The Skies Reveal God’s Glory

The skies reveal God’s glory;
Without speech, without words,
Each day tells the next day
About the wonders of God.

Like a ready runner,
The sun moves across the sky,
And–where its light shines–
Some of God’s splendor is seen.

There is no place where the sun doesn’t shine,
Where it doesn’t shine–
Or where God’s wonders cannot be seen.

The skies reveal God’s glory.

About This Song:
I used to visit a website for photographers. It had the the most unlikely name, The Ugly Hedgehog. The participants were an interesting mixture of novices, professionals, and every degree of experience (or inexperience) in between. Certain subjects showed up frequently in the pictures they post. Among the most popular were hummingbirds and eagles.

I didn’t always take the time to look at each day’s posts, though. But I always took time if I saw “sunrise” or “sunset” in the subject line. Those are, in my humble opinion, the two most beautiful times of day, and a photographer who could capture one of them even half-way adequately deserved recognition.

So it’s no wonder I would be so fond of Psalm 19:1-6. . .

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.
(NIV)

1 How clearly the sky reveals God’s glory!
    How plainly it shows what he has done!
2 Each day announces it to the following day;
    each night repeats it to the next.
3 No speech or words are used,
    no sound is heard;
4 yet their message goes out to all the world
    and is heard to the ends of the earth.
God made a home in the sky for the sun;
5     it comes out in the morning like a happy bridegroom,
    like an athlete eager to run a race.
6 It starts at one end of the sky
    and goes across to the other.
    Nothing can hide from its heat.
(GNT)

I love the images the psalmist uses in these verses–especially the one about the skies “announcing” God’s glory without the use of speech or words. Also noteworthy are the comparisons of the sun to a “happy bridegroom” and an “eager athlete” who’s ready to run a race.

Just as no camera can perfectly capture the beauty of a sunrise or sunset–some do come close, however–I can’t say anything else about this passage. It speaks for itself.

Does this song say something special to you? How about leaving a comment?

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

 

Posted in Athlete, Bridegroom, God's Glory, Skies, Sun, Sunrise, Sunset | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

All My Godless Ways

Two rough-hewn wooden structures tell so much about our Lord:
The manger where the baby lay and the cross on which He died.
Though God Himself, Christ chose the birth of every mother’s child
Though God Himself, Christ chose the death that no one on earth would choose.

Each rough-hewn part of who I am wants to tell about Christ, too:
The very words I try to speak and the deeds I try to do.
Though earthly man, I chose rebirth to become a child of God;
Though earthly man, I chose the death of all my Godless ways.

Though God Himself, Christ chose to become human;
Though human, I’ve become a child of God.

Each rough-hewn part of who I am wants to tell about Christ, too:
The very words I try to speak and the deeds I try to do.
Though earthly man, I chose rebirth to become a child of God;
Though earthly man, I chose the death of all my Godless ways,
Of all my Godless ways.

About This Song:
If you’ve been following this blog for a while or you’ve gone back and looked at some of the previous posts, you may have noticed my fondness for combining Christmas and Easter ideas in one song. Today’s song is another one.

I hope my comparison of Jesus’ birth as a human baby and the Christian’s rebirth as a Child of God is thought-provoking. And that the comparison of Christ’s voluntary human death and the voluntary death of the Christian’s sins is thought-provoking as well.

Some animals grow into adulthood rapidly. We have a miniature dachshund puppy who’s grown now. In many ways she still looks like a puppy. Yet I can look back to what a difference a month or two made when she was young in seeing the transformation into a  fully grown dog.

Although we can see the changes in people, too, they take years to reach physical adulthood–and even then some of them aren’t fully “grown up.”

Growing into maturity as a Child of God is similar. Except it takes even longer than maturing physically. We won’t mature spiritually–not fully–until the end of our earthly lives.

Sometimes I imagine God getting frustrated with me for the slowness of my growth, but then I think about His fondness for children. Jesus said, “Let the little children come unto me.”

God doesn’t expect instant changes or huge spurts of spiritual growth, but He doesn’t want me to get stagnant, either. So I prefer to think of Him as cheering me on each time He sees any sign of growth. Even the tiniest one.

A Christian can grow frustrated if he looks at what he wants to become and and frets over how far he is from the goal. Better to look backwards at where he started and note the progress he’s made.

If you’re a Christian, are you growing? If you’re not a Christian, wouldn’t you like to have God as your heavenly father, encouraging you to live the most meaningful life possible?

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Christmas, Cross, Death, Easter, Growth, Human, Manger, Rebirth, Wood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When I Walk with Him

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Nothing is impossible when I walk with Him.
When I walk with Him, yes, when I walk with Him,
Nothing is impossible when I walk with Him.

Though the night is dark, I know I won’t get lost.
Jesus lights the way ahead when I walk with Him.
When I walk with Him, yes, when I walk with Him,
Jesus lights the way ahead when I walk with Him.

Though the path is steep, I know I won’t fall down.
Jesus takes my hand in His when I walk with Him.
When I walk with Him, yes, when I walk with Him,
Jesus takes my hand in His when I walk with Him.

I am not afraid of what tomorrow brings.
Jesus whispers words of hope when I walk with Him.
When I walk with Him, yes, when I walk with Him,
Jesus whispers words of hope when I walk with Him.

About This Song:
Since I started writing novels years ago, I haven’t written as many songs as I used to. Maybe one every year or two.

I’ve frequently wanted to write a new song, but it’s not something I can just decide to do. I have to have a God-inspired idea, usually in the form of a first line or two that really grabs me and speaks to my heart.

Sometimes the idea comes while reading the Bible. Other times it comes from a sermon or devotional I’ve heard. And some of those song ideas simply come out of nowhere–right from God to me, I suppose you might say.

This song started with the Scripture that says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” A possible tune came to me almost simultaneously, and I was on my way. Or so I thought.

But I didn’t actively work on it anymore at the time, and that was unusual.

For some reason I started imagining the Little Lambs (youngest children’s choir) at church doing the new song. But it was simpler and had a totally different tune. That’s the version I felt led to finish.

The director of the Little Lambs thought learning all four stanzas would be too much for her youngsters, so we decided to go with three–and have somebody sing one of them as a solo if it was used at all.

So they didn’t use the first stanza–the one the song was originally inspired by. But that’s more of an adult concept, anyhow. Not getting lost, not falling down, and not being afraid are all concepts that kids and adults alike find relevant.

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Children, God's Leading, Hope, Light, Lostness, Reliance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Called to Celebrate

Sometimes we’re called to work the fields.
Sometimes we’re called to work the fields.
Sometimes we’re called to work the fields
And sometimes to clean the stables.

Sometimes we’re called to till the soil.
Sometimes we’re called to till the soil.
Sometimes we’re called to till the soil
And sometimes to mend the fences.

Sometimes we’re called to sow the seeds.
Sometimes we’re called to sow the seeds.
Sometimes we’re called to sow the seeds
And sometimes to feed the livestock.

Sometimes we’re called to pull the weeds.
Sometimes we’re called to pull the weeds.
Sometimes we’re called to pull the weeds
And sometimes to store the silage.

Sometimes we’re called to gather crops.
Sometimes we’re called to gather crops.
Sometimes we’re called to gather crops
And sometimes to remove dead trees.

And when the harvest is complete.
And when the harvest is complete.
And when the harvest is complete,
We’re all called to celebrate it.

About This Song:

I was getting ready to go on a mission trip to Wales in 1993–right at harvest time. So it seemed appropriate to write this song to use there.

It’s inspired by 1 Corinthians 3:6-9. . .

6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
(NIV)

and by 1 Corinthians 12:4-7. . .

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
(NIV)

The primary goal of a farm is to grow and harvest crops to eat and to sell. That requires a variety of activities, some of which don’t have a direct connection to the harvest. Yet without people performing all of those tasks, the farm wouldn’t function well and the harvest would be poor. Perhaps even nonexistent.

As the body of Christ, the church consists of different members playing different roles, all of which are necessary to keep the church functioning. While the primary task of the church is to harvest souls into the Kingdom of Heaven, not every member plays a direct role in every harvest. Yet without each person’s part being carried out faithfully and thoroughly, the harvest would be a major disappointment.

But when someone walks forward to make a public profession of faith in Jesus, does anyone fail to rejoice just  because he or she didn’t play a part in that person’s decision?

Not in my church. We may not all actively perform “crop-related” tasks, but that doesn’t keep us from rejoicing over each and every person we see enter the Kingdom.

~*~

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Celebrations, Fields, Harvest, Serving Jesus, Sharing, Sowing, Various Tasks, Workers | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

From the Manger to the Cross

My life is a journey,
Yes, sometimes a hard journey, Lord,
From the manger to the cross,
From the manger to the cross.

From my birth as a child of God,
From my birth as a child of God
To the death of my old self
To the death of my old self.

So Christ can come alive in me,
So Christ can come alive in me
And make me like Himself,
And make me like Himself.

My life is a journey,
Yes, sometimes a hard journey, Lord,
From the manger to the cross,
From the manger to the cross.

About This Song:
Strange as this comment may sound, I wrote this song to share at a New Year’s Eve gathering some years ago. Stranger still, I can’t remember why I thought it was appropriate. I simply did.

Nonetheless, the imagery of the manger and the cross isn’t something to take lightly.

Christ was born as a human child. I’ve been born as a child of God because of my faith in Jesus. So I’ve had a “manger experience.”

And Jesus died an earthly death, just as I need to put my natural, sinful ways to death. That process, my “cross experience” began taking place at the time I became a Christian.

Did you notice the word “began”? I’ll never be perfect until I die and reach heaven. So my life is the “long journey” from the beginning of becoming Christlike to the time I truly achieve it.

Are you on that journey? How about leaving a comment?

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Cross, Journey, Life, Manger, New Years, Perfection | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Believe It!

I believe it with all my heart,
I believe it with all my heart,
I believe it with all my heart.
Lord, help me be able to believe it more.

The Bible is the Word of God,
His truth for all the ages,
Though written down by men long years ago.
I cannot claim to comprehend the mysteries contained there,
But day by day I’ve come to love it more.

I believe it with all my heart,
I believe it with all my heart,
I believe it with all my heart.
Lord, help me be able to believe it more.

Christ Jesus is the Son of God,
His Plan for man’s salvation,
Though Christ lived and died and rose from death long years ago.
I cannot claim to understand the mystery of God’s love,
But day by day I’ve come to love Him more.

I believe it with all my heart,
I believe it with all my heart,
I believe it with all my heart.
Lord, help me be able to believe it more.

Heaven is the home of God;
He shares it with believers,
Though moving there takes a lifetime to do.
I cannot claim to tell you just where Heaven is located,
But day by day I long to see it more.

I believe it with all my heart,
I believe it with all my heart,
I believe it with all my heart.
Lord, help me be able to believe it more.

About This Song:

The refrain of this song comes from Mark 9:20-24. That’s the story of a father who wanted Jesus to heal his son. He had been possessed by an evil spirit from childhood.

Jesus told the man, “Bring the boy to me.”

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
(NIV)

Christianity requires faith–faith in the Bible as God’s Word, in Jesus as God’s Son, and in Heaven as our ultimate, eternal home.  We ought to pray with faith in God’s ability to answer our prayers–and His desire to provide what’s best for each of us.

But how much faith is enough?

I don’t know. So I’ll just keep on praying along with that desperate father, “Help me to overcome my unbelief.”

How’s your faith? How about leaving a comment?

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

 

 

 

 

Posted in Belief, Bible, Faith, Heaven, Jesus | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Not My Will But Yours, Lord

Not my will, but Yours, Lord,
Not my will, but Yours.
Help me want what You want,
When I call on You.

Help me pray like Jesus In Gethsemane.
Not my will, but Yours, Lord;
Not my will, but Yours.

Sometimes when I pray, Lord,
Sometimes when I pray,
I want things I shouldn’t have,
And You answer, “No.”

Help me pray like Jesus In Gethsemane.
Not my will, but Yours, Lord;
Not my will, but Yours.

Often when I pray, Lord,
Often when I pray,
I seek quick solutions,
But You tell me, “Wait.”

Help me pray like Jesus In Gethsemane.
Not my will, but Yours, Lord;
Not my will, but Yours.

I don’t always pray, Lord.
I don’t always pray
Till I find a door locked;
Then I cry to You.

Help me pray like Jesus In Gethsemane.
Not my will, but Yours, Lord;
Not my will, but Yours.

Lead, I’ll follow You, Lord.
Lead, I’ll follow You.
I can’t see in darkness,
But the dark is light to you.

Help me pray like Jesus In Gethsemane.
Not my will, but Yours, Lord;
Not my will, but Yours.

About This Song:
In Jan Karon’s Mitford series, she talks about the prayer God always answers: “Not my will, but Yours.”

That’s the prayer Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion. He had just asked God to spare Him from the physical, emotional, and spiritual agony He was about to undergo. Yet He recognized that His death was a key part of God the Father’s plan to redeem mankind. So in praying “Not my will, but Yours,” He was acknowledging that He not simply accepted what was coming, but that He wanted it because God Himself wanted it.

Amazing.

It’s easy enough to tell God how we think He ought to answer specific prayers requests. But we lack a God’s-eye-view of the situation. Any situation. Every situation.

We don’t know His plans. His intentions.

I believe God wants us to be specific in our prayers, however. But once we’ve asked for what we want or think best, we ought to conclude by praying for God’s will to be done, regardless of our personal preferences. And we need to mean it.

I think Jan Karon is right. Whenever we want what God wants, He’ll honor our prayers. Not necessarily doing things our way, but providing answers that best suit His plan for our lives. Could we ask for anything better than that?

Is prayer a normal part of your life? How about sharing a comment about what prayer means to you?

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Jan Karon, Mitford series, Praying like Jesus | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Servant of All, Lord of All

Jesus Christ was everything that God Himself was;
Yet He never insisted on having His own way.
He had every right of God Himself,
Yet He gave them up, He freely gave them up
To become the servant of us all.

Jesus could have stayed in heaven at His Father’s side,
Yet He never refused to do His Father’s will.
So He humbled Himself and became a man,
And such a life He lived and such a death He died
To become the servant of us all.

Jesus Christ is back in heaven at His Father’s side;
God raised Him from death and restored Him to life on high,
So when the name of Christ is heard,
Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess
That Jesus lives as Lord of all.
Yes, Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

About This Song:
Although many of my songs have somewhat of a folk song feel–I learned to play guitar during the “folk fad” of the 1960s and never got that style of music out of my blood–this one comes closer to being country.

It’s also chock full of Scripture. Here are the most obvious verses:

Matthew 12:18. . .
“Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
(NKJV)

Phillipians 2:8. . .
And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
(NKJV)

1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
(NKJV)

Phillipians 2:11. . .
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(NKJV)

If we needed further evidence of Jesus as Servant, we could look at the Lord’s Supper the night before His death, when he took a servant’s role and washed his disciples’ feet.

Would that all of Jesus’ followers were as willing to serve others as their Master did. What a difference that would make in this poor, hurting, sin-filled world of ours. Maybe the lost would be more willing to listen to us–and to accept God’s free gift of eternal life.

Confident in the knowledge that ultimately all will call Him “Lord.”

What about you? Is Jesus your Savior or simply an interesting historical figure? My prayer is that you will soon “confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” if you don’t already.

Does this song speak to you in any particular way? If so, how about leaving a comment?

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

Posted in Foot Washing, Lord, Lordship, Obedience, Servant, Servanthood | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How Happy Are Those

How happy are those,
Yes, how happy are those,
So happy are those
Who belong to the Family of God.

So happy they’ll be,
Yes, how happy they’ll be,
So happy they’ll be
When they meet their Father in heaven.

For they will inherit
All the things He has promised.
Yes, theirs is the Kingdom,
And they are His children.
How happy are those,
And how happy they’ll be.

About This Song:
Definitely one of my oldest songs. I can tell because I didn’t put a completion date on the original copy. But that doesn’t lessen the importance of its message.

Christians often focus so much on heaven that they miss the joy of living on earth. I’ve been guilty of that at times. How about you?

And who can blame us? As God’s children, we stand to inherit more good things than we can possibly imagine–once we get to heaven.

But what about the here and now?

Jesus saved us not just for eternity in heaven, but for a more meaningful life here on earth. One that will make us happy. Not because our circumstances will always be good, but because being God’s children–Jesus’ siblings–is a constant source of joy.

When I look at my problems in light of that, I quit complaining. God wants what’s best for me, but also what’s best for his Kingdom on earth. I’m not just His tool. I’m part of His family business–spreading His Good News to others.

Being part of that plan is special. How happy I am.

Do you have that kind of happiness, too? How about sharing a comment?

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab.

Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

 

Posted in Earthly Lives, God's Family, Happiness, Heritance, Satisfaction | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Adding Up Fractions

Adding up fractions to total their sum
Requires finding their common denominator.
So growing a whole church from people like us
Takes our faith and our love and our common vision.

If you want to add two-fourths and five-tenths,
You cannot do it directly.
But if you look at both numbers as halves,
Their sum can be easily figured.

Adding up fractions to total their sum
Requires finding their common denominator.
So growing a whole church from people like us
Takes our faith and our love and our common vision.

The Lord wants to bond the “us-es” and “thems”
To form one sound church body,
By overlooking our differences
And using what we have in common.

Adding up fractions to total their sum
Requires finding their common denominator.
So growing a whole church from people like us
Takes our faith and our love and our common vision.

 

About This Song: Some years ago I belonged to a church that was experiencing a severe lack of unity. The members were not of one accord, and I wasn’t sure God was very fond of how either side was acting.

The spirit was fractured, and its ministries ineffective because of each side’s insistence on being “right.” I wrote this song to encourage the members to seek those things we had in common: to find our lowest common denominator so God could add our mutual strengths together to form a perfect One. A unity He could use us for His purposes–whatever way He wanted to.

While my song may not have inspired the desired changes, the church eventually began to pull together. Better than before, anyhow.

But can you imagine how much more effective this church might have become if the members had overlooked their fractiousness and put themselves fully into God’s hands to be made perfectly whole?

Free lead sheets (lyrics, tune, and chords) are available for many of my songs. Click on the Lead Sheets tab at the top of this page to see whether one is available for this song. Videos for many of my songs, some recorded at home and some at our church’s nursing home ministry, can be accessed at my website, RogerBruner.com, under the Listen tab. Look for me again next Wednesday. Better still, subscribe to receive these weekly posts by email.

Best regards,
Roger

Links you might be interested in:

 

Posted in Church, Fractions, God's plan, God's Will, Good Intentions, Unity | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment