Sunday, June 22, 2025
Thought for the day
with people who hate peace.
7 I’m for peace,
but when I speak, they are for war.
Ps 120:6–7 (CEB)
Wonderful Peace (hymn)
1 Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight,
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial like strains it unceasingly falls
O'er my soul like an infinite calm.
Chorus:
Peace! peace! wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above;
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
In fathomless billows of love.
2 What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in my innermost soul;
So secure that no power can mine it away,
While the years of eternity roll! [Chorus]
3 I am resting to-night in this wonderful peace,
Resting sweetly in Jesus' control;
I am kept from all danger by night and by day,
And his glory is flooding my soul. [Chorus]
4 I believe when I rise to that city of peace,
Where the Author of peace I shall see,
That one strain of the song which the ransomed will sing,
In that heavenly kingdom will be, [Chorus]
5 Weary soul, without gladness or comfort or rest,
Passing down the rough pathway of time!
Make the Saviour your friend ere the shadows grow dark;
O accept of this peace so sublime. [Chorus]
W. D. Cornell
Hymns for the Family of God
Saturday, June 21, 2025
Psalm 83 (paraphrased)
I am so depressed tonight, O God.
I feel as if I am the sole target of an enemy barrage —that all the demons of hell are bent upon damning my soul for eternity.
I remember Your precious promises, but I do not witness their fulfillment.
I talk to people about Your love, and they drown my zeal with scorn.
I step forth to carry out Your will, but I feel no sense of accomplishment.
I mouth words, wave my arms, and beat the air with fruitless endeavor.
Then I fall like a wounded warrior, bone-weary, defeated, and lonely.
And I wonder if You are truly my God, and if I am really Your child.
Consume, O God, these demons that depress, these enemies that plague my soul.
May the whirlwind of Your Spirit sweep them out of my life forever.
May I awaken in the morning with a heart full of joy, and with the strength and the courage to walk straight and secure in the dangerous and difficult paths before me.
—Leslie Brandt
Hymns for the Family of God
<idle musing>
Wow. This paraphrase really speaks to me. It's so raw and real. No wonder people have been drawn to the psalms for thousands of years. They aren't afraid to be real with God. May I be that honest with him!
</idle musing>
Friday, June 20, 2025
In spite of our resistance…
Real Prayer
The prayer preceding all prayer is,
"May it be the real I who speaks.
May it be the real Thou
that I speak to."
C. S. Lewis
Hymns for the Family of God
Thursday, June 19, 2025
"Right relationship"
May the Mind of Christ, My Savior
1 May the mind of Christ my Savior
Live in me from day to day,
By his love and pow'r inspiring
All I do or say.
2 May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through his pow'r.
3 May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in ev'rything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.
4 May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea,
Him exalting, self abasing --
This is victory!
5 May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.
6 May his spirit live within me
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only him.
Kate B. WWilkinson
Hymns for the Family of God
Wednesday, June 18, 2025
A different kind of outrage
O To Be Like Thee
1 O to be like Thee! Blessed Redeemer,
this is my constant longing and prayer;
gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Refrain:
Oh! to be like Thee! O to be like Thee,
blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
2 O to be like Thee! Full of compassion,
loving, forgiving, tender, and kind;
helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
seeking the wand’ring sinner to find. [Refrain]
3 O to be like Thee! Lowly in spirit,
holy and harmless, patient, and brave;
meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
willing to suffer, others to save. [Refrain]
4 O to be like Thee! Lord, I am coming
now to receive th’anointing divine;
all that I am and have I am bringing,
Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine. [Refrain]
5 O to be like Thee! While I am pleading,
pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
fit me for life and heaven above. [Refrain]
Thomas O. Chisholm
Hymns for the Family of God
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Tozer for Tuesday
Fill Thou My Life, O Lord My God
1 Fill thou my life, O Lord my God,
in every part with praise,
that my whole being may proclaim
thy being and thy ways.
2 Not for the lip of praise alone,
nor e'en the praising heart
I ask, but for a life made up
of praise in every part:
3 Praise in the common things of life,
its goings out and in;
praise in each duty and each deed,
however small and mean.
4 Fill every part of me with praise:
let all my being speak
of thee and of thy love, O Lord,
poor though I be and weak.
5 So shalt thou, Lord, receive from me
the praise and glory due;
and so shall I begin on earth
the song for ever new.
6 So shall no part of day or night
unblest or common be,
but all my life, in every step,
be fellowship with thee.
Horatius Bonar
Hymns for the Family of God
<idle musing>
Not a terribly popular hymn, only occurring in about 100 hymnals. Hymnary.org inserts a verse:
6 So shall each fear, each fret, each care,</idle musing>
be turned into song;
and every winding of the way
the echo shall prolong.
Monday, June 16, 2025
Injustice is real! Suffering is real! God is real!
More about Jesus Would I Know
1 More about Jesus would I know,
more of His grace to others show;
more of His saving fullness see,
more of His love who died for me.
Refrain:
More, more about Jesus;
more, more about Jesus;
more of His saving fullness see,
more of His love who died for me.
2 More about Jesus let me learn,
more of His holy will discern.
Spirit of God, my Teacher be,
showing the things of Christ to me. [Refrain]
3 More about Jesus in His Word,
holding communion with my Lord,
hearing His voice in ev'ry line,
making each faithful saying mine. [Refrain]
4 More about Jesus on His throne,
riches in glory all His own;
more of His kingdom's sure increase;
more of His coming, Prince of Peace. [Refrain]
Eliza E. Hewitt
Hymns for the Family of God
<idle musing>
Take a minute to click through to the biography of the hymnwriter.
</idle musing>