Good when He gives, supremely good;
Nor less when He denies:
Afflictions, from His sovereign hand,
Are blessings in disguise.
– Brother Lawrence –
from The Practice of the Presence of God
Poem
May 16, 2012
Love of All, I hold me fast by Thee,
Ruler of time, King of Eternity
There is no great with Thee, there is no small,
For Thou art all, and fullest all in all.
The newborn world swings forth at Thy command,
The falling dewdrop falls into Thy hand.
God of the firmament’s mysterious powers
I see Thee thread the minutes of my hours.
– Amy Carmichael –
November 10, 2011
WHEN HE GIVETH QUIETNESS
by Mrs. TD Crewdson in “The Little While and Other Poems”
Jesus! if Thou be near to bless,
We shall not faint nor fail;
For when Thou givest quietness,
No trouble shall prevail.
Thy quietness! — ’tis not the calm
That spreads in Vesper hours.
O’er earth’s green vales, the dewy balm
Of nature’s closing flowers.
‘Tis not the calm the worldling knows.
In dreamy hours of pride;
Though, softly lapped in false repose,
His gilded shallop ride.
Thy quietness! — no fount of earth
Hath ever proved its source;
No mortal skill revealed its birth,
Or traced its hidden course.
Saviour! — Thou hast met the gale
On Thy unsheltered breast,
That we, the weak, the sick, the frail.
Might joy in peace and rest.
October 28, 2011
Lord, I hear of showers of blessing,
thou art scattering full and free;
showers the thirsty land refreshing;
let some drops now fall on me;
even me, even me,
let some drops now fall on me.
Pass me not, O God, my Father,
sinful though my heart may be;
thou mightst leave me, but the rather;
let thy mercy light on me;
even me, even me,
let thy mercy light on me.
Pass me not, O gracious Savior,
let me live and cling to thee;
I am longing for thy favor;
whilst thou’rt calling, O call me;
even me, even me,
whilst thou’rt calling, O call me.
Pass me not, O mighty Spirit!
thou canst make the blind to see;
Witnesser of Jesus’ merit,
speak the word of power to me;
even me, even me,
speak the word of power to me.
Have I been in sin long sleeping,
long been slighting, grieving thee?
Has the world my heart been keeping?
O forgive and rescue me;
Even me, even me,
O forgive and rescue me.
Love of God, so pure and changeless,
blood of Christ, so rich and free;
grace of God, so strong and boundless
magnify them all in me;
even me, even me,
magnify them all in me.
Pass me not; but pardon bringing,
bind my heart, O Lord, to thee;
whilst the streams of life are springing,
blessing others, O bless me;
even me, even me,
blessing others, O bless me.
– Elizabeth Codner –
1860