My Strength and My Song

[Sue J Love]

“The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
Glad songs of salvation
are in the tents of the righteous:
‘The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
the right hand of the Lord exalts,
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!’
I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has disciplined me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.” (Psalms 118:14-18 ESV)

If we are true followers of Jesus Christ, who have died with him to sin, and who now, by his grace, are walking in obedience to his commands, in practice, though not necessarily in absolute sinless perfection, then the Lord is to be our strength. He is the one upon whom we depend and rely for guidance, direction, wisdom, strength, and empowerment to live the Christian life as the Scriptures teach it. For we can’t do it in ourselves.

And if he is our song, he is the praise that is on our lips and in our hearts which is reflected in our attitudes and in our behaviors. And the songs that we like to sing are going to be mostly about him, but not just the songs that speak of all the things that our Lord will do for his true followers, but the songs talked about in the Scriptures which we, as followers of Christ, are to be addressing to one another for our mutual encouragement in our faith.

And if the Lord is our salvation, this is not speaking only of salvation from the punishment of sin, which is eternity in hell, but it speaks primarily of our salvation from our bondage (slavery, addiction) to sin and the empowerment of God to live godly, holy, morally pure, and upright lives for the glory and praise and honor of God, our Lord. For we can only be saved from our sins because of God’s love and grace to us, and because God drew us to Christ.

And who are the righteous? According to the Scriptures they are those of genuine biblical faith in the Lord Jesus who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness. They are those who obey the Lord and his commands, in practice, and who live righteously and not in sin, and not in immorality, but in purity of devotion to the Lord.

And all those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus to be their Lord (Owner-Master) and Savior (from their addiction to sin), who are now walking in obedience to the Lord, and no longer in slavery to sin, have the hope and the promise that they will not die and go to hell, but that they will have eternal life with God in the kingdom of heaven, but provided that they continue in those walks of faith and obedience and no longer in sin.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

But while we wait for the return of our Lord, when he comes to judge and to take his faithful ones to be with him for eternity, we are going to be tested and tried of God, and he will discipline us for our good, that we might share in his righteousness, and that we might bear fruit for his eternal kingdom. And the discipline, if we respond to it correctly, will help us to grow to maturity in Christ and to strengthen us in our walks of faith and obedience.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

Hymn lyrics by Anonymous/Unknown
Music by American Melody

“For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you” (2 Co. 13:4 NASB).

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

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