Shut Up To Him

Michael E. Wood
April 16, 2011

Are you now shut up to Him
And seek the praise that’s due
To Him alone whose beauty
Shall be seen in very hue
Of which He has determined
To imprint on every soul
Made perfect by His holiness
Through which we are made whole?


For by the way of sufferings
He shows in every path
In which He leads by Sovereignty
To all of whom He hath
Purchased by His precious blood
Whose worth beyond all bounds
Is ever increased in our souls
By heavens immortal sounds
Which come to us by His Own Word
And faith now tried with fire
Ever springing up beholding
Christ whom we admire.


Oh, Jesus, Precious Savior
Even in times of great dismay,
Oh help us by Your Mighty Spirit
These too on the altar lay.
For though we see not yet all things
We trust You will subdue
All things to the glory of Your praise
Till the time our eyes see You
Face to face, as all with joy
We shall in You behold
And forever praise Your Name
As from Your lips we’re told
The things prepared that we could not
Before then comprehend
As swallowed up of life we’ll be;
Your glory as our end.

Thank You for the Gift of Love

Michael E. Wood
April 15, 2011

We thank You for the gift of love
That You to us unfold,
And for the Promise yet to come
We shall assured behold.


Oh help us know much more than theory
And pursue though faint and weary
To seek the prize and upward call
Of Christ alone, Sweet Lord of all.


Oh stir in us all true affections
Grounded by Your Word’s perfections
And set our minds on things above
That we may know You in Your love.

Make Us Who You Would Have Us to Be

Michael E. WoodApril 13, 2011

While reading in the book “Marks of the Messenger” by J. Mack Stiles, the question was asked, “Who do you want to be?” Thinking back upon my own superficial experiences from the past I was reminded of having been a part of a group that seemed to be content with producing carbon copies of one another with very little thought given to the glory of God or His Great Majesty as Creator of diversity. As members of the body of Christ, He has made us individually, distributing various gifts by One Spirit, whereby we are enabled to be used of Him to proclaim His glory in the midst of a wicked and perverse nation and for the edification of His body in love. We are likewise interdependent upon one another to provoke unto love and good works both by example and admonishment.

Be who He made you to be, ever growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His mercies are new every day and His steadfast love will be with us throughout our days here on earth.

Oh make us who You would have us to be
As faithful ensigns of grace with Thee,
To live in the light of Your Majesty
By the power of truth and reality.


For it will not matter how much we have known
If we go not in the faith You have sown
To strengthen our hearts by Your Spirit to groan,
Crying out for the glory of our God alone.


So fill us with more love for Thee overall
In Your presence Lord Jesus with wonder and awe.
For You are the Just One upon whom we call
Redeemer and Ransom of men from the fall.


Oh help us to see and behold of Your glory
And then we’ll know better to tell of Your story
Found in Your Book, though our heads become hoary
Your beautiful, great indispensable quarry.

In Christ, My Rock, My Cleft

Michael E. Wood
April 7, 2011

1st Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Sins are not merely outward manifestations openly displayed before men, but are a matter of the heart and of the mind which are openly naked before God. Even the heathen can manifest a form of godliness which is not godliness at all but in actuality a matter of self love and or self preservation which puts many professing Christians to shame.

As children of God, on the one hand we are given the instruction by the Spirit of God through the Word of God to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. On the other we are warned by the same Spirit that knowledge puffs up and that if anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known of God.

Remember the seventy two that returned to Jesus with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your Name.” As Jesus spoke to them concerning the fact that it was He that had given them such authority, He also said to them, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

It is the kindness of God through the forgiveness of sins to lead us into a lifestyle of perpetual repentance by virtue of the atonement of Christ. Likewise it is the kindness of God that rebukes us and corrects in those places of temptation when we think that anything we have received as a free gift is somehow attributed to anything we have done, and has provided for us the Way of escape unto the glory of God, which is Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, He alone is our boast and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God as He continues to reveal to us the remnants of sin within and empowers us by His love to fight the good fight of faith laying hold of eternal life.

When contemplations make me think
Much more than what I should
Of who I am, or what I am
Or what I’ve understood,
I thank You Holy Father
For Your mercies as my Maker
That You take greater pleasure
Then to use as undertaker
Of my soul to make me much
More humble than before
And show to me more clearly
Your provision by the Door,
Who is the Way and great Escape
Of sin with all it’s guilt
And cause me by Your Spirit
To think more on Whom we’re built.


Oh may my meditations be
More pleasing in Your sight
And show me more of Jesus
Where there is no dark of night.
For as You write more clearly
By Your Word upon my mind
You cause me then to walk in truth
And in Your love I find
There is no greater pleasure
Than Your glory to project
And thank You for the grace
By which my soul You do perfect.
Oh how love is so much more
Than outward acts displayed
But never more than when
The Captain of my soul was slayed.
For though He is in fact our God
Who among us tabernacled,
He by His blood did purchase us
And freed from sin once shackled.


And as You do more shape me
By the death that Jesus died
To know that by Your pleasure
I with He was crucified.
Oh help me know more fully
In Your presence now I live
And give You praise for this free gift
By grace through faith You give.
And as You are so faithful
To reveal remaining lusts,
Give strength to take with feeble hands
Your sword with mighty thrusts
And kill with passion all remains
Of pride with nothing left
At end of day be found alone
In Christ, my Rock, my Cleft!

“You that have good evidence that you have grace in your hearts, have, then, all that you need to encourage you. The Captain of your salvation will assuredly conduct you to victory in the end. He who is able to uphold you has promised that you shall overcome, and his promise shall never fail. Resting on that promise, be faithful to your part, and ere long the song of victory shall be yours, and the crown of victory he will place, with his own hands, upon your head.”
 – CHARITY AND ITS FRUITS, Jonathan Edwards

Displayed in Glory's Land

Michael E. WoodApril 2-3, 2011


While reading through Psalm 6, verse 9 caught my attention. “The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD accepts my prayer.”

A few days prior to reading this particular Psalm, I had been blessed with the opportunity to listen to a message by Pastor Gregory N. Barkman via Sermonaudio.com, entitled, “Giving Thanks”. This particular message was the sixth installment of an expositional series through the book of Colossians. On this occasion I was reminded that the priority of prayer is worship.

Prayer is a means of grace given by God through the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to display His glory and to procure the things He has promised. Prayer is also a matter and response of love, first to God and then for others, which will not be fully comprehended or commended until with Him in eternity.

O prayer, sweet means of grace God gives
That with Him in communion,
We may rejoice in Who He Is
Through Christ by holy union.
As by faith He brings delight
In casting out all our fears.
His glory is transcendent
Far beyond all what appears.
For He delights in mercy;
All true worship He will accept,
And give beyond what any mind
Can think or e’er expect.


So as you go to Him to seek
All things you would procure,
Rejoice in knowing He alone
Knows best and what is sure
To bring him honor for the sake
Of His Own steadfast love,
Displayed both now in temp’ral life
And forevermore above.


Oh help us be more vibrant
By this gift of private prayer,
For all shall be revealed that day
With You in glory there,
When You show fully all that was
Entrusted by Your hand
As all true love is openly
Displayed in glory's land.

Upon reading this poem once again, the thought came to mind of how that which may appear at first to be didactic also becomes personal as we direct our hearts toward God in prayer.

O prayer, sweet means of grace You give
That with You in communion,
We may rejoice in Who You Are
Through Christ by holy union.
As by faith You bring delight
In casting out all our fears.
Your glory is transcendent
Far beyond all what appears.
For You delight in mercy;
All true worship You will accept,
And give beyond what any mind
Can think or e’er expect.


So as we come to You to seek
All things we would procure,
Rejoice in knowing You alone
Know best and what is sure
To bring You honor for the sake
Of Your Own steadfast love,
Displayed both now in temp’ral life
And forevermore above.


Help us Father be more vibrant
By this gift of private prayer,
For all shall be revealed that day
With You in glory there,
When You show fully all that was
Entrusted by Your hand
As all true love is openly
Displayed in glory's land.

Where Righteousness and Peace Have Kissed

Michael E. Wood
March 25, 2011

While contemplating the fact that God has not only created us but redeemed us for His glory and the enjoyment of Him forever, we are no doubt, not only privileged as individual followers of Christ; but, as local bodies of believers in this country with a freedom that many do not know around the world. Yet we are joined as one in Him with every saint world wide, and it is incumbent upon us, by the love of Christ, to pray for our brothers and sisters who do not enjoy the freedoms and privileges we have.

To those who believe, He Is Precious! He is our hiding place, and we need Him every moment of every hour. And thus, as we glorify Christ and enjoy Him in our local assemblies here in America, let us also remember all of the saints in our generation, and those who are yet to come.

A place of safety You provide
In Jesus Christ, the crucified.
For all who hear the joyful sound,
By grace through faith in Him abound.


For by Him we are joined as one
To wait and see Your kingdom come.
We seek Your Holy Spirit’s power,
You give O Father for this hour.


Oh, send to us a fresh anointing
For the work You are appointing.
Cause us to cry out more fervent,
Broken as Your humble servant.


On Your glory, purely focused,
Restoring years consumed by locust,
That Your honor may be shown,
As You bless the seed that is sown.


Help us live more jealously
For Your Name and Majesty.
And praise You as You’re in our midst,
Where righteousness and peace have kissed.

Sometimes I Pray in Poetry

Michael E. WoodMarch 29, 2011

For the most part the poetry and songs that are given to me to write is not something of which I intentionally set out to do, but along with the gift that has been given me of which I trust that Christ is magnified therein, they are the outflow of the things concerning Himself that He gives me to contemplate from day to day. To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever is not something we shall do one day, but is something Christ is pleased to do and to give us in the here and now, and will come to full fruition at His return.

The following began with a few thoughts before turning out the lights for bed Monday night, and was completed Tuesday morning, which accounts for the difference in personages referred to and the meter.

Sometimes I pray in poetry
It is a grace that’s given me.
Rejoicing in the liberty
Because of Christ on Calvary.


Much more in private to be sure
As freedom flows from Him that’s pure,
For sin Christ is the double cure,
As I in Him am made secure.


For though our progress may appear
And seem to be so slow,
We thank You for the pleasure
That You give that we may know,
By grace alone through faith alone
Your glory is imparted,
That we may know You better now
Than when at first we started
Upon the path You chose for us
And brought us by the light
Of glory seen by Christ alone,
And Precious in Your sight.


And though we have a tendency
To make a mess of things
By sin when blinded by our pride,
Your mercy lifts on wings
Our hearts to see and then confess,
And trust the cleansing blood
Of Jesus Christ our Lord and King
Our Vine which brings to bud,
And then the fruit which demonstrates
A heart of true repentance,
And glory give to Him alone
Who paid for our due sentence.


We thank You Father for the truth
To us You have made known
That You have loved us as Your Son,
And took us for Your Own.
We thank You that eternity
Is only that sufficient
To grow and know Your beauty
As the One who Is Omniscient.


So when our minds are muddled
And we fail to see Your smile,
Oh strengthen us according to
Your promise for the trial
Of which You have in wisdom
Chosen for us to display
Your faithfulness and holiness
To make us more that day
Like Jesus in perfection
Knowing fully that it is
Your glory and Your pleasure
Then displayed in all of His.