LOVE WILL DO ITS BEST FOR US

Love will do its best for us -

Christ the Lord came near to serve,

Bore the judgment we deserve:

Love has stood the test for us -

Love will do its best for us.

Love will do its best for us -

Love has store of wealth and food,

Everything to do us good:

Thus will love invest for us -

Love will do its best for us

Love will do its best for us -

For the Spirit of our God,

In our hearts, spreads love abroad

As a heavenly guest for us:

Love will do its best for us.

Love will do its best for us -

In the Father’s house, through grace,

Jesus has prepared our place.

Love has made a rest for us:

Love will do its best for us.

BRIDEGROOM AND BRIDE

Behold the Bridegroom going forth in strength,

Grand as the sun. His rays of warmth and light

Charm and transform creation’s breadth and length

While He attract our hears with His delight.

Come see the Bride whom He sustains in life,

Having the glory of God which will abide.

She who on earth has been a faithful wife

Is worthy to be at her Bridegroom’s side.

PERFECTION

Perfection towards God - Jesus portrayed,

The root and fruit, obedience and praise;

Perfection towards man - He would amaze

Men by the wealth of blessing He displayed;

Perfection towards duties - so He made

Arrangements for His mother’s coming days;

Perfection towards Himself - He in His ways

Showed how a saint of God should be arrayed.

And all was evenness, as when a tree

In the best light, and ideal soil grows round,

Presenting the same look at every side;

But He was like this though the soil might be

Dry, and although men’s roughness might surround.

In God alone, in rest, He could confide.

THE SON OF GOD

After Christ’s pathway of perfection

In secret, in man’s situation,

His place as Son in God’s affection

Was marked by God’s annunciation.

Seeing Christ did not need to wrestle

To assert control in the creation

The twelve knew, as He joined their vessel,

The Son of God by observation.

And that was good - but saints would rather,

Knowing God’s joy in the relation,

Like Peter learn now from the Father

The Son of God by revelation.

Before Christ’s toil had its fruition

God gave in the transfiguration

The witness to His new position -

The Son of God in elevation.

WEALTH

When I was as impoverished as a beggar in a ditch

The Son of God came up to me, raised me, and made me rich;

He gave me treasures far surpassing all that I had lost

And told me in His grace that He Himself had borne the cost.

When I came to the Father, impecunious and distressed,

He welcomed me, He kissed me and He clothed me in the best;

He took away the filthy rags worn from the distant land

And gave me sandals for my feet, His ring to deck my hand.

The Holy Spirit has the wealth of heaven in His care

Available for all the saints who own Christ Lord to share;

He decorates and dignifies the features of the bride,

Then helps her grace the place that she will have at Jesus’ side.

Now unto God who made us rich, whose giving is immense,

There rises our responsive praise, our nard and frankincense;

To Him who is the source of all we gladly bow the knee

And willingly acknowledge “of Thine own we give to Thee”.

HYMN

(An imitation)

The Judge enthroned on high,

One God who made all things;

He is the Lord of kings,

The Judge enthroned on high.

Sweet in heaven’s citadel

He makes the light descend;

Beginning and the End

Sweet in heaven’s citadel.

All things make manifest

His power, with one accord;

The holy King our Lord

All things make manifest.

Man’s error turned and fled

When Christ the Healer came;

When Christ bore sin and shame

Man’s error turned and fled.

The Father’s chosen One

Has challenged death alone;

He is upon the throne

The Father’s chosen One.

The beaten serpent groans

And Christ is Lord of all;

While heaven’s beams enthrall

The beaten serpent groans.

Good folk in sweet repose

Enjoy their endless rest;

By those the Lord is blessed

Good folk in sweet repose.

Raising their faithful words

They voice their royal songs:

Behold the heavenly throngs

Raising their faithful words.

To Thee, majestic Lord,

With stately songs they sing;

Unceasing praise they bring

To Thee, majestic Lord!

(Derived from a hymn from before 800 A.D.)

GRACE

When I was battered on a rugged shore

Grace took the oars, braved waves, and rescued me;

Grace had prepared both light and warmth before

My chartless ventures on the sullen sea.

I drew my burnt hand from the savage flame

Since grace had given me my sense of pain;

Grace salved my wounded hand, grace took the blame,

Grace held me back lest I should burn again.

Grace was the policeman who arrested me,

The coastguard who observed my zigzag course,

The fireman who has rushed to cut me free,

The surgeon who exposed my gangrene’s source.

And grace has served me that I might be shown

The throne of grace, with grace upon the throne.

JEDUTHUN

God heard amid His fresh creation

His angels’ shouts of celebration.

He had in His premeditation

A greater cause of celebration.

When Christ brought in illumination

That gave God cause for celebration.

Because of reconciliation

God bids us join His celebration.

Christ in His place of elevation

Is centre of God’s celebration.

Christ’s men by grace and derivation

Will cause eternal celebration.

HIS COMING

He did not come with troops, with flags unfurled

And burnished swords; He came to heal the lame,

The blind and poor; and to make known God’s Name;

And show God’s love. If Jewish lips were curled

Disdainfully, and jibes or stones were hurled,

He did not act as Judge. He was the Same:

Rightly could the Samaritans exclaim,

“This is indeed the Saviour of the world!”

He came to Greek, Jew or Samaritan

In grace and vigour, as the Son of Man;

He showed, in shedding love and power abroad,

The dignity which marks the Son of God;

While heaven - before His public work begun

Parted to acclaim Him, God’s beloved Son.

THRONE

The Lord God will give Him the throne

Of David His father;

To reign in the midst of His own,

The saints He shall gather.

The earth shall acknowledge His right

And all things will flourish;

His sway will be grace to give light,

To comfort and nourish.

The hills will be covered with corn

And no perturbation

Will menace His close, reborn

And Spirit-filled nation.

GIVER

He gave Himself to ransom me,

He gave His life that I might live,

He gave in grace that I might see,

He is a Man who loves to give.

He gave me life, He gave me light,

He gave me righteousness and peace;

He gave me grace and power and sight:

He gives me joys that will not cease.

He gave His Spirit from above,

He gave adornment to His bride:

He gave me love - He gives her love

And gives a place at His own side.

He loves to give, He loves to bless,

His grace flows towards me like a river;

My heart goes out in thankfulness

That through His gifts I learn the Giver.

THE MAN

I love the Man who died for me

Not only for that death

But for a love of such degree

Which gives me life and breath.

ANSWERS

I need redemption - where can it be found?

“Through His own blood”: there is no other ground.

I need forgiveness - and I can be led

To know it since the Saviour’s blood was shed.

I need peace here, where sins and conscience toss;

God made peace through the blood of Jesus’ cross.

And reconciliation is required -

God reconciled me since His Son expired.

I wish that sin and flesh in me had died -

It is with Christ that I am crucified.

COMPANIONSHIP

We thank Thee, Lord, for weary days 
When desert springs were dry. 
And first we knew what depth of need 
Thy love could satisfy. 

Days when beneath the desert sun, 
Along the toilsome road. 
O'er roughest ways we walked with One, 
That One the Son of God. 

We thank Thee for that rest in Him 
The weary only know — 
The perfect, wondrous sympathy 
We needs must learn below : 

The sweet companionship of One 
Who once the desert trod ; 
The glorious fellowship with One 
Upon the throne of God ; 

The joy no desolations here 
Can reach, or cloud, or dim — 
The present Lord, the living God, 
And we alone with Him. 

We know Him as we could not know 
Through Heaven's golden years ; 
We there shall see His glorious Face, 
But Mary saw His tears. 

The touch that heals the broken heart 
Is never felt above ; 
His Angels know His blessedness, 
His way-worn saints His love. 

When in the glory and the rest 
We joyfully adore. 
Remembering the desert way 
We yet shall praise Him more. 

Remembering how, amidst our toil, 
Our conflict, and our sin. 
He brought the water for our thirst 
It cost His blood to win. 

And now in perfect peace we go 
Along the way He trod, 
Still learning from all need below 
Depths of the heart of God.

By Frances Bevan (1827-1909) 

BOW THE KNEE

One who always has existed

And will always be

Took His lowly place in manhood:

Bow the knee!

Seeing Christ who suffered for us

That we might be free

To enjoy God’s love and favour

Bow the knee!

As you read the Holy Scriptures

And rejoice to see

Christ as Helper of the needy

Bow the knee!

Knowing Jesus, caring for us,

Raised us up that we

Might have part in praise and worship

Bow the knee!

CARE

He held me in His strong embrace

Displaying His unbounded grace -

How much the Father cares for me!

Although I had been so remiss

He welcomed me with many a kiss -

How much the Father cares for me!

He did not question me, or probe,

But clothed me in His finest robe -

How much the Father cares for me!

Love more than I can understand

Put a gold ring upon my hand -

How much the Father cares for me!

So that my comfort was complete

He gave me sandals for my feet -

How much the Father cares for me!

He did all this on my behalf:

And then He shared the fatted calf -

How much the Father cares for me!

SAINTS

Not only cherubim

Whose robes are bright

Will be

For Thee

But saints in light

With Christ, conformed to Him.

OUT OF THE DEPTHS

"O Father! not my will, but Thine be done!"

Thus with my lips I say;

Yet lags the heart, the while the lips would run—

My heart, it sayeth "Nay."

 

"Be comforted, O child of My delight,

Though yet thy heart complain;

For I would have thee suffer when I smite,

Or pain would not be pain.

 

"Were it a chastening if it were not grief?

Yet for a moment tears—

Then glows the spring where fell the yellow leaf,

Of Heaven's eternal years.

2 Cor 4: 17

"For sorrow is the sorrow of an hour,

And is eternal love;

The dusky bud enfolds the glorious flower

For God's delight above."

 

O Lord, whose lips are lilies, sweet to me

As psaltery and as psalm,

Thy blessed words of glory that shall be,

Of song, and crown, and palm.

 

Yet sweeter even now to see Thy Face,

To find Thee now my rest—

My sorrow comforted in Thine embrace,

And soothed upon Thy breast.

By Henry Suso (died 1366)

TO ROSIE

It is your uniqueness

That I love; that confluence

Of goodness and grace, a blending

Of savours. There is no point

In analysis - knowing its chemicals

Does not enhance a meal - but let me

Relish what is distinctly

You.

How does someone cope with

The heap of detritus, the jumble

Of a person? What will be retrieved

From the pile that is known as

Me?

I often repeat

“To know Him and the power

Of His resurrection” - yet I am aware

That this could be a mantra

With little moral effect. If I

Could know what is distinctly

Him!

(Posted for her birthday - though written years ago.)

PRAYER FOR MY DAUGHTER

Since her frail coracle is set
Upon a swelling watercourse
When tumbling waves and tides have met
Guide her against their evil force!

Give strength and aid to us who try,
From our own fragile crafts, to keep
Her course from rugged rocks which lie
Threatening to hurl her in the deep.

And bring her safely home at last,
Secure eternally from harm,
Where no seas swell and no winds blast
Within the haven of Thine arm.

(Written when I had only one - so that's about 30 years ago.)

THE HERD OF HEAVEN

He held me, through the nights and through the days;

He led me, through the arches of the years;

He kept me, through the labyrinthine way

Of my own mind: and through the mists of tears

He showed Himself, or spoke through rolling thunder.

Up vistaed hopes I sped;

Or stood, undeviated,

Despite Titanic glooms of chasmed fears

Since these strong hands still carried, carried under.

For with unwearying care,

Unyielding love to bear,

Deliberate grace, majestically construed

They cared, and a Voice spoke

Till answering love awoke,

“To those who love Me, all things work for good”.


(This a parody of a section of The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thomson.)

GOSPEL

This is God’s beloved Son,

Hear Him;

God gave judgment to this One,

Fear Him;

Knowing all that He has done

And the triumph He has won

Sinner, seeking mercy, run

Near Him!

Be a sinner saved by grace

Through Him;

In your life give Him the space

Due Him;

He is ready for your case -

Mustered to a heavenly race

There upon the highest place

View Him!

THE WORK OF GOD

The work of God within a Christian soul

Exemplifies that He does all things well:

He forms without defect, and sets it whole

On His high places like a lithe gazelle.

And it is like a tree which once mature

Remains mature but does not cease to grow;

Its roots in love are gradually more sure

While boughs and branches sprout from strength below.

While is like a stone which will not shake

Since it is founded upon Christ, the Rock;

A living stone which vitally will take

Part in a structure Satan cannot shock.

Till in the glorious everlasting day

Christ formed in saints is what God will display.