OBEDIENCE

Jesus has spoken; His is the Word, ours the obedience. ---- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

....from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work (II Timothy 3:15-17).

Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. I give thanks to you O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever (Psalm 86:11-12).

A hymn to read, sing, play, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Teach Me, O Lord, Thy Holy Way.(William T. Matson, 1856).

PRAYER

Prayer is the very life-breath of true Christianity. ---- J. C. Ryle

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us (Psalm 62:7-8).

Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full (John 16:23-24).

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

A hymn to read, sing, play, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Come, my Soul, Thy Suit Prepare.(John Newton, 1779.)

JOY

Joy is the flag that is flown from the citadel of the heart when the King is in residence. ---- Anonymous

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; You hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. There my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:5-6, 8-9, 11).

A hymn to read, sing, play, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: All People That on Earth Do Dwell(Psalm 100). -- William Kethe, 1561.

GRATITUDE

Gratitude to God makes even a temporal blessing a taste of heaven -- William Romaine

Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayers and worn with thanks. -- Thomas Goodwin

O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people. Remember His marvelous works that He has done; His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth...for He has remembered His holy promise.... (Psalm 105:1,5)

A hymn to read, sing, play, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Give Thanks unto the Lord, Jehovah. -- From Psalm 118, ca 1990.

JOY

Joy ceases to be joy when it ceases to be "in the Lord".  -- J. Alec Motyer

I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices: my flesh also shall rest in hope. Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:8-11).

A hymn to read, sing, play, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God (Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts (Bernard of Clairvaux, ca. 1150)

HEART

The keeping and right managing of the heart in every condition is the great business of the Christian's life. ---- John Flavel

And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart (Deuteronomy 6:5-6).

The LORD is nigh unto those who are of a broken heart; and saves those who are of a contrite spirit. (Psalm 34:18).

Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise (Psalm 112:7)

 

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).

 

A hymn to read, sing, play, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart (George Croly, 1854).

REPENTANCE

Repentance is not....

     ....merely feeling sorry (without hating sin);

     ....merely feeling disgusted (without turning from sin);

     ....merely fearing hell (without fearing God).

 

Repentance is....

     ....a change of one's view of sin (II Corinthians 7:10).

     ....a change of one's feeling about sin (Psalm 51:2,10, 14).

     ....a change of one's will and purpose regarding sin (Psalm 51:5, 7, 10). ---- pgs

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: O Thou That Hear'st When Sinners Cry(From Psalm 51. Isaac Watts, 1719).

STILL

There are many circumstances in life when to be strong is to sit still (---pgs).

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"(Psalm 46:10)

"Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will work for you today. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent" (Exodus 14:13,14).

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee(Georg Neumark, 1641).  

LIGHT

God sometimes leads us through darkness to remind us that He alone is Light.  -- pgs 

 

Again, Jesus spoke unto them saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).  

 

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet , and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105).

PROMISES

If the weeds of loneliness and fearfulness grow in your heart, crowd them out with plantings of sturdy flowers of faith and confidence rooted in the promises of the Word of God.---- pgs.

 

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want....  (Psalm 23:1a). 

 

I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears (Psalm 34:4). 

 

O taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him. The LORD redeems the soul of His servants and none of them who trust in Him shall be desolate (Psalm 3:8, 22). 

 

He has said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you," so that we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me" (Hebrews 13:5, 6).   

HONESTY

I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man. ---- George Washington

True honesty takes into account the claims of God as well as those of man; it renders to God the things that are God's, as well as to man the things that are man's. ---- C. Simmons

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (I Peter 2:13-15).

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God:  What Kind of Man Can Live in the World (Psalm 15) ---- Jonathan Barnes, 1973).

HE

Whatever point of compass the wind is in, it is fulfilling God's Word, and turns about by His counsel. ---- Matthew Henry

God the great Creator of all things, does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy (from the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 5-1).

-- He upholds all things by the word of His power (read Hebrews 1:3 and its context).

-- He does according to His will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth... (read and meditate on Daniel 4:34ff. and the context, and Psalm 135:6 and the context).

--- He determined all the circumstances of all our days, and does whatever He wishes - in Him we live and move and have our being...(read and think about Acts 17:25-28, and Matthew 10:29-31). Meditate also upon Psalm 15:3; 104:24; 145:17; Acts 15:18; Ephesians 1:11. 

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle, to the glory of God: Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah (from Psalm 148:1-13).

SIN

There is the seed of all sins --- of the vilest and worst of sins --- in the best of men. ---- Thomas Brooks

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51:4-5)

A hymn to read, sing, hum, or whistle to the glory of God: From Depths of Woe I Raise to Thee(Martin Luther, from Psalm 130).

-Just a thought (no pun intended): if you do not have a hymnal at home, I would encourage you to purchase a Trinity Hymnal from Christian Education and Publications, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 102, Lawrenceville, GA 30043-8143, Tel. 678-825-1100.  It is from this excellent hymnal that I select  the hymns recommended in the daily 'Thoughts'.   Paul Settle

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).

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.

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.

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)