At Any Place, At Any Time!

Why should it seem so strange to so many professing Christians that a man or a woman would break out in songs of praise to our Lord in most any place or at any time?

Even in one of the most well known of our contemporary hymns, "Blessed Assurance" by Fanny Crosby, the words declare, "This is my story, this is my song, praising my Saviour all the day long". In Reliquiare Baxterianae, Part 1, page 21, speaking of the effect of God's use of the Puritan Pastor Richard Baxter, it is said, "...on the Lord's days ...you might hear an hundred families singing psalms and repeating sermons as you passed through the streets."

There are a number of places in the Psalms which speaks of singing the praises of our God among the heathen, yea, among all peoples. While reading Psalm 71 and coming to verses 5-8, "For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth. Upon you I have leaned from before my birth; you are he who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you. I have been as a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day", the following words came to mind;

Is Christ your story, Oh, is He your Song?
Oh, do you sing praise to Him all the day long?
Are you now a sign of His Excellent Spirit,
Poured out on the alter of Christ, Who can hear it?

Has He not given a mouth and a tongue,
Whereby we may teach in the songs that are sung?
Oh yes, we need preaching, and in that we delight,
But praise is the due of the One in Whose sight,

Has brought us to birth, and from our mother's womb
Now shows forth the glory of His empty tomb!
As now up in heaven, enthroned far above
Intercessions are made sure, in Him, Who Is Love.

God Is our Hope and our Refuge, so Strong,
No trials or troubles will end our New Song!
Revive us He will, from the depths up again,
And show He is righteous in all He ordained.

His deeds of salvation, Oh tell all the day.
Their number past knowledge, through Jesus, The Way!
For His righteousness is, now all our own,
And all of the glory, is Yours, God alone!


Michael E. Wood
May 15, 2010

As Jewels that are all Your own!

This morning, while contemplating the fact that I would have--Lord willing--one last opportunity to minister to a very special group of ladies at the Springview Assisted Living facilities on Chapel Hill Road in Burlington, North Carolina; and, likewise knowing that I would not be completing a verse-by-verse study through the book of 1st John, I was given the grace to read through this little treasure chest given to us for the glory of God, and the following words came to mind:


Oh Father for the love You Gave,
We ask Your help in every way--
That we may show that You Are True,
And by Your Word our minds renew.

For we are weak, and You Are Holy
And Christ You gave to show Your glory.
For as He Is, now so are we;
Abide with us as now we flee--

Unto our Righteous Advocate
Who's faithfulness we'll not forget.
For He's the Keeper of our souls--
Reminding us that He now holds

Our life and breath within His hands,
Fulfilling all eternal plans
That You have promised for our good,
As in the gap for us He stood.

That chasm that was, Oh, so great
That we could not then contemplate
The glories of Your matchless love--
Enslaved by sin, but then Your Dove

Revealed to us our wretchedness
And then in awe, our souls You blessed
To show Yourself, Oh Blessed Saviour
And poured on us Your Loving Favor.

Oh strengthen us Sweet Holy Spirit
To take the cross of Christ, not fear it.
As only through His death we're found
And raised with Him on holy ground,

To walk in love toward those without,
That they may hear the joyful shout.
Perfected by Your Love then known,
As jewels that are all Your Own.

Michael E. Wood
May 14, 2010

By Your Spirit and Your Word

(Note: This was written on May 13, 2010 and was posted a day late)


Psalm 65 begins with the words, "To The Choirmaster. A Psalm Of David. A Song. Praise is due to You, O God, in Zion, and to You shall vows be performed. O You Who hear prayer, to You shall all flesh come."

While rejoicing in the joy of God's Word, as He Is our Choir Master, and has placed us where He sees fit to sing His praises --a song that delights my soul to sing to Him with His dear saints or to simply sing to Him when no one but He can hear is, "I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord", by Timothy Dwight, 1752-1817.

While delighting in Him and the Word that He has so freely given this morning these words came to mind:

In all we see with earthly eyes
They are but foretaste's of our Prize.
For Christ, You Are The One Who's due
Our vows performed to honor You.

For blessed we are, Your holy nation
Of which You chose before creation.
In Zion now our prayer You hear,
As we approach with godly fear.

And nothing in ourselves we claim,
But wholly lean on Jesus Name,
As through the cross You now empower,
And fill with grace for each new hour.

Oh, such abundance You now give,
That we may for Your glory live.
By awesome deeds You answer us,
O LORD, our God, our Righteousness!

Oh, by Your Spirit and Your Word,
Fulfill Your promise, we have heard,
That we may sow in all Your field,
As servants of Your will we yield.

Oh, give to us more precious tears,
And faithfulness through all our years.
With shouts of joy You will receive,
Your glory due in every sheave,

As bound we are to know Your ways,
With joy to give You all the praise,
And go we will the extra mile,
And live for Your eternal smile.

Michael E. Wood
May 14, 2010

Lips of Clay

While going through some articles that had been packed away from years gone by, I found some things that reminded me of my past, and the thought came to mind, ""What were you thinking?" Ephesians 2:1-5 tells the story quite well.

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—"

And the following words came to mind.

Confusion thrives in all that hides
Within the depths of sin.
But God is clear to all who fear,
And know His peace within.

Pride o'ercome by Christ Who won
And bought the victory.
The price was paid, our sins were laid
On Him at Calvary.

Forget the past, for all that lasts
Is that which brings God glory.
And through the cross we count all loss
Which manifests His story.

Ne'er can we pay with lips of clay
A tribute such is due,
Though You refine in all of Thine,
That we may honor You.

And now our praise we joyfully raise,
Unto the God of glory,
For Christ redeemed is now our theme,
And He is all our joy!

Michael E. Wood
May 12, 2010 10:00 am

Your Glory Has No End!

While reading in the Psalms, I came to chapter 60:11,12, "Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is He Who will tread down our foes." And the following short poem came to mind.

Foes within and foes without,
Our God has triumphed with a shout!
Though we are weak and Oh so fragile--
Christ is our Head that makes us agile;
To fight the well fought fight with joy
And render unto Him the glory.

Oh, be exalted, O our God--
Above the heavens where You trod.
You walk upon the wings of wind
And there Your glory has no end!
Among the nations we'll sing Your praises,
As victors of the dead Christ raises.

Michael E. Wood
May 12, 2010 7:12 am

For He is our Life!

While reading Colossians chapter 2, I came to verses 13,14 which says, "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with all it's legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross." This in turn was used to direct me to Acts Chapter 3 and the following flowed freely from my Father in heaven:

Once like the man, who was laid at the Gate
Called Beautiful, I knew not my fate.
Lame from my birth, and begging for alms,
I knew not the joy then, spoken in Psalms

Then in the Name of Christ Jesus so simple,
Power I received to enter the Temple.
Now walking and leaping and praising my God,
Oh think it not strange, Oh think it not odd,

That the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Would glorify Christ, and clothe all the naked
Of which He appointed to show in due time,
Restoring all things to His glory sublime!

Oh fix your attention on Paul, Peter, and John
And all those in Christ who now speak from beyond,
As The Author of life, Whom God raised from the dead,
Suffered and bled on the cross in my stead.

Repentance and faith in His Name I received,
My sins blotted out, by His faith to believe.
And now all my strength and my health before all
Comes only through Jesus, as on Him I call.

Oh, listen to Christ in all that He tells
You by His Word and His Spirit to dwell,
And all of the wonder you see with amazement
Will then be your own for His glory by grace sent.

And the record of debt with it's legal demands
You'll find has been canceled, as you see in the hands,
The scars of The Saviour, Who bore all the loss
And set it aside when nailed to the cross.

And rooted and built up in Christ you will be
With all those in Jesus, Who's triumph we see.
For He is our Life, and in all we hold dear
Til with Him in glory we then will appear.

Michael E. Wood
May 11, 2010 4:40 a.m.

For Mom on Mother's Day

Honor thy father and thy mother, which is the first commandment with promise. This charge is committed to me as a child of God, that I might wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. Pray and intercede with thanksgivings for all people, that we might lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly, and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

And the truth is God knew what He was doing all along for the sake of His Own glory, in the selection of the father and the mother He would use to bring us into this fallen world and as He also instructs us that if there be any virtue or any praise, we are to think on these things, and thus we are commissioned to honor our Father in heaven as we honor our father and mother on earth. And thus, with those thoughts, the following words came to mind:

Dear mom, you were the one
God chose to bring us into this world
And did your best to shape our minds
For all that would be hurled--

At us in life to test our hearts
To see what would be true.
And now it is our time to show
That we will honor you.

We thank you for the love you've shown
Through all these passing years,
Though there were times that all we gave
Brought nothing more than tears.

We thank you for the times you spoke
The truth when we heard not.
For truth in love will yet prevail
And never be forgot.

And now for one, I hope you know,
I love you more than words,
For actions speak far louder than
The songs of all the birds.

So hold to faith, and hope, and love
And know how much we're blessed
To have you as our mom, for God
Foreknew, what He deemed best!

Michael E. Wood
May 6, 2010

Note: Michael printed the above poem out with a graphic border made from two photographs he had taken earlier in the spring of cardinals in a tree covered with white blossoms. He framed it in a lovely frame and presented to his mother on Mother's Day 2010.