Ponder Anew

Romans 4:16 tells us that if we have the faith of Abraham, God forgives all our sin and engages to pursue us all of our days with goodness and mercy. If we relinquish all our self-confidence and bank on the promises of God for our happiness and security, then we stand justified and clean and free before the Lord God Almighty, the King of creation! God promised Abraham: “I will bless you, so that you will be a blessing… By you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2-3) There was an utterly amazing transaction that happened between God and Abraham. Abraham believed God, and God justified Abraham (Genesis 15:6). Abraham took God at his word and rested in his promise – so much so that he was ready to obey God in sacrificing his own son – the very son through whom God had promised to give Abraham a great posterity! Abraham wholly and completely banked on the promises of God for his security and happiness, and God justified him. God acquitted Abraham of all of his sins: past, present, and future. The death of Christ purchased Abraham’s redemption 2000 years earlier and my redemption 2000 years later. Abraham did not know how God could acquit sinners and still be just. He simply left that in God’s hands and banked on God’s word of promise. Today, we know how God can be both just and justifier. So our faith and our hope is in Jesus Christ.



Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!


Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear,
now to his temple draw near;
praise him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
shelters thee under his wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen
how thy desires e‘er have been
granted in what he ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
surely his goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew
what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
biddeth them cease,
turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
sheddeth his light,
chaseth the horrors of night,
saints with his mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the amen
sound from his people again,
gladly for aye we adore him.

(Words: Joachim Neander (1650-1680), 1680)