241 Time to Listen

19.9.1989 (Heb. 4:7)

Today if you will hear His voice,

            harden not you heart.

Today if He will speak with you,

            listen don’t depart.

Don’t let a heart of unbelief

            or deceit of sin

Keep you from entering His rest;

            Keep you from coming in.

There’s so much He would say this day

            to ears that are attuned;

To hearts, which softened by His love,

            are eager to commune.

Today come listen to His voice,

            for what He has this day.

Don’t live on the past, but come

            to listen and obey.

240 One and Only

15.9.1989

Always You go on before.

Always opening the doors.

Always pointing out the way.

Always with Your presence stay.

Only You know what’s the best.

Only in You is there rest.

Only Your will, that’s my choice

Only always I’ll rejoice.

239 The Wall of Truth

4.9.1989 (from Edith Schaeffer’s talk) III (from Nehemiah)

The wall of truth is broken down;

  the stones lay scattered in the dust.

All those who come to build it up

  are met with mocking and mistrust.

They pray, ‘O God, we are despised,’

  then with a mind to work, they build.

They shake the dust off of the stones

   and work until the gaps are filled.

Their enemies conspire now,

  determined they will hinder them.

They pray again and set a watch

  to; day and night, look out for them.

But when they hear the lies enough

  that they’re failing and it’s no use,

Discouragement exposes them

  To all their enemy’s abuse.

But told again, ‘Remember Him,

  Be not afraid and fight the war,’   

238 Two Trees

2.9. 1989. (from Edith Schaeffer's talk) II

To me they are as parallels

  which never can connect;

Lines that run forever straight 

  and will not intersect.

To You, though, they are two tall trees

  which grew up side by side,

And branches up where I can’t see

  all touch and coincide.

Those trees are choice and sovereignty;

  in harmony they grow.

When praying I can’t straddle them

  and touch them toe-to-toe

Rather, first I put my feet

  on one and look to You,

Then go stand on the other one

  and ask what I must do.

237. Solid Wood

1.9. 1989. (from Edith Schaeffer's talk)

Lord, make me be of solid wood
  of oak, or even pine,
That all throughout I'm all the same,
  not just veneer that shines,
So if I'm sliced, what is exposed
  will be the same strong wood,
And if cut down, that which remains
  can be used for some good.

236. Revolving Door of Worry

30.8.1989.

It bothers me that I'm bothered,
  and unable to rest.
Why can't I put it down and leave
  this burden that's a test.
I pick it up, and put it down,
  and pick it up again.
My mind thinks up solutions and
  the freedom I'd have then.

The problem is I put it down
  then stand and stare at it.
That only agitates my heart,
  it doesn't quiet it.
I tell Him how I'm bothered and
  He asks me what's the fuss.
I see the burden in His hand...
  it looks like so much dust.

235. Longing for Solitude

27.8.1989.

I sighed and longed for solitude;
   for time to be alone.
I yearned for time to think and pray;
   for quietness I'd known.
I snatched some moments here and there,
   but they were not enough.
Yet in my longing for more time
   I heard Your soft rebuff.

Somewhere amidst my longing
   I slipped to selfishness;
And when I had the chance to serve
   there was unwillingness.
You showed me that those things that make
   one sigh for solitude
Can be used for a greater good
   to mold my attitude.

Those times are chances to deny;
   be freed from more of self.
The longings in themselves are good,
   but I was full of self.
I revel in the times You give
   to be alone with You.
When it's not there I'll not protest,
but rest in what You'll do.

234. Filled to Overflowing

21.8.1989. Plomin

I caught myself envisioning
   how my life could be full.
I pictured myself somewhere else,
   with some different people.
But then I realized how wrong
   my thinking had become.
My Lord will fill me where I am;
   that thought was so welcome.

From fullness it's a joy to give;
   to love a natural thing
A life that's full will overflow
   without inward wrestling.
You fill me here right in this place,
   and in this circumstance.
My needs are met in You alone;
   my heart now wants to dance.

233. His Hand At Work

19.8.1989.

All that Thy hand has done in us
   to bring us to this place
I've prayed that more would be with us
   to join us in the race.
But, oh the love that Thou hast shown,
   and, oh the wonders seen,
The disappointment can't remain
   when drenched in loving streams.

Thy hand has not failed even once
   to do all of Thy will,
So I will watch Thy hand at work
   and praise Thy loving skill.
Thy plan will not be limited
   though there are few of them
One day there will be multitudes
   all praising Thee. Amen.

232. Grace Sufficient

18.8.1989. (Heb 13:20-21) Plomin

Every grace that I may need
   to fully do His will
He promised He will give to me;
   equip me further still,
Producing in me all those things
   which will truly please,
And work in me through Jesus Christ,
   to Whom all glory be.

My God of peace, my Shepherd great,
   how much I need that grace.
My heart is calmed to hear the words
   You've promised every place
That You'll provide all I may need;
   I'm feeling needy now.
I pray Your grace for every hour
   to meet what You allow.

231. Broken Chains

14. 8. 1989.

I look down at the chains that bound
   all broken at my feet;
Their power lost, heaped on the ground;
   the liberation's sweet.
I'd opened up a foothold and
   the enemy had wound
His chains around my feet, my hands,
   and pulled me down and down.

No more a prisoner, I'm free!
My soul shouts of His victory.

I step out of the heap of chains
   and kneel before my King.
My Sovereign is the One Who reigns;
   He's Lord of everything.
He pointed out the chains that bound,
   and by His power they fell.
In Him is where my victory's found;
   He breaks the power of hell.

No more a prisoner, I'm free!
My soul shouts of His victory.

230. Into The Depths

8.8.1989.

We say that night is approaching
when we cannot see clear.
The darkness hides the face of things,
sometimes enhances fear.
In Thee there's much I cannot see
but not because of night.
It's not the dark that's hiding Thee;
no cause in Thee for fright.

A deep but a dazzling darkness
conceals the depths of Thee,
Though full of a blinding brightness
if eyes could only see.
I long to plumb the depths of those
dark places not in view,
To see Thee where Thou dost expose
Thyself, and be made new.

229. Through the Wilderness

The Country we are hastening toward
will have no desert place;
No wilderness to get across,
no dryness to be faced.
Only here we have the chance
to drink of His cool streams.
As He leads through a wilderness
that for our best He deems.

We also have the chance to show
some others where to drink
That they may be refreshed as well
]and not from deserts shrink.
He gives the opportunities -
may we not miss the chance.
In His Land there will be no thirst,
just richness of expanse.

228. Offering Transformed

8.8.1989.

I offer a distracted mind,
a lukewarm heart and wandering eyes.
How can You take this offering
and listen to pathetic cries?
And yet in Your wondrous mercy,
and with a Father's loving smile,
You take all that I offer up;
Your thoughts of love flow all the while.

Lord, take my mind and capture it,
and make my heart burn white with flame;
Fix my eyes full on Your face
and there to steadfastly remain.
I praise You for Your loving smile
that always makes me glad I came.
I'm grateful for Your Father's heart
which doesn't let me stay the same.

227. Restlessness Banished

I'm restless.  What's the reason?
I'm lonely. What's the source?
Why can't my thoughts stay on one thing...
They're on some random course.
This general sense of vagueness
and feelings undefined
Begin to look familiar now;
I recognize the signs.

Begone from me, I tell him,
that liar and the thief.
I stand in my authority
and there I find relief.
The restlessness has vanished;
His presence makes me full.
My thoughts are captured by one thing -
my Lord who's wonderful.

Treasure of Complete Surrender 226.

29.7.1989.

A great contentment, perfect peace,
follow abandonment;
Surrendering without reserve,
regret or resentment.
A growing depth of knowledge leads
to growing depth of trust,
Bu knowledge of His father's heart,
not just what books discussed.

A laying down of rights, and a
heart of full acceptance.
A purity of life, and a
will of total deference,
He takes as fragrant offering
and to that life reveals
The depths a heart will never know
until it wholly yields.

Unbroken Practice of Presence 225.

28.7.1989.

By steadfast gaze on You alone
my soul begins to know
And see unclouded who You are;
from this my worship flows.
No difference does it make that I
have lists of things to do,
My day can be unceasing praise;
unbroken time with You.

The task at hand - no matter what -
can be an act of praise;
One long unbroken practice of
Your presence and Your ways.
How glorious the little things
can be when done for You.
How light become the bigger things
when gazing just at You.

A Stormy Trial 224.

24.7.1989.

Job 37

The sky is dark and clouded;
the sun is blocked from view.
No light is seen but flashed from clouds;
all life's a grayish hue.
Life seems devoid of all color
amidst the dismal storm.
It's hard to think what it was like
to be at peace and warm.

A north wind comes in a fury,
how can this storm get worse?
What else will come descending next;
when will this all reverse?
The wind, though cold and icy
begins to clear the sky.
It blows until the light breaks through
all golden to the eye.

It was He who brought the north wind,
that's clear now in the light.
He also caused the storm to blow,
and made the day as night.
From weathering comes strengthening,
and roots go deep in storms.
His works are awesome all around;
His love takes many forms.

The Ear and the Tongue of the Disciple 223.

21.7.1989.

(Isaiah 50:4-7)

He awakens me morning by morning;
He awakens my ear to hear.
Speak Lord, Your servant will listen;
speak to my heart soft and clear.

He has opened my ears I will listen.
Oh, may I never disobey,
But ever attentively listen
to all that He has to say.

He gives me the tongue of disciples
that I may know how to sustain
With a word, to lift the weary;
with His words to soothe the pain.

The Lord God, He's the One who will help me
therefore, I am never disgraced.
I have also set my face like flint;
never with regrets am I faced.

Lies and Truth 222.

19.7.1989.

(Psalm 119:128,163)

Do I hate all falseness;
abhor a lying tongue;
Do I give a sense of truth
as getting a right sum?

In my head I hate it,
but words come from the heart.
Lies still come so easily
from falseness in my heart.

Lord, You can take the crooked
and by Your hand it's straight;
Touch this crooked soul of mine,
for falseness give me hate.

I pray a growing horror
for everything untrue,
And a growing love of truth
would come to me from You.