These posts focus our hearts and minds on the One who is worthy

Open my eyes, that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes; illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my ears, that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear.
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears; illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Open my mouth, and let me bear
gladly the warm truth everywhere.
Open my heart, and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my heart; illumine me,
Spirit divine!

Clara Scott, 1895

Read Psalm 119:17-24

 

 

 

 

 

O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

O tell of his might and sing of his grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in you do we trust, nor find you to fail.
Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

O measureless Might, unchangeable Love,
whom angels delight to worship above!
Your ransomed creation, with glory ablaze,
in true adoration shall sing to your praise!

Robert Grant, 1833

 

Read Psalm 104:31-35

 

 

 

Trials dark on ev’ry hand,
and we cannot understand
All the ways that God would lead us
to that blessed Promised Land;
But He’ll guide us with His eye,
and we’ll follow till we die;
We will understand it better by and by.

Oft our cherished plans have failed,
disappointments have prevailed,
And we’ve wandered in the darkness,
heavyhearted and alone;
But we’re trusting in the Lord,
and according to His Word,
We will understand it better by and by.

Temptations, hidden snares
often take us unawares.
And our hearts are made to bleed
for some thoughtless word or deed.
And we wonder why the test
when we try to do our best,
We will understand it better by and by.

Chorus:
By and by, when the morning comes,
When the saints of God are gathered home,
We will tell the story how we’ve overcome;
We will understand it better by and by.

Charles A. Tindley, 1905

 

Read Job 23:8-14

 

 

 

 

 

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible, swift sword;
His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never sound retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
O be swift, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free,
While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave;
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave.
Our God is marching on.

Julia Ward Howe, 1862

 

Read Psalm 43

 

 

 

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,
That calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known!
In seasons of distress and grief
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.
Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
the joys I feel, the bliss I share
of those whose anxious spirits burn
with strong desires for your return!
With them I hasten to the place
where I would know my Savior’s face,
And gladly take my station there,
and wait for you, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,
Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness
Engage the waiting soul to bless;
And since He bids me seek His face,
Believe His word, and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my ev’ry care,
And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer.

Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer,
May I thy consolation share,
Till from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height
I view my home and take my flight:
This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise
To seize the everlasting prize,
And shout, while passing through the air,
“Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!”

William Walford, 1845

 

Read Psalm 27:1-5

 

 

 

 

(This one may not be as familiar as some of the others, but it’s hard not to find yourself in at least one of the lines.)

 

Hear the blessed Savior calling the oppressed,
“O ye heavy-laden, come to Me and rest;
Come, no longer tarry, I your load will bear,
Bring Me ev’ry burden, bring Me ev’ry care.”

Are you disappointed, wand’ring here and there,
Dragging chains of doubt and loaded down with care?
Do unholy feelings struggle in your breast?
Bring your case to Jesus—He will give you rest. [Chorus]

Stumbling on the mountains dark with sin and shame,
Stumbling tow’rd the pit of hell’s consuming flame,
By the pow’rs of sin deluded and oppressed,
Hear the tender Shepherd, – “Come to Me and rest.” [Chorus]

Have you cares of business, cares of pressing debt?
Cares of social life or cares of hope unmet?
Are you by remorse or sense of guilt depressed?
Come right on to Jesus, He will give you rest.

Have you by temptation often conquered been,
Has a sense of weakness brought distress within?
Christ will sanctify you, if you’ll claim His best;
In the Holy Spirit, He will give you rest. [Chorus]

Chorus:
Come unto Me;
I will give you rest;
Take My yoke upon you,
Hear Me and be blest;
I am meek and lowly,
Come and trust My might;
Come, My yoke is easy,
And My burden’s light.

Charles P. Jones, 1908

 

Read Matthew 11:28-30