Here is a new hymn for a new day to rejoice in.
O sing my heart within me,
Let loose a song of love,
Rejoice in all before thee,
His boundless life of love.
O may our hearts before Him,
In thankfulness resound.
That every voice now present
In His sweet grace be found.
O sing with joyful gladness,
For now the price is paid.
Sin’s cruel reign is over,
And life from death remains.
Yet, ever Satan’s forces
Persist unyieldingly,
And tho’ our foe is vanquished,
He mocks Christ’s saving tree.
So what is our endeavor,
When faced with worldly hate?
Christ’s love will ever conquer,
A victory so great!
Forgive as we’re forgiven,
And speak the truth in love.
Keep every thought committed,
For Christ’s strength is enough.
And now on hallowed footsteps,
We live this life of grace,
With mercy and love’s kindness,
Undaunted, challenges face.
What hope gives us endurance,
To quench each fiery dart?
‘Tis Christ’s own spirit in us,
His words within our heart.
So now we look unto him,
And to that glorious day.
With spiritual bodies clothed,
No sorrow, tears remain.
O sing my heart within me,
Let loose a song of love,
Rejoice in all before thee,
This endless life of love.
[Sung to the tune of “O Sacred Head Now Wounded”]
Explorers take their resources and discover uncharted worlds. That is true of ancient Greek and Roman armies, Spanish and Portuguese sailors, and modern-day astronauts. There is a verse of scripture that demands our exploration, for it opens new and brilliant vistas of understanding and practical, spiritual life.
Today is 5/5. The number 5 in the Bible often refers to God’s grace. That’s His constant giving to us in love, no matter how we respond. Our loving Father is a great Giver. One of the greatest lessons we can learn in life is to RECEIVE His love and gifts with a thankful heart.
Keeping our hearts right,
Seven Devils. How they had plagued her. Seven months with the Master. How he had healed her. And now he was gone. The tears kept falling. She just stood there, outside the tomb that had held her dearest Rabbi and friend. What was she to do? She had seen him crucified with her very eyes. She stood with his grieving mother as he said “It is finished.” Yes, it all seemed over now.
I clearly remember 58 years ago today. It was a Thursday night and I was upstairs in my parents’ bedroom. Everyone else watched another TV show downstairs, and I was up watching my favorite “Ironside” with Raymond Burr, which started at 7 p.m. It was interrupted by a news bulletin. Martin Luther King Jr. had been shot in Memphis, Tennessee.
Good Friday. I had a nice chat at the YMCA on Wednesday with a young man about WHEN Jesus was actually crucified. He was surprised to learn that Jesus may have died on a Wednesday afternoon [at the very time we were chatting], and not on a Friday according to tradition. Here are some of the things that I shared with him.
One of the great challenges of marriage is to become “one flesh” as God promises we can.
The Bible speaks of “children’s children” or grandchildren. What do grandparents have to do with their grandchildren’s lives and godly behavior? A great deal. God’s mercy lasts forever and our grandchildren can be righteous. Keeping God’s Word ourselves and then raising our own children so they teach their children in the scriptures is a key to seeing God’s grace and mercy in our families. We want our grandchildren to learn, remember, and do our Father’s commandments. As we taught our son, “Listen, Remember, Obey.”
One couple in the early church who kept God at the center of their marriage was Aquila and Priscilla. They are only mentioned in the Bible together, never separately. This dynamic married couple grew in their spiritual understanding together as they lived with Paul and supported his ministry.