Month: March 2024

40 Days 0f Praise — Day 20

/ taethne

We are halfway through 40 days of praise. I hope you continue to enjoy this musical devotional during your prayer time.

HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION by Robert Keen? George Keith?

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord; Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

What more can He say than to you He has said; To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

“Fear not, I am with you, O be not dismayed; For I am Your God and will still give you aid

I’ll strengthen you, help you, and cause thee to stand; Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go; The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow

For I will be with thee, your troubles to bless; And sanctify thee to your deepest distress

When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie; My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply

The flame shall not hurt thee I only design; Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine

The soul that on Jesus, hath leaned for repose; I will not, I will not desert to his foes

That soul though all hell shall endeavor to shake; I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”

How I love the affirmation of Scripture in the very first verse of this wonderful hymn! We can count on God’s Word. It’s veracity gives us a rock solid foundation for our faith. Everything we need to have a godly life pleasing to Him is found in His Word. It is complete.

       I also love the way the author depicts how God is with us, our Rock. We are able to trust Him. Every word, every promise He gives us, is true and we can lean on Him at all times. He will never leave us nor forsake us. There is no place we can go where His presence cannot be with us. How comforting that is.

       That truth is also frightening. Whenever I go someplace a Christian ought not to go, whenever I place myself in situations I ought not to be in, I take Christ there with me. I expose Him to shame and grieve His Holy Spirit.

       We are even shown, in verse 4, the truth that the fiery trials we encounter are merely to refine us, not destroy us. God lets us go through them not to bring harm to us, but to purify us and make us strong.

       What a wise and loving God we serve. No matter what we go through, no matter who or what seeks to conquer us, we can stand firm with the shield of faith, steadfast in the knowledge that the Lord is our refuge and our strength, an ever present help in times of trouble.

       Lord, what a blessing Your Holy Word is. Thank you so much for giving it to us. Help me to study it and to hide it in my heart, so that I might not sin against You.

40 Days of Praise — Day 19

/ taethne

WE HAVE HEARD THE JOYFUL SOUND by Priscilla Owens

We have heard the joyful sound, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Spread the tidings all around, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Bear the news to every land, Climb the steeps and cross the waves

Onward! ’tis our Lord’s command, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Waft it on the rolling tide, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Tell to sinners far and wide, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Sing ye islands of the sea, Echo back, ye ocean caves

Earth shall keep her jubilee, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Sing above the battle strife, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

By His death and endless life, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Sing it softly through the gloom, When the heart for mercy craves

Sing in triumph o’er the tomb, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Give the winds a mighty voice, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Let the nations now rejoice, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Shout salvation full and free, Highest hills and deepest caves

This our song of victory, Jesus saves! Jesus saves!

Is there any message more wonderful than that of “Jesus saves?” As we receive the blessedness of redemption, we cannot help but to spread this gospel, this good news, to every land.

               It is a message for people everywhere, in every land. It is a message that transcends cultures, language barriers, economic barriers, racial barriers. Lost, spiritually blind, dead in their trespasses and sins, dying without hope, people need this message. They need this message more than they need any other message because it brings the hope of God to their lives. It is appropriate to shout at births – Jesus saves. It is appropriate to shout at funerals – Jesus saves from eternal damnation! Look to Jesus and live.

               How can we keep such a wonderful message to ourselves? When millions shall walk in gloomy darkness, how can we not share the gospel light? Jesus, and only Jesus, saves. Don’t look to anything else, only Jesus. Don’t rely on anyone or anything else, only Jesus. There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved but Jesus’. Shout salvation full and free to all who will listen, because it is our song of victory over sin and death, Jesus saves!

            Lord, help me to be faithful in proclaiming the message of salvation to everyone. Let me be unashamed to proclaim “Jesus saves” to every person I meet. Help me to be not just filled with compassion for the lost, but moved to action by proclaiming the way of salvation through the person of Jesus Christ.

40 Days of Praise — Day 18

/ taethne

WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS by Isaac Watts

When I survey the wondrous cross; On which the Prince of Glory died

My richest gain I count but loss; And pour contempt on all my pride

Forbid it Lord, that I should boast; Save in the death of Christ my God

All the vain things that charm me most; I sacrifice them to His blood

See, from His head, His hands, His feet; Sorrow and love flow mingled down

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet; Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine; That were an offering far too small

Love so amazing, so divine; Demands my soul, my life, my all

Of all of Isaac Watts’ hymns, this one is probably my favorite. Great words of truth mixed with a fantastic melody, this hymn is well worth singing regularly.

               I particularly love the second stanza. There is nothing any of us have to boast about except our Lord. Are we brilliant? God gave us our intellect. Are we strong? God fashioned our body. Are we successful? God has blessed us.

               All we are we owe to our Creator, especially our salvation. In God’s plan, in God’s time, in God’s power, He redeemed us to Himself through His Son. Salvation, as Jonah stated, is from the Lord.

               Everything this world has to charm us with is nothing compared to what awaits us in glory. Why should I take my eyes off eternal perfection for temporal things? Truly, no offering I can give is enough. If I had, as the fourth verse states, everything in the world, it still would not be too great an offering to give. But what I do have, my life, I give freely to the One who is worthy of worship, the Lord Jesus Christ.

            Lord, reading again of Your Son’s death on the cross to pay the price for my sins, brings me both great sorrow and gratitude. Sorrow that I, like all other humans, failed to live up to Your holy standards; gratitude that You took it upon Yourself to pay my penalty. I can never repay You. I can only say, “Thank You.” Take my life. You created me, You bought me, take what is rightfully Yours.

40 Days of Praise — Day 17

/ taethne

TAKE MY LIFE AND LET IT BE by Francis Ridley Havergal

Take my life and let it be; Consecrated, Lord to Thee

Take my moments and my days; Let them flow in ceaseless praise; Let them flow in ceaseless praise

Take my hands and let them move;  At the impulse of Thy love

Take my feet and let them be; Swift and beautiful for Thee; Swift and beautiful for Thee

Take my voice and let me sing; Always, only for my King

Take my lips and let them be; Filled with messages from Thee; Filled with messages from Thee

Take my silver and my gold; Not a mite would I withhold

Take my intellect and use; Every power as Thou shalt choose; Every power as Thou shalt choose

Take my love, my Lord, I pour; At Thy feet its treasure store

Take myself and I will be; Ever, only, all for Thee; Ever, only, all for Thee

Take my will and make it Thine; It shall be no longer mine

Take my heart, it is Thy own; It shall be Thy royal throne; It shall be Thy royal throne

This hymn is a great daily prayer. What a way to start off each morning – asking God to help us consecrate our life to Him. Let us praise Him each day for He is worthy.

               It is a great privilege, a noble request for us, to ask Him to use all of our being in His service. From my hands and feet, my speech, my financial resources, my mind, love and will; all that I am and have. Nothing less will do for my King of Glory than my all.

               I need the Holy Spirit’s power to constantly, consistently yield myself to God. I need His power to submit my unruly will to His. I need His might to break my stubborn, selfish heart. With all that is within me, I desire to praise His holy name. I long for Him to fully transform me into His image.

               One of the phrases I appreciate from this song is found in verse one. The prayer is for God to take both our moments and our days and have them  become a seamless flow of praise. Another phrase really jumps out too, probably because I am a minister – Take my lips and let them be, filled with messages from Thee. Oh, yes, let us all bring to a lost and dying world a message from God. To use our mouth in this method is a great way of praising and honoring our God.  Right now seems a good moment to start.

            Lord, take all that I am and let me praise You. Take every part of my life because You alone are worthy to be praised. You gave me life and breath – let me use that breath and life to glorify Your name. Accept my offer of praise for Your greatness, majesty and power.

40 Days of Praise — Day 16

/ taethne

LO, HE COME WITH CLOUDS DESCENDING by Charles Wesley

Lo, He comes with clouds descending, Once for favored sinners slain

Thousand, thousand saints attending. Swell the triumph of His train

Alleluia, alleluia, God appears on Earth to reign

Every eye shall now behold Him, Robed in dreadful majesty

Those who set at naught and sold Him. Pierced and nailed Him to the tree

Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, shall the true Messiah see

Now the Savior long expected, See in solemn pomp appear

All His saints by man rejected, Now shall meet Him in the air

Alleluia, alleluia, See the day of God appear

Yes, Amen! Let all adore Thee, High on Thine eternal throne

Savior take the power and glory, Claim the kingdom for Thine own

O come quickly, O come quickly, Everlasting God come down

There are many great hymns about the second coming of Christ. The words of this one, by Charles Wesley and Martin Madan, keep coming back to my mind.

               The story it tells, contrasting the joyful anticipation of those who believe with the agonizing wailing of those who reject Christ, is very compelling. We forget, sometimes, that while we eagerly await the return of our Lord, that His coming seals the doom of those who are not Christians. He comes with us, His saints, to rule the world with a rod of iron. We long to see our King of Glory enthroned, remaking this earth into a paradise.

               I believe that we have forgotten that for many of those we know, our friends, family members and neighbors, Jesus is not their King, nor their Savior. They will not inherit His Kingdom, only His wrath. In one sense, I do want Him to come quickly. I am ready and my immediate family is ready. In another sense, there are those I love who are not. I want a little more time, another opportunity to share with them, before He returns.

            Lord, I am eager for Your return. I long to see You. I desire to see the glories of heaven. I also have people that I love who are not ready for Your return. They do not know You. Please, Lord, let me have another opportunity to witness to them of You.

40 Days of Praise — Day 15

/ taethne

A MIGHTY FORTRESS IS OUR GOD byMartin Luther

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; Our helper He amid the flood, of mortal ills prevailing

For still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe; His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate

On earth is not His equal

Did we in our own strength abide, our striving would be losing; Were not the right man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing

Doth ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is He; Lord Sabaoth His name, from age to age the same

And He must win the battle

And though this world with devil’s filled, should threaten to undo us; We will not fear for God hath willed, His truth to triumph through us

The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him; His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure

One little word shall fell him

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abideth; The Spirit and the gifts are ours, through Him who with us sideth

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; The body they may kill, God’s truth abideth still

His kingdom is forever

This song has brought comfort to me many times. Whenever I go through trials, whenever I have been faced with persecution because of my faith in Christ, I lean on God to be both my unassailable place of refuge and my defender. Whenever, like the apostle Paul, I am so hard pressed that I despair even of life, my hope rests in the never failing strength and mercy of my God.

               It is so easy to look at the evil in the world and despair. Often, it seems as if goodness is failing and the darkness is winning. It is then that God’s Word provides the ultimate comfort by revealing the final result – God wins. Good triumphs. Evil is banished. Our ancient enemy is forever defeated by the might of our Savior and God.

               As a mere human, I am no match for the Prince of Darkness. As a son of the Living God, a prince of the Kingdom of Light, co-heir with Jesus Christ and temple of the Holy Spirit, I have nothing to fear. My life is hidden in Christ and all I have to do is call on His name. He is my refuge and my strength, an ever present help in times of danger.

            Lord, help me to remember that You are my place of safety, my refuge, my fortress. Help me not to become overwhelmed at the amount of evil in the world but to overcome it by shining Your light. Let me rest in the assurance that You will return, set up Your kingdom, and banish sin and evil forever. Lord, let me also run to You and You alone for safety.

40 Days of Praise — Day 14

/ taethne

HOLY, HOLY HOLY  by Reginald Heber

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty, Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea

Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Who wert and art and evermore shall be

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see

Only Thou art holy, there is none beside Thee, Perfect in power, in love and purity

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty, All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea

Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity

What a magnificent, majestic song to sing in praise to God! Yes, all the saints do adore Him, the God of our Salvation. When we stand before the throne we will cast down our crowns at His feet, acknowledging that He and He alone is worthy of any honor. The great angels and other heavenly creatures also will bow in reverence, honor and awe before our great God.

               We cannot see Him now. To witness His holy glory would destroy us. Our sinful bodies are simply not capable of withstanding His perfect presence. One day, we will have a new body and be cleansed from all sin but for now, He is hidden from our sight. Now, we see as through a glass darkly, but then we will see clearly.

               At the coming of the Lord Jesus, when this present heaven and earth pass away and everything is made new, only those who belong to the Lord will inhabit the universe. All His works will praise His name. All will give Him the glory He deserves.

               Every time I sing this song, I am swept up in emotion as I reflect on how wonderful and amazing God is. I sing this with all my heart and mind, praying that He takes joy in my offering to Him. Early in the morning, in the middle of the afternoon, late in the evening, all are appropriate times to ring out praise to our most holy God.

               Most high and holy God, I offer to You everything I have. Nothing I am or will be is in any way a worthy gift to such a magnificent God, but all I have I give to You. You alone are worthy of praise and glory and majesty. I bow before Your glorious throne.

40 Days of Praise –Day 13

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AMAZING GRACE by John Newton

Amazing grace how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me

I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved

How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come

‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home

The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures

He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures

Yea when this flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life shall cease

I shall possess within the veil, A life of joy and peace

The world shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun refuse to shine

But God who called me here below, Shall be forever mine

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, Than when we’ve first begun

I find it ironic that almost everyone sings a version of Amazing Grace. Just perusing music sites, it seems every star has released a version of this song at one time or another, even though most of those people have never experienced God’s saving grace.

                               ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear.

               To fear God is the beginning of wisdom. Fear of His just punishment for sin. When I reflected on John 3:17-18, it made John 3:16 come alive. I was already condemned and facing eternal punishment.

                               And grace my fears relieved.

               God’s grace, given to me when I turned my life over to His Son’s Lordship, granted to me eternal life. There is now no condemnation for I am safely in the family of God. So precious, that grace given the hour, the very second I first believed.

               Upon hearing the call of God our Shepherd, here in this world, we will experience His reality face to face in the next. His word, His promises, secures our hope for an eternity with Him in heaven.

               Unless a person has experienced God’s saving grace, they really have no idea what this song is about. Far from just being a good hymn, it hammers home to us that our only hope is to be found in Christ alone.

            Lord, Your grace is totally amazing. That You could extend grace and mercy to us just completely overwhelms me. You, the perfect, holy Creator of the Universe, extending grace to one such as myself, selfish, arrogant, sinful is simply … amazing.

            Thank you for saving me by Your grace and extending to me the faith necessary to believe.

40 Days of Praise — Day 12

/ taethne

I LOVE TO TELL THE STORY by Katherine Hankey

I love to tell the story of unseen things above, Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love

I love to tell the story because I know ’tis true, It satisfies my longings like nothing else can do

I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems. Than all our golden fancies of all our golden dreams

I love to tell the story, it did so much for me, And that is just the reason, I tell it now to thee

I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat, What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet

I love to tell the story, for some have never heard, The message of salvation, from God’s own holy word

I love to tell the story for those who know it best, Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest

And when, in scenes of glory, I sing a new, new song, ‘Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long

REFAIN:

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory, To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love

The history of this hymn and her sister hymn Tell Me the Old, Old Story is fascinating. Taken from a long poem, some fifty stanzas written by Katherine Hankey, both songs draw a person to realize just how precious sharing the gospel truly is.

The first reason to tell the gospel story is, of course, because some have never heard. How sad that some 2,000 years after being given the command to go into all the world we have not been completely obedient.

Another reason is also mentioned in the hymn. Those who know the gospel best still long to hear it again and again. It never gets old. It still amazes everyone when they reflect on the depth of love that God has for us. We still marvel at Jesus’ sacrificial death. We still cry on Good Friday and jump and shout triumphantly on Easter Sunday.

When we arrive in heaven, our song – the song of redemption, will be unique in the cosmos; and we will never get tired of it.

Lord, I love to tell the story of Your salvation. From the choosing of Mary and Joseph as Your earthly parents to the birth in Bethlehem to the cross on Calvary, the story is marvelous and amazing. How deep Your love is. How merciful Your actions. Help me to tell the old, old story, both to those who have never heard and to those who long to hear it again.

40 Days of Praise — Day 11

/ taethne

COME THOU FOUNT by Robert Robinson

Come, thou fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it, Mount of Thy redeeming love

Here I raise mine Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I’m come

And I hope by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God

He to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood

O to grace how great a debtor, Daily I’m constrained to be

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love

Here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above

Of all the hymns this is probably my favorite. Prone to wander – yes, that is me. Prone to leave the God I love. Why? That is the question, isn’t it. Why do we leave the place where we are safest? Why do we leave the One who has given us everything we need to live a godly life?

O, the depths the human soul has sunk to! Even when brought into a transforming relationship with the God of the Universe we still seek to go our own way. Yes, I will raise my Ebenezer, knowing full well it is only by His help, His grace and power that I have come as far as I have. Only by His help, grace and power will I arrive at the destination He has planned for me. I need to pray for Him to daily bind me to Him. Not to keep me from experiencing a wonderful life, but to keep me from danger and harm. To keep me close to Him, the Savior of Life and every good blessing.

If I cannot keep myself close to Him, and I have proven over and over that I cannot, I can ask Him to keep close to me.

Bend my heart to Thee Lord, I pray. Fetter my wandering feet so they do not leave Your path. You have said you will never leave me nor forsake me and I appreciate that very much. Forgive my sins, I pray, and draw me close to your side.