Friday, April 3, 2015

Sing and Be Happy

Sing and Be Happy

Though poor and needy, O Lord, oft am I,

Thou hearest my prayer when to Thee I cry.

Whene’er I am sad, Thou givest a song;

I’ll sing and be happy--to Thee I belong!

For who in the heaven unto Thee can compare?

Thy great faithfulness will I declare!

I have praised Thy Name from my earliest youth;

Teach me Thy way, and I’ll walk in Thy truth.

Though only a doorkeeper I am called to be,

Cheerful I’ll labor, dear Lord, for Thee.

To do Thy will is all my delight;

I pray unto Thee both day and night.

Blessed I’ll be if I make Thee my trust;

For all Thy ways are holy and just.

Of Thy mercies I’ll sing forever and ever;

For Thou, O Lord, will forsake me never!

Ps. 40:3,4,8,10,16; 42:3; 84:10; 86:1,3,11,12; 89:1,6

A Pool in the Wilderness

The Lord Everlasting,

The Creator of All,

Giveth strength to the weary,

And lifts them that fall.

Thy God is e’er with thee,

So be not dismayed;

He will uphold thee

When thou art afraid.

When the poor are athirst,

He maketh rivers to flow;

And fountains in valleys

On them He’ll bestow.

In wilderness dry

He placeth a pool

With well-springs of water,

Refreshing and cool.

Thou hast trusted the Lord

And walked in His ways;

May His water sustain thee

The rest of thy days!

Isaiah 40:28-31; 41:10,17,18

For Ilene Anderson, with love,

on her 69^th birthday, 12-04-96

An Exaltation to the Creator

An Exaltation to the Creator

A star lies upon the seaside,

Carried thither by the tide;

Foamy waters wax and wane;

No one can their course restrain.

Horizon borders azure sky;

Fleecy clouds drift on breezes high;

Turquoise waves caress the isle,

Warmed by sunlight’s golden smile.

List to the song the zephyrs bring--

The leaves are rustling--the needles sing!

Ocean and trees in harmony sweet

Worship their Maker in anthem complete.

May we, as nature, exalt Thee with praise;

Let us be joyful, all of our days;

’Til someday in heaven we gaze on that shore,

Where sorrows are ended--forevermore!

Written to our dear Aunt Lynn, May 20, 1996

Because He Loves Thee So

If the Lord would be thy Keeper, and would ever hold thy hand,

If God would guide thee safely o’er the rivers of this land,

If the flames wouldn’t kindle when the fire burneth bright,

If the darkest night before thee was changed to glorious light;

Wouldest thou turn to the Saviour, and love Him with all of thine heart?

For He is thy Holy Redeemer; thy name He hath known from the start.

He loved thee with love everlasting; thou wast precious in His sight;

For His glory His own were created by His power and His might.

If thou, being needy and poor, seekest water and findeth not any,

Fear not! God won’t forsake thee! His mercies are great; they are many!

He openeth fountains of water in valleys; from high places, rivers shall flow;

Dry land shall be barren no longer--living water springing up from below.

Thou art the land so thirsty; the water, His Word so sweet:

’Twill fill thee with His spirit, be the pathway for thy feet.

Be thou His humble servant; let Him lead in ways made straight;

Sing songs of praise and glory; for heavenly joys await!

The sun shall no more light thy day, nor shall the moon upon thee shine;

The Lord will be Light Everlasting; thy God shall be the glory thine!

The days of mourning shall be ended; eternal joy thy heart shall know;

He’ll keep thee in the Land forever: Just because He loves thee so!

Isaiah 41:17,18; 42:1,6,10,12,16; 43:1,2,4,7,11,15,19; 60:19,20; 61:7; 66:22

For Amy, with love

Gladness in My Heart

Thou hast put gladness

Down deep in my heart,

For I trust in a God

That shall never depart.

The light of Thy countenance

Hath shined upon me;

I will look up,

For I dwell safely in Thee.

In the morning, O Lord,

My voice shalt Thou hear;

In Thy temple I worship,

Ever glad Thou art near.

Lead me in righteousness;

Make my way straight;

For narrow the pathway

To that heavenly gate.

Let all those that trust Thee

Shout loudly for joy;

Sweet songs of the faithful

My lips shall employ!

Psalms 4 & 5

Heir of All Things

God spake by His prophets

In days long ago

His Word to His people,

That Truth they might know.

But now in these days

He speaks by His Son,

Chosen Heir of all things,

The Most Holy One.

Express Image of God,

He’s the Brightness of glory;

He purged all our sins;

Oh, tell the old story!

Now at the right hand

Of the Majesty above,

Better than angels,

This Jesus I love.

No angel hath

A more excellent Name;

For He is God’s Son--

In perfection He came.

For ever and ever

Shall be His throne;

A sceptre of righteousness

Is His alone.

The oil of gladness

Anointed His head;

The heavens and earth

His mighty hands spread.

Though they shall perish,

He shalt remain;

They shall wax old,

But He is the same.

Made lower than angels,

Suffering death for us all;

Bringing many to glory

Who were ruined by the fall.

He was made like His brethren,

Our comforter to be;

He was tempted and tested,

Like unto thee.

If we hold fast the confidence,

The hope, and the joy,

Then praises of glory

Our tongues will employ!

Hebrews 1 & 2

1997

His Omnipotence

The earth with rivers Thou didst cleave;

The mountains saw Thee, and believe;

The sun and moon stood very still;

’Til Thy glittering spear shewed them Thy will.

Thou uprootest the mountains with Thy hand;

Thou cuttest out rivers through the land;

Thou canst keep the floods from overflowing,

And halt the winds’ continuous blowing.

Thou cleavest the mountains from east to west,

Forming valleys of wonder at Thy bequest;

Half of the mount northward, half to the south--

Fountains spring forth at the words of Thy mouth!

Pools Thou makest on the wilderness plain;

The canyons drink water of heavenly rain;

O Lord, Thou art clothed with honour and glory,

And man cannot fathom so majestic a story!--

As a God whose power knoweth no measure--

The clouds, Thy chariot, go at Thy pleasure.

Thou walkest upon the wings of the wind;

O, Thy mighty omnipotence hath no end!

The earth is full of Thy works and riches;

The curtains of heaven are sewn with Thy stitches;

Thy glory, O Lord, shall forever endure,

For Thou art holy, and righteous and pure.

I will sing unto Thee as long as I live;

Praise and thanksgiving to Thee will I give!

With such wonderful blessings, how can I be sad?

In Thee will my heart rejoice and be glad!

To my mother, Hester Maurine Winings Swiney, on her 79th birthday, 10-31-96.

Habakkuk 3:9-11; Job 28:9-11; Zechariah 14:4; Micah 1:3,4;

Joel 3:17,18; Numbers 24:6,7; Deuteronomy 8:7; 11:11; Isaiah 41:18,20; Psalms 104

How I Love Him

Far over the earth, the heaven is high,

Yet the Lord hears me when to Him I cry.

He is my strength, He is my light;

His song shall be with me in the night.

’Though poor and needy, He thinketh of me;

I will rejoice when His mercy I see!

When my heart is troubled, He pleadeth my cause,

For I love His precepts, I delight in His laws!

’Though sometimes my weeping lasts all the night through,

Joy in the morning He giveth anew.

In the secret of His presence I have been hidden;

The device of the wicked my Lord hath forbidden.

I have found in the Lord the fountain of life,

And under His wings am I sheltered from strife;

I’ll be of good courage--He’ll forsake me never:

With all my heart will I love Him forever!

I Will Praise Thee

I praise Thee, O Lord, with all of my heart;

From all Thy precepts I’ll never depart.

I’ll be glad and rejoice, and sing praise to Thy Name;

Most High and Holy, Thou art ever the same.

All mine enemies shall perish and fall

At Thy glorious presence, O blest Lord of All.

For Thou hast maintained my cause and my right;

I trust, Lord, in Thee, in Thy power and might.

Thou destroyeth the wicked; their oppression shall cease;

I’ll seek Thee, Lord, for then I’ll have peace.

Thou settest Thy glory far over the skies;

Thou makest the sun in the morning to rise.

The moon and the stars Thou hast ordained;

Yet Thou carest for me with love unfeigned!

Down from the willows my harp I will take;

My mouth shall sing praises each morn when I wake!

Psalms 8, 9, & 137

To Esther, with much love

In Thy Presence

In Thy Presence

Preserve me, O God, for I trust in Thee;

Look down from heaven and hear my plea.

Let me walk uprightly, speaking truth in my heart;

From Thy counsel, Lord, may I never depart.

I’ve set Thee before me, and my heart is glad;

I will sing a new song, for I cannot be sad!

I shall not be moved; Thou art by my right hand;

In the path of life will I come to that Land.

Only in Thee shall I find my delight;

For wherever Thou art, there will be no night!

With a goodly heritage I have been blest;

In a garment of praise I shall be dressed!

I’ll abide in Thy tabernacle, dwell in Thy mountain;

For my robes have been washed in the pure, flowing fountain;

Then the things of earth shall never annoy--

For in Thy presence is fulness of joy!

Psalms 13, 14, 15, & 16; Isaiah 61:3; & Revelation 7:14

For Suzanne

Jesus Loves You

Jesus Loves You

As you journey this life with its toil and care,

May you always remember that God is there.

For blest thou shalt be if you walk in His ways,

And fear the Lord all thy days.

Thou shalt eat the labour of thine hand;

Happy you’ll be in this thy land.

In the Lord of the heavens put all thy trust;

You’ll not be ashamed, for He’s righteous and just.

A Rock and a Fortress thy God will be;

For His Name’s sake He will lead thee.

He’ll make His face upon thee to shine

When you call upon Him, Thy Redeemer Divine.

In the secret of His presence His own He shall hide;

O love ye the Lord--with Him abide.

Be of good courage and He’ll strengthen thy heart;

Hope in the Lord, for He’ll never depart!

So sing to the Lord a brand-new song;

For His Word is right; His works never wrong.

He’ll instruct and teach thee in all thou shalt do;

He’ll guide with His eye--for Jesus loves you!

Psalms 31, 32, 33, 128

Written for my daughter Hannah

With all my love

Saturday, September 11, 1993

Joy at the Morn

Joy at the Morn

In Thee, O Lord, do I put all my trust,

For Thy great mercies are faithful and just;

For Thou art my Rock and my High Tower,

And Thou art my Fortress, Thou art my Power.

For Thy Name’s sake leadest Thou me;

My spirit I commit unto Thee;

Though oft I be weary, and sighing with grief,

Thy marvellous kindness hath shewn me relief.

The times of my life are in Thy hand;

Deliver me from enemies in the land;

Upon Thy servant make Thy light shine;

Then will I extol Thy Name divine.

I’ll be of good courage; Thou hast strengthened my heart;

I’ll hope in the Lord, for my God Thou art.

By favour Thou makest my mountain stand strong;

Unto Thee I’ll give thanks, all the day long.

Thou liftest me up, that my foes can’t rejoice;

I will sing unto Thee with jubilant voice!

And though my weeping may endure for a night,

The Lord will send joy at the morn’s early light!

Psalms 30, 31, 144; Lamentations 3

With love to my daughter’s dear friend, Joy

--a lovely name for a lovely girl who brings just that--joy.

June 1994