Sound Words for Pilgrims

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. Psalm 100:4

Do we treat God like our family doctor? By that I mean, go to Him when we’re in need of urgent care, but when He answers we don’t say, “Thank you.” The psalmist had a better approach. He said enter His presence with thanksgiving and then, for His eternal care be thankful unto Him and bless His name. It will be a more blessed relationship if we give to Him as He has given to us. 
--Rex Trogdon

Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul,
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole;
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free.
--Sykes

Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. 
Isaiah 43:7
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.  Ecclesiastes 3:1

I love the seasons, especially the fall. The changing of the leaves, harvesting nature’s bounty and gathering together with family for the Thanksgiving holiday. To everything there is a season and so it is  in life. The fall reminds us that life is passing on and soon the winter of our senior years will be upon us. Yet we can still bring in a harvest for the Lord, even in the “winter” of our lives. Thanks be to God who has uniquely formed us to be fruitful all our life. 
--Jerry Proctor

All the grief Thou wert enduring, all the bliss Thou wert securing;
Evermore the theme shall be, of thanksgiving, Lord to Thee.
--E. Homburg

And brought also the brazen altar, which was before the LORD, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar. 2 Kings 16:14

“Time to do a little housekeeping,” Ahaz thought, “Got to get things organized.” And with another typically reckless act, Ahaz set the centrality of the sacrifice to one side. I hope I don’t get so caught up in organizing my personal and assembly life, to the point that what’s important to God falls to my housekeeping list and gets set off to the side of my life. Wisdom gives the preeminent One His preeminent place--in all things.
--Rick Morse

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart,
Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Cursed be the man that trusteth in man...whose heart departeth from the LORD...for he shall be like a shrub. Jeremiah 17:5, 6
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is...he shall be like a tree. Jeremiah 17:7, 8

The Lord uses strong words against those who trust in man and who depart from the Lord. Barren shrubs they are--cursed by God for their dependence upon themselves. The person of our second verse is different, for he trusts in the Lord and blessedness is his portion. He is like a tree planted by the waters--fruitful and fragrant.
 --Reg. L. Jordan

I am trusting Thee to guide me, Thou alone shalt lead,
Every day and hour supplying all my need.
--F. R. Havergal

Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? Job 4:7

This question by Job’s friend Eliphaz reveals how he thought about suffering. His mistaken position was that only the wicked suffer. However, the Scriptures show that many faithful and righteous have suffered for their faith over the centuries. But none like Christ. We turn to the Scriptures, and find how Christ was crucified after repeated declarations of His innocence. He was innocent but we were guilty; He was just but we were unjust, and He suffered for us. Who ever perished being innocent? The Lord Jesus. Where was the righteous cut off? At Calvary. And why? For us, for me. 
--Carl Knott

Behold! A spotless Victim dies, my Surety on the tree;
The Lamb of God, the Sacrifice, He gave Himself for me.
--Unknown

Ye are they which have continued with Me in My temptations. Luke 22:28  They have kept Thy word. John 17:6

Two statements from the Lord--one to His disciples, and one to His Father. We all know the disciples’ failures but the Lord chose to speak well of them. Oh that we would lift out the good points in our fellow believers; actually tell them personally, and give thanks to the Father for them. Negativity is a curse, but a positive word elevates the spirit and encourages folk to go on for the Lord.
--Brian Russell

A little word in kindness spoken, a motion or a tear,
Has often healed the heart that’s broken and made a friend sincere.
Then deem it not an idle thing a pleasant word to speak;
The face you wear, the thought you bring,
A heart may heal or break.                    
--John Greenleaf Whittier

There was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully. 2 Ki. 22:7

Integrity (or simple honesty) is rapidly becoming a lost virtue these days. Who would think of hiring workmen to do repairs and paying for the project in advance with no further accounting from the workmen? Yet that’s what happened when King Josiah ordered repairs on the temple. The carpenters, builders and masons were of such integrity that no reckoning was required. In a day when dishonesty seems the norm even in religious circles, God’s people have the unique opportunity to shine brightly as people of their word--particularly in dealing with money. --Wm. Gustafson

There are hearts which never falter in the battle for the right;
There are ranks which never alter, watching through the darkest night.

Come unto Me … and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me.   Matt.11:28-29

“Come,” Take,” “Learn.” Here are three loving appeals from the lips of our Lord. The order in which they are presented is significant. First of all we must come to Him as weary, burdened sinners and enter into the rest He has procured for us. Following this, we are to take His yoke upon us. In other words, we submit to His authority in every department of our lives. Thus we enter into a lifelong experience of learning of Him. To stop short of this three-fold responsibility is to disappoint our precious Lord. --G. Hall

O patient, spotless One! Our hearts in meekness train,
To bear Thy yoke and learn of Thee,
That we may rest obtain.
--C. Andreas Bernstein 1672 –1699

I love the LORD, because. Psalm 116:1
Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee.  John 21:15

There are innumerable reasons why we love the Saviour. We love Him for what He is, and we love Him for what He has done. We love Him for what He is now doing for us in High Priestly ministry, and we love Him for what He will yet do for us in an eternity of bliss. We love Him because He first loved us. --Jim Flanigan

We love Thee for the glorious worth,
Which in Thyself we see;
We love Thee for the shameful cross,
Endured so patiently. --Joseph Stennett

Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3
Speak...that they bring me an offering of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart. Exodus 25:2
Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them...I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee.  Exodus 25:8, 22

What an unusual phrase! And yet in days past, when offerings flowed from willing hearts, they were formed into a holy habitation for God and there He met and communed with His people. As we join together in His name today, and our heart worship flows, may our praises make our gathering a spiritual tabernacle, a fragrant sanctuary where He is pleased to meet and commune with us.
 --S. McEachern

Gathered in Thy name Lord Jesus, losing sight of all but Thee,
Oh what joy Thy presence gives us, calling up our hearts to Thee.

I said in mine heart, go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. Eccl. 2:1
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Ps. 16:11

Solomon tried every imaginable way to gratify his desires, but at the end of his search all he could say was, “useless, useless, all is useless.” A brother in Africa once said, “If you are running after pleasure it is a race which has no finish line.” If however, we trust Christ as our Saviour and Lord, there is a wonderful finish line: “At Thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.” And the path to the finish is preceded by a life of loving fellowship walking with Him. 
--David Croudace

Lord Jesus I love Thee, I know Thou art mine,
My Rock and my Fortress my Surety divine.
--Featherstone

We who are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened, not because we would be unclothed but , that mortality might be swallowed up by life.  
2 Cor. 5:4, NKJV

Have you ever felt a bit guilty about that restlessness that stirs within from time to time? We are so blessed, we ought to be utterly content. Is there something wrong with us if we are failing to always experience full joy? Perhaps this restlessness is a little gift from home, keeping us from becoming comfortable with this temporary scene. One version of 2 Corinthians 5:3-5 reads: “The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.” 
--C. Cairns

Hark! Ten thousand harps and voices, sound the note of praise above;
Jesus reigns and heaven rejoices, Jesus reigns, the God of love. --T. Kelly