Song's In The Night - This Lord's Day ...

"God, my Maker, who giveth songs in the night."

-- Job 35:10

“Any man can sing in the day. When the cup is full, man draws inspiration from it. When wealth rolls in abundance around him, any man can praise the God who gives a plenteous harvest or sends home a loaded argosy. It is easy enough for an Aeolian harp to whisper music when the winds blow-the difficulty is for music to swell forth when no wind is stirring. It is easy to sing when we can read the notes by daylight; but he is skilful who sings when there is not a ray of light to read by-who sings from his heart. No man can make a song in the night of himself; he may attempt it, but he will find that a song in the night must be divinely inspired. Let all things go well, I can weave songs, fashioning them wherever I go out of the flowers that grow upon my path; but put me in a desert, where no green thing grows, and wherewith shall I frame a hymn of praise to God? How shall a mortal man make a crown for the Lord where no jewels are? Let but this voice be clear, and this body full of health, and I can sing God's praise: silence my tongue, lay me upon the bed of languishing, and how shall I then chant God's high praises, unless he himself give me the song? No, it is not in man's power to sing when all is adverse, unless an altar-coal shall touch his lip. It was a divine song, which Habakkuk sang, when in the night he said, "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Then, since our Maker gives songs in the night, let us wait upon him for the music. O thou chief musician, let us not remain songless because affliction is upon us, but tune thou our lips to the melody of thanksgiving.” ~~ CH Spurgeon

Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us

Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us,

Over the world’s tempestuous sea;

Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,

For we have no help but thee;

Yet possessing every blessing,

If our God our Father be.

Saviour, breathe forgiveness over us,

All our weakness Thou dost know;

Thou didst tread this earth before us,

Thou didst feel its keenest woe;

Lone and dreary, faint and weary,

Through the desert thou didst go.

Spirit of our God descended;

Fill our hearts with heavenly joy;

Love with every passion blending;

Pleasure that can never cloy;

Thus provided, pardoned, guided,

Nothing can our peace destroy,

By James Edmeston -- 1791-1867

Father to Thy holy keeping

Humbly we ourselves resign;

Saviour who has kept our sleeping,

Make our workdays real as thine.

Blessed Spirit, living in us,

Chase the darkness of our night.

Till the perfect Day before us,

Breaks in everlasting Light.

By Henry Edward Bickersteth -- 1825-1906

Have a Blessed Day in the Lord!

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