To see You Are my Prize!

Michael E. Wood

July 10, 2016

Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?  If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. Psalm 94:16-19

It is absolutely amazing how many ways we can be distracted from seeing clearly by faith things that are above. The psalmist, while longing and crying out to the LORD God to bring an end to the wicked, is enabled to see how God uses the wicked to bring correction to His people resulting in our ultimate blessedness. He understood that the LORD would never forsake or abandon His people. Martin Luther closed out his song “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” with these words, “The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.”

As the psalmist bore witness to the murder of widows, sojourners and the fatherless, by those who were foolish enough to think the LORD neither sees nor perceives, he faces the immanent prospect of meeting the same end. He is in this case delivered not only from death but from his own fears and cares by the providence and unchanging love of our Sovereign God. In the midst of a multitude of distractions the consolations of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit cheer his soul. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Does He not bring consolation to your soul?

Frustrations, doubts, and fears arise

And cause me to forget

Priorities You give to me

And by Your Word You set

Each thing in order as You please

Beyond what I can see

For when I think, “I slip”, Oh LORD,

Your promise then will be

The truth of steadfast love upholding

Me when I would fall.

As only You could answer as

You will before I call.

And when I am distracted by

The cares which blind my eyes,

Your consolations cheer my soul

To see You are my Prize!

Accepting Correction

Michael E. Wood

June 23, 2016

Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law, to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked. For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.     Psalm 94:12-15

There is a brand of so called Christianity in our current culture which promotes everything as positive and encouraging rather than Biblical and balanced. The writer to the Hebrews tells us not to regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives. He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. While in the process of being disciplined it seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

The psalmist being carried along by the same Holy Spirit records for our learning, the blessedness of the one whom the LORD disciplines. Though He has various means by which He can bring about discipline in our lives the context of the passage seems to point to God’s use of the wicked to bring about this discipline, and thus displays His Sovereign power and providential use of all things for the good of His people and the praise of His glory.

Let us continually be learning and putting into practice the habit of giving Him thanks in all things while trusting Him with all our hearts, and not leaning on our own understanding.

Do we now build our lives on our comfort and ease

Imagining somehow that God is well pleased?

But then in a moment when things are all changed

Through circumstance, turmoil, and lives rearranged;

We question His goodness, and kindness, and love,

Not seeing that all things are sent from above

To mold us and make us like a Potter the clay.

Are we hardened or nimble for shaping that day?

For He in His mercy sees better than we,

Designing each detail to drive to the knee,

*Accepting correction to know and commune

With Him in His sweetness like finest perfume

Perfecting His praise in a life offered up

Through Jesus who drank of the bitterest cup.

Oh, none can imagine the extent of His pain

That He bore to remove our gross sin and our shame,

But not only that, to present without fault

The church as His bride, one with Him to exalt

The glory and praise God alone has, as due.

Oh, Help us, Dear Father, to magnify You!

*Footnote: In printing this out for a hard copy distribution, Dianna pointed out to me that I had originally used EXCEPTING ( a preposition - used in the sense of apart from or excluding, also used as a conjunction at times) instead of ACCEPTING ( a verb - used in the sense of agree to or receiving something without saying no). The two words sound similar and can be easily confused, but my, what a difference a single word can make. Thus, it seems appropriate to receive correction even in the writing of this poem.

Congratulations!

Michael E. Wood
June 3, 2016



It's that time of year here in the U.S.A., wherein many of us know someone or several that have arrived at a certain level of academic achievement. Some of us who have been down the path of formal education or not, like to encourage others (often family members) in their accomplishments by sending cards and or a small money gift to celebrate. Dianna had a niece who graduated from high school this year and was able to find a couple of cards appropriate for the occasion. I on the other hand, for various reasons didn't find one for a niece who graduated on my side of the family, but The LORD was very gracious in using Dianna to help put together a hand made card and the following came to mind:

 Hi Lauren,

My, how the years have flown
               and you have grown
in stature, and wisdom, and knowledge.

May your aim be true
                in all that you do
As you apply what you know now
                                      in college.

May the LORD be pleased
        to give grace for your needs,
His faithfulness shown from above,
     
His presence to know
      As forward you go
We pray that you walk in His love.

Congratulations!   Michael & Dianna

A House of Righteousness (New Song)

Michael E. Wood

May 12-17, 2016

“The house of the righteous shall stand”   Proverbs 12:7b

There is a story behind every song and a context for its setting. This one is no different and would take much longer to divulge than I will take in this brief introduction.

Michael Burke, a friend of mine, moved with his wife from California to Missouri. He is a follower of Christ and also happens to be a singer/ songwriter, and musician who enjoys all kinds of music. Last week he posted a link to a video showing the “Animals” performing a song they became famous for originally recorded on May 18, 1964. The music to “House of the Rising Sun” is very catchy and can linger in the mind for a while. The next day while reading Proverbs chapter 12, the last portion of verse 7 caught my attention, ‘the house of the righteous shall stand.” The phrase stuck with me as I thought of the contrast between the secular song and the reality of the promise of God declared from that passage.

While driving to a discipleship appointment, thoughts on the promise mixed with the music brought enjoyment to the ride with the words coming so fast I didn’t think I would be able to remember them. My mind was so caught up in the moment that I arrived at my exit and wondered how I had gotten there. Upon arrival at my destination, the gentleman with whom I was to meet was running late, so I sat down to write what I could remember and three verses were written rather hurriedly. After our meeting I headed home still thinking of the song and new verses came while driving again and I found my self actually looking forward to having to wait through stop lights near home to write what came to mind. The third verse originally came out almost verbatim to the second verse of Amazing Grace by John Newton. While continuing to think on these things I ran some different lines by Dianna of which she liked and thus the final version was ready to post. Quite a few of our older hymns were written to secular music bringing the message of Christ to those familiar with the tune. How appropriate that we would be celebrating our 6^th anniversary with a new song Dianna helped me to finalize the day before, showing forth God’s faithfulness to use us as one for His infinite glory expressing the fact that He makes all things new in those whom He has redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

There is a house of righteousness,

It’s called the house of God.

And few there be that’s shown the way,

Thank God, I know I’m one.

My father was an absentee,

My mom did what she could.

But not until God’s Spirit came,

That I then understood.

His grace then taught my heart to fear

And grace my fears relieved.

His Spirit turned my heart toward Christ

And caused me to believe.

For Jesus went to Calvary

And bore God’s wrath for sin

And through His blood I am made clean,

Reborn to enter in –

The new creation He decreed

Before He wrought in time,

Revealed to eyes He made to see,

Which once before were blind.

And in His presence we shall live

For all eternity

And praise Him in the house He built

That day on Calvary.

Use of our Time Aright

Michael E. Wood

April 3, 2016

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

Oh, the sweetness that is ours in knowing like Moses that the Lord has been our dwelling place in all generations. He who is from everlasting to everlasting God has pronounced a number of judgments since the fall of mankind in the garden including the return of man to the dust of the ground. Ps. 90:3 While being brought into the understanding of the eternality of God we are likewise brought into the understanding of the brevity of our temporal lives on earth, so that we are inclined by the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ alone to ask for our Father’s guidance in using every day He gives to the praise of His most majestic, infinite glory.

Oh, how may we use of our time aright

To show of your goodness and show of Your might?

But with words that You give by Your Spirit of light,

Petitions You hear through Christ Jesus the sight

Of which You behold, ever pleased with Your Son.

Oh, make us like Him as Your people of One,

Chosen to know and be known with the view

To Him be the glory, who makes all anew.

Glory in Your Sovereign Grace.

Michael E. Wood

Feb. 2-March 24, 2016

He is not here; he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

Matthew 28:6

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. Colossians 1:18

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 raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:4-6

I am not sure who the first person was to use the phrase “Better than I deserve” as a response to the common greeting “How are you doing?”, but I often feel compelled to use it. On some occasions it becomes the means through which an opportunity for the gospel is opened. When we understand we are sinners, and we deserve death, and eternal condemnation, and yet God in mercy causes us to see not only our need for Christ, but are in fact brought into a saving relationship with Himself by the power of His Spirit, then we are likewise brought into an increasing understanding that what ever we are called to undergo in this transient life is in fact better than what we deserve.

On February 2, 2016 the preceding thoughts were a part of what began to develop into a song with the music of “The Prayer” formulating how it would sound. After writing a couple of verses I found the third more difficult and laid it aside because of time restraints. While meditating on the resurrection of Christ over the past week, the tune came back to mind and two new verses came quickly and fit together nicely with the opening.

I know what I deserve and yet I seek Your face.

I have no other grounds, through Christ, You give me grace.

And though my heart would fail,

Your Spirit makes me soar

Above this world of shame

Your praises to proclaim,

Forever blessed be Your Name!

You came into this world, both Son of God and man.

There was no other way, to fulfill the Father’s plan.

And lowly You became,

The babe in Bethlehem.

God with us declared,

Emmanuel, the heir

Of glory with the Father shared

And when upon the cross, You took upon our sin,

And suffered in our place, that we might enter in,

As sons before the throne,

Your Spirit came within

To show the mystery

And give the victory

That to You all the glory be!

You rose up from the grave, as our eternal head.

Through union then with You, we’re raised up from the dead.

And though we see in part,

We’ve nothing now to dread.

Prepared for us a place,

That we may see Your face,

And glory in Your Sovereign grace.

Though Storm Clouds Arise

Michael E. Wood

March 15, 2016

 A few years back I began to notice signs on our highways here in California which read, “Severe Drought, Conserve Water”. This actually opened Gospel opportunities as I would ask individuals, why the signs don’t say “Severe Drought, Pray for Rain”. With the recent El Nino effect in our region we have had a recent abundance of rain, which led to posting the following excerpt.

“Drenched by 'March Miracle,' Northern California reservoirs inch toward capacity

Los Angeles Times Joseph Serna Contact Reporter March 14, 2016 6:38 PM

A series of storms pushed California’s biggest reservoir past its historical average for mid-March this weekend and put the second largest one on track for doing the same by Monday afternoon, officials said.

Together the Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville reservoirs have the capacity to hold more than 8 million acre feet of water and after a wet weekend in Northern California, they were 79% and 70% full, respectively, by Monday morning, according to the state Department of Water Resources.

Some people have referred to the recent series of powerful storms that have dumped rain and snow on the Sierra as the “March Miracle.”

The storms filled Lake Shasta above its average for this time of year and by 4 p.m. Monday; Lake Oroville surpassed its historic average, said DWR spokesman Doug Carlson. Lake Shasta is the state's largest reservoir.

“It’s happened a little quicker than I personally thought,” Carlson said. “It would appear the [seasonal storms] have really achieved what they historically do, which is deliver a lot of rainfall to the mountains.”

Neither reservoir has reached its historical average in nearly three years, data show.

“I don’t know if people here will be dancing in their cubicles when [Oroville] hits the historic average, but it will be the first time it’s done that for the duration of the drought. That is reason to be joyous,” Carlson said.”

Though the outcome in general is an occasion for celebration, there have likewise been a number of ill effects upon some due to mudslides, downed trees, etc. The day in and day out downpours have also had an impact on schedules for some and simple necessities of others. Some also have difficulty in comprehending the fact that the sun is still shining above the clouds.

These are reminders for us as followers of Christ that when we undergo personal storms in our journey through this life, God is always working all things for our good and His infinite glory.

Though storm clouds arise

And veils from our eyes

The beauty that shines from Your face,

Your witness within

Though we feel a chagrin*,

Gives promise; the reign of Your grace,

With abundant supplies

As Your Spirit applies

Beyond all we think or expect.

For more than we hope

With Your glory the scope,

In holiness, work to perfect

Your image in all,

As prostrate we fall;

Your church, to the praise of Your Name.

You are our strength

Oh, show in the length

Your love for the spread of Your Fame!

*chagrin: a feeling of vexation, marked by disappointment or humiliation (or rejection)