Oh, Come and Bless the Lord with Me! (Psalm 34:1-10)

I praise the Lord, and join creation’s song,
Through rain or drought, I praise Him all day long,
In every time and way and place and throng;
Oh, come and bless the Lord with me!

To show myself exalts but dirty rags,
Let Jesus be the reason that I brag,
I boast of God, all other boasting lack;
Oh, come and bless the Lord with me!

I sought the Lord, and He has come to me,
When all around but terrors did I see,
I see Him, and I melt in ecstasy;
Oh, come and bless the Lord with me!

I cried to God, a poor and humbled man,
He plucked me from my torturer’s dread hand,
His angel armies all around me stand;
Oh, come and bless the Lord with me!

Come, taste and see the goodness God extends,
From foes and want, God all His sons defends,
Though lions starve, yet we are still content;
Oh, come and bless the Lord with me!

“Behind a Frowning Providence…” (Psalm 33:9-15)

When David fled, by his own son compelled,
God stalled the council of Ahithophel.
Assyria was shattered in her plan,
Who sought to overtake the Promised Land.
The plots of Haman overturned and hung,
Sanbalet’s slaughter never yet begun.
And even Christ, unjustly crucified,
All planned of God, before were prophesied.

The kings of earth are little more than worms,
Their plots the providence of God confirm.
O, happy then the land who loves the Lord,
A people God has summoned by His word.
He saves us! Often we will never know,
The threats – temptations we can’t overthrow.
He watches all, omniscient, seeing still,
And guides the world according to His will.
The eye of fondness on His youthful Bride,
But prosecution towards the other side.

The thoughts of men not hidden yet from Him,
Who formed all minds and makes the world to spin.
He frustrates the plans of all His enemies,
And bring His loved ones to eternity.
To sanctify us from our dark estate,
That we may all His acts of glory state.
Who hardens hearts, as Pharaoh’s, to their doom,
Or turns them, as the Persian kings have done,
Though soft or hard or damned or saved to life,
All men pay service to the plan of Christ.

Psalm 30: Delivered from Death

I see the phantom terror strong,
The damning angel’s sword is drawn,
It’s stretched against the holy hill,
Ten thousand sevens he has killed.
These sheep are slaughtered for my sin,
Lord, bring this plague unto an end!
My dignity is thrown aside,
As to Jehovah’s throne I cried.
I cried and pleaded for His grace,
In desperation, on my face.
“What profit is there in my death?
I praise you with my living breath.
Would Your name then be glorified,
If my belief were vilified?
Display Your power in this day,
Dismay the mockers when You save!”
The Lord has turned His ear to me,
He has responded graciously.
He sent this threat to right my pride,
To make me panic as He hides.
He turned my heart back unto Him,
That I would grieve over my sin.
The angel has put up his sword!
Our hill redeemed by our great Lord.
My sackcloth changed for wedding robes,
To sing and dance, not weep and mope.
In order that for all my days,
My body may proclaim His praise.
My purpose, then, to glorify,
My Lord who saved and sanctifies.
He hauled me from my self-dug well,
I must exalt Him, thus compelled.
So teach the world to sing my song,
God saved us when Death’s sword was drawn.
His anger for an instant seen,
Is swallowed in eternity,
Apostasy consumed like dross,
His wrath gives way unto His cross.
For we may weep on Friday night,
But He will soon appear in light,
The end – oh Death, where have you fled?
Oh Grave who could not hold your dead.
Our wicked sin thrown into hell,
Redeemed forever we will tell.
This momentary trial is,
Preparing us for endless bliss.