See the shining dewdrops,
On the flowers strewed,
Proving as they sparkle,
“God is ever good.”
Hear the mountain streamlet,
In its solitude,
With its ripple saying,
“God is ever good.”
In the leafy treetops,
Where no fears intrude,
Merry birds are singing,
“God is ever good.”
Bring, my heart, thy tribute,
Songs of gratitude,
All things join to tell us,
“God is ever good,
God is ever good.”
author unknown
O blessèd home where man and wife
Together lead a godly life
By deeds their faith confessing!
There many a happy day is spent,
There Jesus gladly will consent
To tarry with His blessing.
If they have given Him their heart,
The place of honor set apart
For Him each night and morrow,
Then He the storms of life will calm,
Will bring for every wound a balm,
And change to joy their sorrow.
And if their home be dark and drear,
The cruse be empty, hunger near,
All hope within them dying,
Let them despair not in distress;
Lo, Christ is there the bread to bless,
The fragments multiplying.
O Lord, we come before Thy face;
In every home bestow Thy grace
On children, father, mother,
Relieve their wants, their burdens ease,
Let them together dwell in peace
And love to one another.
Words: Magnus B. Landstad, 1861; translated from Norwegian to English by Ole T. Arneson, 1908
Dwell in me, O blessèd Spirit,
How I need Thy help divine!
In the way of life eternal,
Keep, oh, keep this heart of mine.
Refrain
Dwell in me, oh, dwell in me;
Hear and grant my prayer to Thee;
Spirit, now from Heav’n descending,
Come, oh, come and dwell in me.
Let me feel Thy sacred presence;
Then my faith will ne’er decline;
Comfort Thou and help me onward,
Fill with love this heart of mine.
Refrain
Round the cross where Thou hast led me,
Let my purest feelings twine;
With the blood from sin that cleansed me,
Seal anew this heart of mine.
Refrain
Dwell in me, O blessèd Spirit,
Gracious Teacher, Friend divine,
For the home of bliss that waits me
O prepare this heart of mine.
Refrain
Words: Fanny Crosby (1820-1915)
Spirit divine, attend our prayer,
And make our heart Thy home;
Descend with all Thy gracious power;
Come, Holy Spirit, come.
Come as the light! to us reveal
The truth we long to know;
Reveal the narrow path of right,
The way of duty show.
Come as the fire and purge our hearts
Like sacrificial flame,
Till our whole souls an offering be
In love’s redeeming name.
Come as the dew, and sweetly bless
This consecrated hour;
May barrenness rejoice to own
Thy fertilizing power.
Come as the dove, and spread Thy wings,
The wings of peaceful love;
And let Thy Church on earth become
Blest as Thy Church above.
Come as the wind, O Breath of God!
O Pentecostal grace!
Come, make Thy great salvation known,
Wide as the human race.
Spirit divine, attend our prayer;
Make a lost world Thy home;
Descend with all thy gracious powers,
O come, great Spirit, come.
Words: Andrew Reed, June 1829
My heart goes out to the people of Poland this morning who have lost so many of their leaders in this gruesome tragedy. May God’s Spirit comfort them in their loss and may their hearts turn to God for comfort and peace.
Refrain
All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s Name comest,
The King and Blessèd One.
Refrain
The company of angels
Are praising Thee on High,
And mortal men and all things
Created make reply.
Refrain
The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went;
Our prayer and praise and anthems
Before Thee we present.
Refrain
To Thee, before Thy passion,
They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise.
Refrain
Thou didst accept their praises;
Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious King.
Refrain
Words: Theodulph of Orleans, circa 820 (Gloria, laus, et honor) translated from Latin to English by John M. Neale, 1851
The glory of the spring how sweet!
The new-born life how glad!
What joy the happy earth to greet
In new, bright raiment clad!
Divine Redeemer, Thee I bless;
I greet Thy going forth;
I love Thee in the loveliness
Of Thy renewèd earth.
But O these wonders of Thy grace,
These nobler works of Thine,
These marvels sweeter far to trace,
These new births more divine:
This new-born glow of faith so strong,
This bloom of love so fair,
This new-born ecstasy of song,
And fragrancy of prayer!
Creator Spirit, work in me
These wonders sweet of Thine;
Divine Redeemer, graciously
Renew this heart of mine.
Still let new life and strength upspring,
Still let new joy be given;
And grant the glad new song to ring
Through the new earth and Heaven.
Words: Thomas H. Gill, 1867
Thy Word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;
And every one who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there.
Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and rare
Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there.
Thy Word is like a starry host: a thousand rays of light
Are seen to guide the traveler and make his pathway bright.
Thy Word is like an armory, where soldiers may repair;
And find, for life’s long battle day, all needful weapons there.
O may I love Thy precious Word, may I explore the mine,
May I its fragrant flowers glean, may light upon me shine!
O may I find my armor there! Thy Word my trusty sword,
I’ll learn to fight with every foe the battle of the Lord.
Words: Edwin Holder (1837-1904)
Lenten Rose
Lord, who throughout these forty days
For us didst fast and pray,
Teach us with Thee to mourn our sins
And close by Thee to stay.
As Thou with Satan didst contend,
And didst the victory win,
O give us strength in Thee to fight,
In Thee to conquer sin.
As Thou didst hunger bear, and thirst,
So teach us, gracious Lord,
To die to self, and chiefly live
By Thy most holy Word.
And through these days of penitence,
And through Thy passiontide,
Yea, evermore in life and death,
Jesus, with us abide.
Abide with us, that so, this life
Of suffering over past,
An Easter of unending joy
We may attain at last.
Words: Claudia F. Hernaman, Child’s Book of Praise; A Manual of Devotion in Simple Verse, 1873.
John 14: 1-6 ~ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. Thomas said to him, Lord we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus answererd, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
O Christ, who hast prepared a place
For us around Thy throne of grace,
We pray Thee, lift our hearts above,
And draw them with the cords of love.
Source of all good, Thou, gracious Lord,
Art our exceeding great reward;
How transient is our present pain,
How boundless our eternal gain!
With open face and joyful heart,
We then shall see Thee as Thou art:
Our love shall never cease to glow,
Our praise shall never cease to flow.
Thy never-failing grace to prove,
A surety of Thine endless love,
Send down Thy Holy Ghost, to be
The raiser of our souls to Thee.
Words: Jean B. de Santeüil, in the Paris Breviary, 1686, p. 503 (Nobis, Olympo redditus); translated from Latin to English by John Chandler, Hymns of the Primitive Church, 1837, p. 86.
ht: cyberhymnal
Lord, whom winds and waves obey,
Guide us through the watery way;
In the hollow of Thy hand
Hide, and bring us safe to land.
Jesus, let our faithful mind
Rest, on Thee alone reclined;
Every anxious thought repress,
Keep our souls in perfect peace.
Keep the souls whom now we leave,
Bid them to each other cleave;
Bid them walk on life’s rough sea;
Bid them come by faith to Thee.
Save, till all these tempests end,
All who on Thy love depend;
Waft our happy spirits o’er;
Land us on the heavenly shore.
Words: Charles Wesley, 1782.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 