thy case, Go spread it out before the throne; And in His boundless, matchless grace, Our God will make His power known. Then in His strength go meet thy task, Assured He bears with thee the load. If great thy need, then largely ask; All things are possible with God. - Mrs. W. A. Vroman (Taken from A Practical Primer on Prayer )

(Put to the tune of "The Fight Is On" - as written below the poem - simply sing the original chorus between each stanza.) The Lord Our Banner The Lord Our Banner is the Christian's rally cry! Raise the standard; there's battles to be fought, Jehovah-Nissi is our Saviour from on High, For without the Lord, the fight's all for nought. The battle is hard and the cost seems so very high - The squeamish and faint of heart need not apply - For our fight is not against swords, bows, or spears, But against the Devil and our own fears. Dear brethren, the war's already been fought and won - The battles are the Lord's - we fight not alone. One day soon, we'll be glorified with God's own Son - Be steadfast and faithful 'til He takes us home. The battles are wearisome; and many are the foes, Stand fast, brethren - do not falter nor faint! Jesus, our Saviour, Captain of Jehovah's host, Leads the final charge with thousands of His saints. The Lord Our Ba...

My Hiding Place Hail, sovereign love, which first began; The scheme to rescue fallen man! Hail, matchless, free, eternal grace, Which gave my soul a hiding place. Against the GOD that built the sky I fought with hands uplifted high, Despised the mention of His grace, Too proud to seek a hiding place. Enwrapt in thick Egyptian night, And fond of darkness more than light, Madly I ran the sinful race, Secure - without a hiding place! But thus the eternal counsel ran; Almighty love, arrest that man! I felt the arrows of distress, And found I had no hiding place. Indignant justice stood in view; To Sinai's fiery mount I flew; But justice cried with frowning face, This mountain is no hiding place! Ere long a heavenly voice I heard, And mercy's angel soon appeared: He led me with a beaming face, To JESUS as a hiding place. On Him almighty vengeance fell, Which must have sunk a world to hell! He bore it for a sinful race, And thus became their Hiding Place. Should sevenfold storms of t...

"Shine as lights in the world." The Lampstand Shine forth, O light of God indwelling. May the flame burn clear and bright Fed by that pure and endless oil, The Spirit filling me. Let not This flesh, this mortal lamp, obscure The brightly burning flame. O God, Let not the lampstand intervene Or claim the glory for itself. May it be clean, and plain, and yielded To the holding of that precious Oil, flaming, burning brightly That the world may see Christ. - Joan. H. Lyon Hm, it is funny how when you see something worded a little different that you see a Scriptural truth in a whole new light. I always took the references to us being the light of the world as indicating it was our job to shine out among the lost, shining out with the truth of the Word of God. Yet this poem presents it in a way that indicates we are to be the vessel holding the light (and oil) that shines out from us. Now the picture seems a little clearer for me - it is more like a combination of both concepts. Ma...

Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. "GOD MEANT IT UNTO GOOD" "God meant it unto good"--O blest assurance, Falling like sunshine all across life's way, Touching with Heaven's gold earth's darkest storm clouds, Bringing fresh peace and comfort day by day. 'Twas not by chance the hands of faithless brethren Sold Joseph captive to a foreign land; Nor was it chance which, after years of suffering, Brought him before the monarch's throne to stand. One Eye all-seeing saw the need of thousands, And planned to meet it through that one lone soul; And through the weary days of prison bondage Was working towards the great and glorious goal. As yet the end was hidden from the captive, The iron entered even to his soul; His eye could scan the present path of sorrow, Not yet his gaze might rest upon the whole. Faith failed not through those long, d...

The Ninety And The Nine There were ninety and nine that safely lay In the shelter of the fold, But one was out on the hills away, Far off from the gates of gold -- Away on the mountains wild and bare, Away from the tender Shepherd's care. Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine; Are they not enough for Thee? But the Shepherd made answer, "This of mine Has wandered away from me, And although the road be rough and steep, I go to the desert to find my sheep." But none of the ransomed ever knew How deep were the waters crossed, Nor how dark was the night that the Lord passed through Ere He found His sheep that was lost. Out in the desert He heard its cry -- Sick and helpless, and ready to die. Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way That mark out the mountain's track? They were shed for one who had gone astray Ere the Shepherd could bring him back. Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn? They are pierced tonight by many a thorn. But all through the mountains,...