FLESH

To the human mind there is something almost illogical in the assertion that God became a man. It is like speaking about a square circle. Yet this is what Christmas says -- and we take refuge from our bewilderment not in explanation but in adoration (Ralph P. Martin).

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth (John 1:1, 14).

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given to us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life (I John 5:20).

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (Liturgy of St. James. 5th. Century).

FORM

Christianity is the story of how the rightful King has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage. (--- C. S. Lewis).

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life --- the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest in us ---that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you... (I John 1:1-3). 

The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever after the order o Melchizedek." The Lord is at your right hand, he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth (Psalm 110:4-6)

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Gentle Mary Laid Her Child (Joseph Cook, 1919).

FLESH

The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that he sunk himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding. (Martin Luther).

Then [Jesus] stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe."  Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God." (John 20:27)  

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory(I Timothy 3:16).

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: What Child Is This? (Traditional English Carol).  

ESTATE

What was the estate of Christ's humiliation?

The estate of Christ's humiliation was that low condition, wherein he for our sakes, emptying himself of his glory, took upon him the form of a servant, in his conception and birth, life, death, and after his death, until his resurrection. (Westminster Larger Catechism, Q/A 46)

Let earth and heaven combine,

Angels and men agree,

To praise in songs divine

The incarnate Deity,

Our God contracted to a span,

Incomprehensibly made man.

(Charles Wesley)

 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:6)

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Hark! the Herald Angels Sing (Charles Wesley, 1739).

BORN

Rejoice that the immortal God is born that mortal men may live in eternity. ---- Jan Hus

....and Jacob, the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (Matthew 1:16).

...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:20-21).

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God:

What Child Is This (traditional English carol).

PERESCUTED

And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven(Matthew 5:10).

Which, being interpreted is: Blessed are those who are fully aware, and willing to pay, the high cost of Christian discipleship. -- pgs

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: The Son of God Goes Forth to War (Reginald Heber, 1827).

MATTER

We matter to God. Inexplicably. Undeservedly. Even we dedicated Christians tend to forget this truth -- or doubt it or altogether reject it -- when we encounter trouble. It is difficult to understand why we matter, but we do. God is watching, listening to us, speaking promises into the cacophony of our worries and the certainty of their fulfillment into our most deeply buried hopes. --- Patty Kirk, "Confessions of an Amateur Believer."

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust." -- Psalm 91:1-2

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God:

Call Jehovah Your Salvation.

SEE

Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened is mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8).

Which, being interpreted, means believers who now know, worship and serve God alone -- sincerely loving Him, desiring Him,  being cleansed by Him and fully satisfied in Him -- "see" Him by faith now, and shall "see" Him person-to-Person in heaven, forever.

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Be Thou My Vision (Ancient Irish poem, 8th. Century).

AFFLICTION

Thou shalt never find a bundle of affliction which has not been bound up in the midst of sufficient grace. ---- CH Spurgeon

 

....a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me (II Corinthians 12:7-9).

SUPERNATURAL

Supernatural living through supernatural empowering is at the very heart of New Testament Christianity.  -- J. I. Packer

 

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:9-12).

PENITENCE

True faith is suffused with penitence. And just as faith is not only a momentary act but an abiding attitude of trust and confidence directed to the Savior, so repentance results in constant contrition. The broken spirit and the contrite heart are abiding marks of the believing soul. -- John Murray

 

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise(Psalm 5:17).

 

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word (Isaiah 66:7b).

REPENTANCE

Evangelical repentance is that which carries the believing soul through all his failures, infirmities, and sins. He is not able to live one day without the constant exercise of it. It is as necessary unto the continuance of spiritual life as faith is. It is that continual, habitual, self-abasement which arises from a sense of the majesty and holiness of God, and the consciousness of our miserable failures.  ---- John Owen

 

The sacrifies of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise(Psalm 51:17).

 

Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near; Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7).

MEDITATION

Meditation is the life of most other duties. ---- Richard Baxter

 

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:1-3.

MERCY

And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy (Matthew 5:7).

Which, being interpreted, means blessed is the believer who loves the miserable, forgives the sinner, and feels and acts kindly toward all men, for he will receive loving kindness in return. -- pgs 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God:
O God of Mercy, God of Might (Godfrey Thring, 1877).

HUNGER

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down; his disciples came to him, and began to teach them, saying:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matthew 5:6).

Meaning: those who earnestly and humbly seek to know and adore God in Christ more and more every day, may fully expect to receive what they desire. --- pgs

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God:   Christ, of All My Hopes the Ground(Ralph Wardlaw, 1817).

POVERTY

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3).

Which means: Blessed are they who, keenly aware of the sinful poverty of their souls, earnestly seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. -- pgs

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God:

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling. Charles Wesley, 1747.   

MEEK

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).

Blessed are those who are consciously dependent upon and submissive to God's providence, for they shall reign with Christ in the new heavens and new earth (Romans 4:13). --- pgs

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Teach Me, O Lord, Thy Holy Way. (William T. Matson, 1866).  

SONG

SONGS OF THANKSGIVING

Our God is Mighty, Worthy of All Praising

Declare His glory among the nations (Psalm 96:3).  

Our God is mighty, worthy of all praising; sing unto Him a glad, triumphant song; He is the Lord, supreme in earth and heaven; to Him all strength and majesty belong.

Our God is gracious, infinite in mercy; He bridged the hopeless gulf our sin had made;

He gave His Son to purchase our salvation ---- in Jesus Christ we meet God unafraid!

Our God is faithful; He will work within us, fulfilling all the purpose He has planned, cleansing our hearts and filling with His Spirit, making us strong to keep His last command.

Our God is sovereign over all creation, and soon His earth shall hear His mighty voice; with shout of joy the King shall come in splendor ---- lift up your hearts, confess Him, and rejoice!

Refrain: Declare His glory among the nations, through all creation His triumph sing, till all earth's peoples bow in adoration and Jesus Christ be everlasting King. --- Margaret Clarkson, 1976. (All texts taken from The Trinity Hymnal.)

SONG

SONGS OF THANKSGIVING

Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness (Psalm 115:1).

How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me? Things so undeserved, yet You gave to prove Your love for me; the voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. "All that I am, and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee. To God be the glory, to God be the glory, to God be the glory for the Things He has done.

With His blood He has saved me; with His power He has raised me; to God be the glory for the things He has done. Just let me live my life ---- let it be pleasing, Lord, to Thee; and if I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary. (Andrae Crouch, 1971)

SONGS

A SONG OF THANKSGIVING

Sing to the LORD, all the earth, proclaim His salvation day after day (I Chronicles 16:23).

Can a little child like me thank the Father fittingly? Yes, O yes! be good and true, patient, kind in all you do; love the Lord and do your part; learn to say with all your heart, Father we thank Thee! Father, we thank Thee! Father in heaven, we thank Thee!

For the fruit upon the tree, for the birds that sing of Thee, for the earth in beauty dressed, father, mother, and the rest, for Thy precious, loving care, for Thy bounty everywhere, Father, we thank Thee! Father, we thank Thee! Father in heaven, we thank Thee!

For our comrades and our plays, and our happy holidays, for the joyful work and true that a little child may do, for our lives but just begun, for the great gift of Thy Son, Father, we thank Thee! Father, we thank Thee! Father in heaven, we thank Thee! ---- Mary Mapes Dodge, 1831-1905.

SONGS

SONGS OF THANKSGIVING

Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day (I Chronicles 16:23) 

Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving to God the Creator triumphantly raise, who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us, who guides us and leads to the end of our days. His banners are o'er us, His light goes before us, a pillar of fire shining forth in the night, 'til shadows have vanished and darkness is banished, as forward we travel from light into light.

His law He enforces: the stars in their courses, the sun in its orbit, obediently shine; the hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains, the deeps of the ocean proclaim Him divine. We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing, with glad adoration a song let us raise, 'til all things now living unite in thanksgiving to God in the highest, hosanna and praise!  ---- Katherine K. Davis, 1939.  

GIFT

No person is good enough to deserve any of God's blessings; salvation is the free gift of God's unmerited grace to sinners. --- pgs

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:5-6).

For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God ---- not by works, so that no one can boast  (Ephesians 2:8-9).

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle to the glory of God:

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Robert Robinson, 1758). 

CAUSE

God's cause is never in danger; what He has begun in the soul or in the world He will complete unto the end.--- B. B. Warfield.

I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day (II Timothy 1:12).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to in inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (I Peter 1:3-4).

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son....in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).  

Q. What are the decrees of God? A. The decrees of God are, His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass (Westminster Shorter Catechism 7).

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Amazing Grace (John Newton, 1779).

FREEDOM

The freedom of the Christian is freedom in the law. --- Augustus H. Strong

 

You, my brothers were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other (Galatians 5:13-25).

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle to the glory of God:

I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord (Timothy Dwight, 1800). 

PRIDE

Pride is a sin the Lord hates, because it is a sin that sets itself most against him. Other sins are against God's laws, this is against his being and sovereignty --- Spiros Zodhiates.

 

I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly that he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits (Romans 12:3-16).

 

You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed, and who stray from your commands (Psalm 119:21).

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, whistle, to the glory of God:

All For Jesus, (Mary D. James, 1889). 

PRESENCE

The land of promise is empty without God. His Presence bestows favor and assurance on His people and marks them out as His own, for His glory. --- Selected

 

The LORD replied, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" (Exodus 33:14).

 

Come  to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:30).

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Peace, Perfect Peace, (Edward H. Bickersteth, 1875).

PRESERVES

Even in the desert God pities, protects, and preserves   His people. ---- pgs

 

Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there" (I Kings 17:1-4).

 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows (Psalm 23:5).

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God:

Showers of Blessing, Daniel W. Whittle, 1883.

GLORY

And this strikes me....that we as Christians are the only ones who partake in true worship of the Creator. We praise Him and worship Him for His steadfast love, His new mercies in the morning, His Son Jesus. Oh, the Love of God, so rich and pure! ---- Joshua Gielow, truthxchange.  

And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water." (Revelation 14:7).

Sovereign Lord ... you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. Acts 4:24.

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God:

This Is My Father's World, Maltbie D. Babcock (1901).  

MIND

The mind is the vestibule of the sanctuary of the heart. --- Rick Phillips

 

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8).

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle to the glory of God: May the Mind of Christ My Savior (Kate B. Wilkinson, 1925).

SAVIOR

There is no other way: time will fail you, Satan accuse you, the world seduce you, self betray you. Christ alone will save you. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). ---- Selected

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle to the glory of God: What a Friend We Have in Jesus (Joseph Scriven, 1855).

COMFORT

God sometimes brings His people into a wilderness that there He might speak comfortably to them. ---- Matthew Henry

 

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

 

A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken" (Isaiah 40:1, 4-5).

LIMITLESS

About God's infinity: God is without limit or boundary. We cannot cross a line and say, 'Now here God is not; here is a limit which He has not passed, and cannot pass.' "Trismegistus said God is a circle, whose center is everywhere, but His circumference is nowhere." --- Alexander Whyte

 

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM; and He said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you." (Exodus 3:14).

 

Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven --- what can you do? Deeper than Sheol --- what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea (Job 11:7-9).

TRIBULATIONS

Nothing is more destined to create deep-seated anxieties in people than the false assumption that life should be free from anxieties. ---- Fulton J. Sheen

In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

HONESTY

Honesty is a matter of right and wrong, not a matter of policy. --- Anonymous

These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD" (Zechariah 8:16).

AGE

When grace is joined with wrinkles, it is adorable. There is an unspeakable dawn in happy old age. -- Victor Hugo

If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward Him. Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish; you will be secure and will not fear. You will forget your misery; you will remember it as waters that have passed away, and your life will be brighter than the noonday; the darkness will be like the morning. And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security. You will lie down, and none will make you afraid. -- Job 11:7, 13, 15-19.

CARE

How wonderful is the care of God for His own! Though invisible, how real are His protecting arms! "Not a shaft of hate can hit till the God of love sees fit." -- A. W. Pink

 

And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night (I Samuel 19:10).

 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (Psalm 23:5).

LOVE

This is love: knowing and loving the triune God above all others and sharing that love and life in God with those you love the most.  ---- pgs

 

 

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31).

 

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Romans11:36).

 

My heart and my strength may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever(Psalm 73:25).

 

 Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39).

 

That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also unto you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write unto you that our joy may be full (I John 1:3-4).

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle to the glory of God: Blest Be the Tie That Binds (John Fawcett, 1782).

FULLNESS

It pleases the Father that all fulness should be in Christ; therefore there is nothing but emptiness anywhere else (W. Gadsby).

 

For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell... (Colossians 1:19a).

 

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world --- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions --- is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever (I John 2:15-17).

ELECTION

 If God did not choose some men without conditions, no man would ever choose God under any condition. ---- John Blanchard.

 

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide (John 15:16).

 

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).  

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle to the glory of God: 'Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee (Josiah Cander, 1836).

SONGS

SONGS OF THANKSGIVING

Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness (Psalm 115:1).

How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me? Things so undeserved, yet You gave to prove Your love for me; the voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. "All that I am, and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee. To God be the glory, to God be the glory, to God be the glory for the Things He has done.

With His blood He has saved me; with His power He has raised me; to God be the glory for the things He has done. Just let me live my life ---- let it be pleasing, Lord, to Thee; and if I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary. (Andrae Crouch, 1971)

WORSHIP

 Those cannot worship God aright who do not worship Him alone. ---- Matthew Henry

 

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and come before Him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness... (I Chronicles 16:29).

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Within Your Temple, Lord (From Psalm 48:9-14.)

PRIDE

All the sin of heathendom, all the sin of Christendom, is but the outgrowth of one root --- God dethroned, self enthroned in the heart of man. --- Andrew Murray

 

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ...Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. (II Corinthians 10:5, 12, 18).

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle to the glory of God: O Lord, Thou Judge of All the Earth (The Psalter 1912, 1961).  

PROMISES

 A little saint may enjoy a great promise. --- Anonymous.

 

My flesh and my heart fail, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever (Psalm 73:26).

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners! (J. Wilbur Chapman, 1910)

FORGIVENESS

The strongest inducement for a Christian to obey the divine law is the fact that he has been graciously pardoned for having broken it. ---- Ernest F. Kevan

David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die." (II Samuel 12:13).

"Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool" (Isaiah 1:18).

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin" (Romans 47-8).

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Wretched (Joseph Hart, 1759.  

MEDITATION

What is the reason there is so much preaching and so little practice? For want of meditation... Constant thoughts are operative, and musing makes the fire burn. Green wood is not kindled by a flash or spark, but by constant blowing. ---- Thomas Manton.

This Book of the Law shall  not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Joshua 1:8).

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle,to the glory of God:  O Christ, Our Hope, Our Heart's Desire(Latin hymn, 7th. or 8th. century).

JERUSALEM

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. Thy will be his people, and God himself will be with them and their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" (Revelation 21:1-5a)

 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle to the glory of God:

Jerusalem the Golden (Bernard of Cluny, 12th. century.)