Month: March 2020

Faithfulness of Love

Song of Songs is a wedding song
honouring marriage. The most
explicit statements on sex in the
Bible can be found in this book &
noted for its sensuous language.
The purity of love represented here
are needed as distorted attitudes
about love and marriage abound.
God created sex and intimacy, and
they are holy & good when enjoyed
within the bounds of marriage.
A husband and wife honor God
when they love & enjoy each other.

Father, Thanks for Your gift of love
thro Christ & for sending the love
of our life. You are a faithful God
and You want us to Be Faithful.
Help us Lord to Be Passionate;
Help us Lord to Be Appreciative;
Help us Lord to Be Devoted. And
Help us in so doing, reflect the love that comes from You God. Amen.

Lord, help us to Be Passionate:
Shulamite: I slept but my heart was awake. Listen! My lover is knocking:
Open to me, my sister, my darling…
My lover thrust his hand through
the latch-opening; my heart
began to pound for him. I arose
to open for my lover (Song 5:2-5).
Lord, we are people with passions,
and deep desires. Whatever can
stoke our fires gets the benefit
of our full attention. Help us Lord
to be like the beloved whose heart
is awake to the calling of her lover.
For when our hearts are awake,
we hear everything; and we’re tune
in to whispers, hints & suggestions.
And Lord, stir our passion for You.
Deepen our desire for Your voice.
And awaken our heart to every
Word from Your mouth. Amen.

Lord, help us to Be Appreciative:
Shulamite: I am my beloved’s
And my beloved is mine…
Beloved: O my love, you are as
beautiful as Tirzah, lovely as
Jerusalem… Turn your eyes sway
from me, for they have overcome me.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
going down from Gilead (Song 6:3-5)
Father, help me to see the best in
others especially my spouse; and
to compare myself only to Jesus.
Everyone needs to feel appreciated
now & then. And giving compliments
is something that I am not good at.
Help me show appreciation by giving
compliments especially to spouse.
And I purpose to tell others what
the Lord has done in my life in order
to renew my love for Him. Amen.

Lord, help us to Be Devoted:
Shulamite: I am my lover’s, the one
he desires. Come my love, let us
go out into the fields and spend
the night among the windflowers.
Let us get up early and go out
to the vineyards. And there I will
give you my love (Song 7:10-13).
Shulamite: Love flashes like fire,
the brightest kind of flame. Many
waters cannot quench love; neither
can rivers drown it (Song 8:5-7).
Lord, as a marriage matures, grant
us greater freedom on who takes
the initiative to boost relationship.
Help us be devoted to our spouse
and let passionate love continues
in order to cement commitment.
And in so doing, reflect the perfect
love that comes from U God. Amen.

Fostering of Love

Song of Songs is a wedding song
honouring marriage. The most
explicit statements on sex in the
Bible can be found in this book.
And so it has been often criticised
because of its sensuous language.
The purity and sacredness of love
represented here are greatly needed
in our day where distorted attitudes
about love and marriage abound.
God created sex and intimacy, and
they are holy & good when enjoyed
within the bounds of marriage.
A husband and wife honor God
when they love & enjoy each other.

Lord, thanks for Your gift of love
and a delight for all our senses.
Help us to Please Each Other. 
Help us to Affirm Each Other.
Help us Be Devoted to Each Other.
And in so doing, reflect the perfect
love that comes from You God.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, help us Please Each Other: Shulamite: Kiss me again & again
for your love is sweeter than wine…
The king is lying on his couch,
enchanted by the fragrance of my
perfume. My lover is like a sachet
of myrrh lying between my breasts.
Young Man: How beautiful you
are my beloved… Young Woman:
What a lively sight you are my love…
My beloved is mine and I am
his (Song 1:1, 12-16 & 2:16).
Lord, You created love as a gift
to us & a delight for all our senses.
Help us to seek to please each
other and encourage by expressing
the beauty of our spouse. Amen.

Lord, we Commit Each Other:
Shulamite: One night as I lay in bed,
I yearned deeply for my lover, but
he did not come. So I said to myself:
I will get up now and roam the city,
searching for him in all the streets…
But my search was in vain…
A little while later I found him.
I didn’t let him go until I had brought
him to my childhood home, into
my mother’s bedroom, where
I had been conceived (Sol 3:1-4).
Lord, we are challenged by the passion of the Shulamite woman
who went to great length to search for her love and to hold on to him.
Pray for Christian married couples
that God will protect their vows
to each other. Pray that Christian
marriages with God’s help can be
strong and characterised by passion.
For You want marriage to stand
for commitment, communion,
faithfulness and permanency. Amen.

Lord, Help us Affirm Each Other: 
You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you…
You have ravished my heart…
A garden enclosed is my sister,
my spouse, a spring shut up, a 
fountain sealed…You are a garden
fountain, a well of flowing water
streaming down (Song 4:7-15).
Lord, help us communicate love
and express admiration in words
and action that enhance marriage.
Fill me afresh with Your Spirit
so that when I am with anyone,
they will sense Your presence. And 
Make me like a well of Refreshing 
water flowing out to others. Amen.

Preview On Song of Songs

Whilst Bible is arranged by genre,
we are meditating chronologically:
Genesis on God’s Plan for creation;
JOB on Sovereignty of God; and
Exodus, Leviticus, Num-Deut on
Deliverance, Holiness & Obedience.
Then Joshua on Obedient Faith,
Judges on God Restoring Repentant;
Ruth on Faithfulness/Redemption;
1 Sam on Rule of God in our heart;
2 Sam on Consequences of sin;
1 Chronicles on Genuine Worship;
Psalms on Hymns of Worship,
1Kgs on United & Divided Kingdom
and Proverbs on practical wisdom.

Continuing, King Solomon is credited
with writing over a thousand songs
in his lifetime. However this is the
one that he calls the ‘Song of Songs’
or the best of all possible songs.
The king’s words weave a tapestry
of love and devotion toward his
young bride, touching both the
joys and heartaches of marriage.
Though interpreters disagree
whether the book is simply a love
poem or the depiction of an actual
event in Solomon’s life, most see
it as an allegory for the Saviour’s
eternal love for His bride the church.

We will meditate on Song of Songs
over one weekend in two divisions:
Song 1-4: Fostering of Love
Song 5-8: Faithfulness of Love
Lord, Help us apply Your truths on
this peculiar book that tells of the
love of a couple and God’s love for
His people. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Saviour Like a Shepherd Lead us

We don’t know who wrote the words
to Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us.
It appeared in a children’s hymnal
compiled by Dorothy Thrupp in 1836:
But it is clear the wording was
inspired by John 10, where Jesus
says: I am the good shepherd.
And we know the music was by
William Bradbury, a gifted music
student in Boston. After finishing
school, Bradbury moved to New
York where he worked as a church
musician focussing children’s music.
He intended Savior Like a Shepherd
Lead Us to be a children’s hymn, but
it turned out adults enjoyed it too.

Lord, we Follow as You Lead Us:
He who enters by the door is
the shepherd of the sheep…
The sheep hear His voice, and
He calls His own sheep by name
and Leads them out… He goes
before them; and the sheep Follow Him; for they know His voice…
I am the good shepherd, I know
My own sheep and they know Me.
So I sacrifice My life for the sheep
(John 10:2-4, 14-15). Amen.

Lord Jesus, thank You for making
me one of Your sheep. And what
a privilege it is to belong to You!
Thank You for going ahead
and preparing the way for me.
Thank You for calling me by name,
speaking to my heart & leading me.
With all the voices in the world,
quiet my mind and heart so that
I will recognise Your voice and
follow only You my Saviour. Amen.

Lord Shepherd of my soul, I praise
and thank You for Your care of me.
You are not just my creator and God;
You are not just King and judge of
the universe, You are my Shepherd.
I am blessed because of You,
I am not in need. Keep me from
complaining. Help me not to worry.
And let me rest in the promise
that as I go where You will lead,
You will meet all my needs. Amen.

Lord Saviour like a shepherd lead us
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us
For our use Thy fold prepare;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Thou has bought us Thine we are.
Early let us seek Thy favour,
Early let us do Thy will;
Blessed Lord and only Saviour
With Thy love our bosoms fill;
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Thou has loved us, love us still.Amen

Wonderful Words of Life

Christian publisher Fleming Revell
asked gospel song writer Philip Bliss
if he could come up with a song
to help to launch a new paper
emphasizing the vital importance
of studying the Word of God.
Bliss duly produced a song,
calling it Wonderful Words of Life.
Revell passed on a copy to another
hymn writer, George Stebbins.
Stebbins began using Philip Bliss’
song in evangelistic meetings,
with he and his wife Elma singing
it as a duet. It caught on, after
that and became very popular.

Lord, fill us with Words of Life:
He who eats My flesh and drinks
my blood abides in Me & I in him.
From that time many of His
disciples walked with Him no more
Then Jesus said to the twelve:
Do you also want to go away?
But Simon answered Him: Lord,
to whom shall we go? You have
the Words of eternal life. Also we
have come to believe and knew
that You are the Christ, the son
of the living God (Jn 6:66-69).

Lord, no matter how difficult the
Words of the Bible seem to be,
help me to make decisions that
are in accordance with Your Word.
Help me Holy Spirit to understand
how Your Word applies to every
aspect of my life so that I will not
be tempted to turn away from You.
Remind me each day what You
alone have the Words that give
eternal and abundant life. Amen.

Lord, thank You for giving us
Words of life for man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth
of God. Your word is a lamp to
our feet and a light to our path.
The Word of God is living and
powerful. And in the keeping of
its precepts, there is great reward.
Since You give to All the words
of life, help us not only to know it,
but to share it with others. Amen.

Lord, Sing them over again to me,
wonderful words of life,
Let me more of their beauty see,
wonderful words of life.
Words of life and beauty
teach me faith and duty.
Beautiful words, wonderful words
Wonderful words of life;
Beautiful words, wonderful words
Wonderful words of life.
Sweetly echo the gospel call,
wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all,
wonderful words of life. Amen.

Just As I Am I Come

Charlotte Elliott in her early thirties
suffered a serious illness that left
her weak and depressed. During her
illness a minister Dr Caesar Malan
visited her. Noting her depression
he asked if she had peace with God.
She resented the question and said
she did not want to talk about it.
But a few days later she went to
apologise to Dr Malan, saying she
wanted to clean up some things in
her life before becoming a Christian.
Malan answered: Come just as u are.
That was enough for Charlotte and
she yielded to the Lord that day.
14 years later, remembering those
words spoken by Caesar Malan
in Brighton, she wrote this hymn.

Lord, we Come to You as we are:
Then they said to Him: Lord,
give us this bread always. And
Jesus replied: I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never
be hungry again. Whoever
believes in me will never be thirsty.
But I say to you that you have
seen Me and yet do not believe.
Those the Father has given me
will come to me, and I will never
reject them (John 6:34-37).

Merciful Father, You heard the
prayers of Your people in the
wilderness and fed them bread
from heaven despite their sin.
Forgive us for elevating earthly
appetites above devotion to You.
Graciously hear us today and
feed us too with the Bread of Life
from heaven, even Lord Jesus.
Feed us with the knowledge of
Christ so that we recognise our
sin and repent in His name. Amen.

Lord Jesus and the Bread of life,
forgive me for seeking after
things that will never really satisfy
or fulfil my deepest longings.
Forgive me for focussing on what
You can do for me materially instead
of seeking the rich, true life that
comes from You. Cause me to
hunger and thirst for You and Your
life that You have for me. Amen.

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidds’t me
come to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can
cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon,
cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!

Lord Jesus Loves Me

Anna Warner and her sister Susan
grew up near West Point Military
Academy where they became known
for leading Sunday school services.
After the death of their father,
the sisters supported themselves
with their literary endeavours.
Susan was a best-selling novelist.
Anna also wrote novels & published
two collections of poems. She wrote
this simple hymn in 1860 to be
included in one of her sister’s novels.
In the story, it was a poem of
comfort spoken to a dying child.
Today millions around the world
sing these words: Yes Jesus loves
me. This profound yet simple truth
is certainly worth singing about.

Lord, we love U for U first Love us:
God loved the world so much
that He gave his one and only Son,
so that everyone who believes
in Him will not perish but have
eternal life. God sent his Son
into the world not to judge
the world, but to save the world
through him (John 3:16-17).

Father God, thank You for loving
me beyond what I could imagine.
It amazes me that You love me so
much that You sent Your only Son
to pay the ultimate price so that
I could have my sins forgiven, know
You more & experience eternal life.
Let Your love flow through me so
that more people may experience
Your boundless love. Amen.

Lord Jesus, it is really difficult to
understand love so great as Yours.
For You laid down Your life for me
so that I can live forever with You.
Out of gratitude, my response
to Your first loving me is to love
You wholeheartedly in return.
Help me to lay down my life fully
for You in serving Your purpose
for me here on earth. Amen.

Lord Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way;
Thou hast bled and died for me,
I will henceforth live for Thee. Amen

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o12C8fWzER0

Just As I Am I Come

Charlotte Elliott in her early thirties
suffered a serious illness that left
her weak and depressed. During her
illness a minister Dr Caesar Malan
visited her. Noting her depression
he asked if she had peace with God.
She resented the question and said
she did not want to talk about it.
But a few days later she went to
apologise to Dr Malan, saying she
wanted to clean up some things in
her life before becoming a Christian.
Malan answered: Come just as u are.
That was enough for Charlotte and
she yielded to the Lord that day.
14 years later, remembering those
words spoken by Caesar Malan
in Brighton, she wrote this hymn.

Lord, we Come to You as we are:
Then they said to Him: Lord,
give us this bread always. And
Jesus replied: I am the bread of life.
Whoever comes to me will never
be hungry again. Whoever
believes in me will never be thirsty.
But I say to you that you have
seen Me and yet do not believe.
Those the Father has given me
will come to me, and I will never
reject them (John 6:34-37).

Merciful Father, You heard the
prayers of Your people in the
wilderness and fed them bread
from heaven despite their sin.
Forgive us for elevating earthly
appetites above devotion to You.
Graciously hear us today and
feed us too with the Bread of Life
from heaven, even Lord Jesus.
Feed us with the knowledge of
Christ so that we recognise our
sin and repent in His name. Amen.

Lord Jesus and the Bread of life,
forgive me for seeking after
things that will never really satisfy
or fulfil my deepest longings.
Forgive me for focussing on what
You can do for me materially instead
of seeking the rich, true life that
comes from You. Cause me to
hunger and thirst for You and Your
life that You have for me. Amen.

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bidds’t me
come to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can
cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon,
cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!

Adore the Lamb of God

Twila Paris (born 1958) comes
from a family of ministers with her
great grand-parents being revival
preachers in Arkansas & Oklahoma.
She was encouraged to sing in
church from a young age by her
father, who was also a minister and
songwriter. Following graduation
from high school and a year of study
in Bible school, Paris focused on
singing and Christian composition.
Twila Paris was one of the leading
Christian artists for three decades,
with 32 of her singles reaching
No 1 on Christian radio charts.
Several of Twila Paris’ songs have
been included in hymnals, including
He Is Exalted & Lamb of God 1985.

Lord, we adore U the Lamb of God:
The next day John saw Jesus
coming toward him and said:
Behold the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world!
This is He of whom I said: After
me comes a Man who is preferred
before me, for He was before me…
And John bore witness, saying:
I saw the Spirit descending
from heaven like a dove,
and He remained upon Him…
He who sent me to baptise with
water said: Upon whom you see
the Spirit descending & remaining
on Him, this is He who baptises
with the Holy Spirit. And I have
seen and testified that this is
the Son of God (John 1:29-34).

Father God, Your Son, no sin at all,
yet You sent Him to become the
sacrificial Lamb so that his blood
can become the substitutionary
atonement for all our sins.
Lord Jesus, we love You for being
the Lamb of God and we praise You
for all that You have accomplished:
Your sacrificial death, triumphant
resurrection; and for certain return.
Worthy is the Lamb to receive
all glory forever and ever, Amen.

Lord, I give You the glory because
You the only Begotten One, who
alone is without sin, gave Yourself
to die for me, a sinner unworthy
of such a blessing: You died the
death on the cross to free my
sinful soul from the bonds of sin.
Glory to You for Your love & mercy.
Glory to You for Your forgiveness.
Glory to You for saving our souls.
Thank You for the wonder of Your
sacrifice and praise You for the
power of the resurrection. Amen.

Lord, Your only Son, No sin to hide
But U have sent Him from Yr side
To walk upon this guilty sod
And to become the Lamb of God.
Your gift of Love, they crucified
They laughed & scorned as he died
The humble King they named fraud
And sacrificed the Lamb of God.
O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God
I love the Holy Lamb of God
Oh wash me in His precious Blood
My Jesus Christ the Lamb of God.

Wise Words on Gratitude

It’s rare to hear anyone admit to
ignorance but Agur does that.
Yet with his questions about nature,
he leads the reader to understand
something of God’s brilliance in
contrast to the limits of human
understanding. The capstone of
the book of Proverbs is provided
by Lemuel, who praises the virtues
of a godly wife and mother. It is
fitting that Proverbs, which begins
in heaven (1:7) should end in the
home (31:15) for if God’s wisdom
works, it has to work in the home.

Lord, thank You for Proverbs 30-31
that contains wise words on
Gratitude to God for protection
and providing all that we need.
Lord, You are the key to Wisdom for
there’s limit to human understanding.
Help us to Apply Your Truth;
Help us to Put Trust In You;
Help us to Be Contented;
Help us to Treasure Spouse; and
Grant us Wisdom & Courage. Amen.

Lord, we will Put Trust in You:
I am too ignorant to be human,
and I lack common sense. I have
not mastered human wisdom
nor do I know the Holy One.
Who holds the wind in his fists?
Who wraps up the oceans? Who
has created the whole world? Tell
me if u know! Every word of God
is pure; He is a shield to those who
put their trust in Him (Prov 30:2-5)
Lord, who holds the wind and the
oceans? It is You Almighty God!
You still the wind with Your voice.
You orchestrate the changing
of the seasons. And it is You who
created me and give me purpose
in life. Look into my heart & make
me a willing instrument in Yr hand
trusting You. For it is not about
our abilities, it’s all about You God
who does great things. Amen.

Lord, we will Be Contented:
O God, I beg two favours from You…
First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty
nor riches! Give me just enough
to satisfy my needs. For if I grow
rich, I may deny You and say:
“Who is the Lord?” And if I am
too poor, I may steal & thus insult
God’s holy name (Prov 30:7-9).
Lord, thank You that You care for
us and that You are Jehovah Jireh,
the one who provides all our needs.
Help us to be contented with what
You give us so that we do not fall
into temptation & dishonour U God.
For our materialistic culture creates
dissatisfaction with what we have.
Help us Lord to be shaped by
Scripture’s perspective on money
and be dependent upon You God
rather than in constant pursuit of
saving and spending more. Amen.

Lord, we will Treasure Spouse:
A wife of noble character…
is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence
in her and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm, all
the days of her life (Prov 31:10-12).
Lord, to have a spouse who exhibits
these behaviours is indeed more
valuable & satisfying than possessing
any amount of material wealth.
Lord, You promise to equip us
for the tasks You are calling us
to at various life stages. We know
that You are not calling us to do
everything, but a few things well.
Help us to love our spouse as they
are, though we are on the road to
perfection in Christ; and enjoy the
journey together thro grace. Amen.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hc7_GLCRLkIkttl