Post by GUEST on Feb 9, 2004 13:01:22 GMT -5
"What grace, O LORD, and beauty shone
Around Thy steps below!
What patient love was seen in all
Thy life and death of woe!
For ever on Thy burdened heart
A weight of sorrow hung;
Yet no ungentle murmuring word
Escaped Thy silent tongue.
Thy foes might hate, despise, revile,
Thy friends unfaithful prove;
Unwearied in forgiveness still,
Thy heart could only love."
FATHER, teach us to love them. Surely we do, but help us to understand "love" always in the context of your truth; let us not offend You by being more afraid to offend men that are walking in error.
Are we unloving? Or are we contending?
Are we hateful? Should not we hate the unfruitful works of darkness, are we not to hate even the garments spotted by the flesh?
Are we deceitful? Did not your enemies think you deceitful?
Are we liars? Perhaps to one that only sees truth through false values.
Are we proud? Or confident in YOU?
Are we arrogant? Or are we committed to obeying YOU and going where You want us to go, and saying what You want us to say?
Does our conscience condemn us?
Did you not tell us to rejoice and be exceeding glad when men despise us and revile us and say all manner of evil against us falsely? LORD, it is hard to have glad feelings when my heart is breaking with the pain of being cast out. And LORD, shall not our joy be seen as pride in the eyes of them of whom we have so lately been marked? But SAVIOUR, is it not for YOUR sake?
Is it not for YOUR sake that we suffer the taunts?
Is it not for YOUR sake that we suffer the hate?
Is it not for YOUR sake that we suffer the misunderstanding?
Is it not for YOUR sake that we suffer the twisting of our words?
JESUS, we will all of us one day stand before your holy judgment chair and we will face you alone on that day. On that day we will not have those that merely "agree" with us standing with us. We will not have those that convince us that we are right and everyone else is wrong standing with us on that day. We will not have those that teach doctrines contrary to the Word of GOD on that day. We will be there alone to answer to You and You alone.
Will you ask on that day, "Did you listen to and obey them and their word . . . or Me and My Word?" And will our answer be the right one?
Will you ask, "Did you seek to please Me? . . . or men?"
Will you ask, "Did you deny me?"
LORD, I know I'm rambling on - and perhaps this belongs in my closet, but sometimes I see this place as my special closet. I know that sometimes we say the wrong things. We mean well but we speak wrong. We hold a precious treasure in earthen vessels - and sometimes the moment gets the best of us and we try to say the best things, but not in the best ways.
LORD, did it hurt You to be called a liar?
I hurts me.
"What grace, O LORD, and beauty shone
Around Thy steps below!
What patient love was seen in all
Thy life and death of woe!
For ever on Thy burdened heart
A weight of sorrow hung;
Yet no ungentle murmuring word
Escaped Thy silent tongue.
Thy foes might hate, despise, revile,
Thy friends unfaithful prove;
Unwearied in forgiveness still,
Thy heart could only love."
Around Thy steps below!
What patient love was seen in all
Thy life and death of woe!
For ever on Thy burdened heart
A weight of sorrow hung;
Yet no ungentle murmuring word
Escaped Thy silent tongue.
Thy foes might hate, despise, revile,
Thy friends unfaithful prove;
Unwearied in forgiveness still,
Thy heart could only love."
FATHER, teach us to love them. Surely we do, but help us to understand "love" always in the context of your truth; let us not offend You by being more afraid to offend men that are walking in error.
Are we unloving? Or are we contending?
Are we hateful? Should not we hate the unfruitful works of darkness, are we not to hate even the garments spotted by the flesh?
Are we deceitful? Did not your enemies think you deceitful?
Are we liars? Perhaps to one that only sees truth through false values.
Are we proud? Or confident in YOU?
Are we arrogant? Or are we committed to obeying YOU and going where You want us to go, and saying what You want us to say?
Does our conscience condemn us?
Did you not tell us to rejoice and be exceeding glad when men despise us and revile us and say all manner of evil against us falsely? LORD, it is hard to have glad feelings when my heart is breaking with the pain of being cast out. And LORD, shall not our joy be seen as pride in the eyes of them of whom we have so lately been marked? But SAVIOUR, is it not for YOUR sake?
Is it not for YOUR sake that we suffer the taunts?
Is it not for YOUR sake that we suffer the hate?
Is it not for YOUR sake that we suffer the misunderstanding?
Is it not for YOUR sake that we suffer the twisting of our words?
JESUS, we will all of us one day stand before your holy judgment chair and we will face you alone on that day. On that day we will not have those that merely "agree" with us standing with us. We will not have those that convince us that we are right and everyone else is wrong standing with us on that day. We will not have those that teach doctrines contrary to the Word of GOD on that day. We will be there alone to answer to You and You alone.
Will you ask on that day, "Did you listen to and obey them and their word . . . or Me and My Word?" And will our answer be the right one?
Will you ask, "Did you seek to please Me? . . . or men?"
Will you ask, "Did you deny me?"
LORD, I know I'm rambling on - and perhaps this belongs in my closet, but sometimes I see this place as my special closet. I know that sometimes we say the wrong things. We mean well but we speak wrong. We hold a precious treasure in earthen vessels - and sometimes the moment gets the best of us and we try to say the best things, but not in the best ways.
LORD, did it hurt You to be called a liar?
I hurts me.
"What grace, O LORD, and beauty shone
Around Thy steps below!
What patient love was seen in all
Thy life and death of woe!
For ever on Thy burdened heart
A weight of sorrow hung;
Yet no ungentle murmuring word
Escaped Thy silent tongue.
Thy foes might hate, despise, revile,
Thy friends unfaithful prove;
Unwearied in forgiveness still,
Thy heart could only love."
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