Chapter I: Can Trust

I cannot see, with my small human sight,
Why God should lead this way or that for me;
I only know he saith, "Child, follow me."
But I can trust.

I know not why my path should be at times
So straitly hedged, so strongly barred before;
I only know God could keep wide the door;
But I can trust.

I find no answer, often, when beset
With questions fierce and subtle on my way,
And often have but strength to faintly pray;
But I can trust.

I often wonder, as with trembling hand
I cast the seed along the furrowed ground,
If ripened fruit will in my life be found;
But I can trust.

I cannot know why suddenly the storm
Should rage so fiercely round me in its wrath;
But this I know--God watches all my path,
And I can trust.

I may not draw aside the mystic veil
That hides the unknown future from my sight;
Nor know if for me waits the dark or light;
But I can trust.

I have no power to look across the tide,
To see, while here, the land beyond the river;
But this I know, I shall be God's forever;
So I can trust.

The world is wide
In time and tide,
And God is guide;
Then do not hurry.
That man is blest
Who does his best
And leaves the rest;
Then do not worry.

--Charles F. Deems.

WISDOM OF DISCIPLINE

Whate'er my God ordains is right;
His will is ever just;
Howe'er he orders now my cause
I will be still, and trust.
He is my God,
Though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall,
Wherefore to him I leave it all.

Whate'er my God ordains is right;
He never will deceive;
He leads me by the proper path,
And so to him I cleave,
And take, content,
What he hath sent;
His hand can turn my grief away,
And patiently I wait his day.

Whate'er my God ordains is right;
He taketh thought for me;
The cup that my Physician gives
No poisoned draught can be,
But medicine due;
For God is true;
And on that changeless truth I build
And all my heart with hope is filled.

Whate'er my God ordains is right;
Though I the cup must drink
That bitter seems to my faint heart,
I will not fear nor shrink;
Tears pass away
With dawn of day;
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow all depart.

Whate'er my God ordains is right;
My Light, my Life, is he,
Who cannot will me aught but good;
I trust him utterly;
For well I know,
In joy or woe,
We soon shall see, as sunlight clear,
How faithful was our Guardian here.

Whate'er my God ordains is right;
Here will I take my stand;
Though sorrow, need, or death, make earth
For me a desert land.
My Father's care
Is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall,
And so to him I leave it all.

--S. Rodigast.

MY TIMES ARE IN THY HAND

"My times are in thy hand";
My God, I wish them there;
My life, my friends, my soul, I leave
Entirely to thy care.

"My times are in thy hand,"
Whatever they may be;
Pleasing or painful, dark or bright,
As best may seem to thee.

"My times are in thy hand";
Why should I doubt or fear?
My Father's hand will never cause
His child a needless tear.

"My times are in thy hand,"
Jesus, the crucified!
The hand my cruel sins had pierced
Is now my guard and guide.

"My times are in thy hand";
I'll always trust in thee;
And, after death, at thy right hand
I shall forever be.

--William F. Lloyd.

ALL FOR THE BEST

Away, my needless fears,
And doubts no longer mine;
A ray of heavenly light appears,
A messenger divine.

Thrice comfortable hope,
That calms my troubled breast;
My Father's hand prepares the cup
And what he wills is best.

If what I wish is good,
And suits the will divine,
By earth and hell in vain withstood,
I know it shall be mine.

Still let them counsel take
To frustrate his decree;
They cannot keep a blessing back,
By heaven designed for me.

Here, then, I doubt no more;
But in his pleasure rest
Whose wisdom, love, and truth, and power,
Engage to make me blest.

--Charles Wesley.

GOD NEVER FORSAKES

Leave God to order all thy ways,
And hope in him, whate'er betide,
Thou'lt find in him, in evil days,
Thy all-sufficient strength and guide.
Who trusts in God's unchanging love
Builds on the rock that naught can move.

What can these anxious cares avail,
The never-ceasing moans and sighs?
What can it help us to bewail
Each painful moment as it flies?
Our cross and trials do but press
The heavier for our bitterness.

Only thy restless heart keep still,
And wait in cheerful hope, content
To take whate'er his gracious will,
His all-discerning love, hath sent.
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known
To him who chose us for his own.

He knows when joyful hours are best;
He sends them as he sees it meet;
When thou hast borne the fiery test,
And now art freed from all deceit,
He comes to thee all unaware
And makes thee own his loving care.

Nor in the heat of pain and strife
Think God has cast thee off unheard,
And that the man whose prosperous life
Thou enviest is of him preferred.
Time passes, and much change doth bring
And sets a bound to everything.

All are alike before his face;
'Tis easy to our God most high
To make the rich man poor and base,
To give the poor man wealth and joy;
True wonders still by him are wrought
Who setteth up and brings to naught.

Sing, pray, and swerve not from his ways,
But do thine own part faithfully;
Trust his rich promises of grace,
So shall they be fulfilled in thee.
God never yet forsook at need
The soul that trusted him indeed.

--George Neumarck.

Bear up, bear on, the end shall tell
The dear Lord ordereth all things well.

--John Greenleaf Whittier.

THE SECRET PLACE

There is a safe and secret place,
Beneath the wings divine,
Reserved for all the heirs of grace:
O be that refuge mine!

The least and feeblest there may bide,
Uninjured and unawed;
While thousands fall on every side,
He rests secure in God.

He feeds in pastures large and fair
Of love and trust divine;
O child of God, O glory's heir,
How rich a lot is thine!

A hand almighty to defend,
An ear for every call,
An honored life, a peaceful end,
And heaven to crown it all!

--Henry F. Lyte.

GOD KNOWS

Our Father! through the coming year
We know not what shall be;
But we would leave without a fear
Its ordering all to thee.

It may be we shall toil in vain
For what the world holds fair;
And all the good we thought to gain
Deceive, and prove but care.

It may be it shall darkly blend
Our love with anxious fears,
And snatch away the valued friend,
The tried of many years.

It may be it shall bring us days
And nights of lingering pain;
And bid us take a farewell gaze
Of these loved haunts of men.

But calmly, Lord, on thee we rest;
No fears our trust shall move;
Thou knowest what for each is best,
And thou art Perfect Love.

--Eliza Cleghorn Gaskell.

Forever in their Lord abiding
Who can their gladness tell;
Within his love forever hiding,
They feel that all is well.

NO FEAR

I know no life divided,
O Lord of life, from thee;
In thee is life provided
For all mankind and me:
I know no death, O Jesus,
Because I live in thee;
Thy death it is which frees us
From death eternally.

I fear no tribulation,
Since, whatsoe'er it be,
It makes no separation
Between my Lord and me.
If thou, my God and Teacher,
Vouchsafe to be my own,
Though poor, I shall be richer
Than monarch on his throne.

If while on earth I wander
My heart is light and blest,
Ah, what shall I be yonder,
In perfect peace and rest?
O blessed thought! in dying
We go to meet the Lord,
Where there shall be no sighing,
A kingdom our reward.

--Carl J. P. Spitta.

THE LORD'S APPOINTMENT

I say it over and over, and yet again to-day,
It rests my heart as surely as it did yesterday:
It is the Lord's appointment;
Whatever my work may be,
I am sure in my heart of hearts
He has offered it to me.

I must say it over and over, and again to-day
For my work is different from that of yesterday:
It is the Lord's appointment;
It quiets my restless will
Like the voice of a tender mother,
And my heart and will are still.

I will say it over and over, this and every day,
Whatsoever the Master orders, come what may:
It is the Lord's appointment;
For only his love can see
What is wisest, best and right--
What is truly good for me.

TRUST

I know not what the future holds,
Of good or ill for me and mine;
I only know that God enfolds
Me in his loving arms divine.

So I shall walk the earth in trust
That He who notes the sparrow's fall
Will help me bear whate'er I must
And lend an ear whene'er I call.

It matters not if dreams dissolve
Like mists beneath the morning sun,
For swiftly as the worlds revolve
So swiftly will life's race be run.

It matters not if hopes depart,
Or life be pressed with toil and care.
If love divine shall fill my heart
And all be sanctified with prayer.

Then let me learn submission sweet
In every thought, in each desire,
And humbly lay at his dear feet
A heart aglow with heavenly fire.

"SOMETIME"

Sometime, when all life's lessons have been learned,
And sun and stars forevermore have set,
The things which our weak judgment here had spurned,
The things o'er which we grieve with lashes wet,
Will flash before us out of life's dark night,
As stars shine most in deeper tints of blue,
And we shall see how all God's plans were right,
And how what seemed reproof was love most true.

And we shall see how, while we frown and sigh,
God's plans go on as best for you and me;
How when we called he heeded not our cry,
Because his wisdom to the end could see;
And even as prudent parents disallow
Too much of sweet to crooning baby's hest,
So God perhaps is keeping from us now
Life's sweetest things because it seemeth best.

And if sometimes commingled with life's wine
We find the wormwood, and rebel and shrink,
Be sure a wiser hand than yours or mine
Poured out the potion for our lips to drink;
And if some one we love is lying low,
Where human kisses can not reach the face,
O do not blame the loving Father so,
But wear your sorrow with obedient grace,

And you will shortly know that lengthened breath
Is not the sweetest gift God gives his friend;
And that sometimes the sable pall of death
Conceals the fairest boon his love can send.
If we could push ajar the gates of life,
And stand within, and all God's workings see,
We could interpret all this doubt and strife,
And for each mystery could find a key.

But not to-day. Then be content, poor heart,
God's plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold;
We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart,
Time will reveal the calyxes of gold.
And if through patient toil we reach the land
Where tired feet with sandals loosed may rest,
When we shall clearly know and understand,
I think that we will say: "God knew the best."

--May Louise Riley Smith.

O why and whither? God knows all;
I only know that he is good,
And that whatever may befall,
Or here or there, must be the best that could.
For He is merciful as just;
And so, by faith correcting sight,
I bow before his will, and trust
Howe'er they seem he doeth all things right.

--John Greenleaf Whittier.

NOT KNOWING

I know not what shall befall me;
God hangs a mist o'er my eyes,
And thus each step of my onward path
He makes new scenes to rise,
And every joy he sends me comes
As a sweet and glad surprise.

I see not a step before me
As I tread on another year;
But the past is in God's keeping,
The future his mercy shall clear,
And what looks dark in the distance
May brighten as I draw near.

For perhaps the dreaded future
Is less bitter than I think;
The Lord may sweeten the waters
Before I stoop to drink,
Or, if Marah must be Marah,
He will stand beside its brink.

It may be he keeps waiting
Till the coming of my feet
Some gift of such rare blessedness,
Some joy so strangely sweet,
That my lips shall only tremble
With the thanks they cannot speak.

O restful, blissful ignorance!
'Tis blessed not to know,
It stills me in those mighty arms
Which will not let me go,
And hushes my soul to rest
On the bosom which loves me so!

So I go on not knowing;
I would not if I might;
I would rather walk in the dark with God
Than go alone in the light;
I would rather walk with him by faith,
Than walk alone by sight.

My heart shrinks back from trials
Which the future may disclose,
Yet I never had a sorrow
But what the dear Lord chose;
So I send the coming tears back
With the whispered word, "He knows."

--Mary Gardner Brainard.

"Trust is truer than our fears,"
Runs the legend through the moss;
"Gain is not in added years,
Nor in death is loss."

--John Greenleaf Whittier.

CONFIDO ET CONQUIESCO

Fret not, poor soul; while doubt and fear
Disturb thy breast,
The pitying angels, who can see
How vain thy wild regret must be,
Say, "Trust and Rest."

Plan not, nor scheme, but calmly wait;
His choice is best;
While blind and erring is thy sight
His wisdom sees and judges right;
So Trust and Rest.

Strive not, nor struggle; thy poor might
Can never wrest
The meanest thing to serve thy will;
All power is his alone. Be still,
And Trust and Rest.

Desire thou not; self-love is strong
Within thy breast,
And yet he loves thee better still:
So let him do his loving will,
And Trust and Rest.

What dost thou fear? His wisdom reigns
Supreme confessed;
His power is infinite; his love
Thy deepest, fondest dreams above!
So Trust and Rest.

--Adelaide Anne Procter.

BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING

My spirit on thy care,
Blest Saviour, I recline;
Thou wilt not leave me to despair,
For thou art Love divine.

In Thee I place my trust,
On thee I calmly rest;
I know thee good, I know thee just,
And count thy choice the best.

Whate'er events betide,
Thy will they all perform;
Safe in thy breast my head I hide,
Nor fear the coming storm.

Let good or ill befall,
It must be good for me;
Secure of having thee in all,
Of having all in thee.

--Henry F. Lyte.

IN HIM CONFIDING

Sometimes a light surprises
The Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord who rises
With healing on his wings.
When comforts are declining
He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining,
To cheer it after rain.

In holy contemplation
We sweetly then pursue
The theme of God's salvation,
And find it ever new.
Set free from present sorrow,
We cheerfully can say,
Let the unknown to-morrow
Bring with it what it may.

It can bring with it nothing
But He will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing,
Will clothe his people too.
Beneath the spreading heavens
No creature but is fed;
And He who feeds the ravens
Will give his children bread.

Though vine nor fig tree neither
Their wonted fruit should bear,
Though all the fields should wither,
Nor flocks nor herds be there;
Yet God the same abiding,
His praise shall tune my voice;
For while in him confiding,
I cannot but rejoice.

--William Cowper.

TRUSTING GOD

Whoever plants a leaf beneath the sod,
And waits to see it push away the clod,
He trusts in God.

Whoever says, when clouds are in the sky,
"Be patient, heart; light breaketh by and by,"
He trusts in God.

Whoever sees 'neath winter's field of snow
The silent harvest of the future grow,
God's power must know.

Whoever lies down on his couch to sleep,
Content to lock each sense in slumber deep,
Knows God will keep.

TRUST IN GOD

The child leans on its parent's breast,
Leaves there its cares and is at rest;
The bird sits singing by his nest,
And tells aloud
His trust in God, and so is blest
'Neath every cloud.

He has no store, he sows no seed;
Yet sings aloud, and doth not heed;
By flowing stream or grassy mead,
He sings to shame
Men, who forget, in fear of need,
A Father's name.

The heart that trusts for ever sings,
And feels as light as it had wings;
A well of peace within it springs;
Come good or ill.
Whate'er to-day, to-morrow, brings,
It is his will.

--Isaac Williams.

NO FEARS

Give to the winds thy fears;
Hope, and be undismayed;
God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears;
God shall lift up thy head.

Through waves, and clouds, and storms,
He gently clears thy way;
Wait thou his time, so shall this night
Soon end in joyous day.

Still heavy is thy heart?
Still sink thy spirits down?
Cast off the weight, let fear depart,
And every care be gone.

What though thou rulest not?
Yet heaven, and earth, and hell
Proclaim, "God sitteth on the throne,
And ruleth all things well."

Leave to his sovereign sway
To choose and to command:
So shalt thou, wondering, own his way,
How wise, how strong his hand!

Far, far above thy thought,
His counsel shall appear,
When fully he the work hath wrought
That caused thy needless fear.

--Paul Gerhardt.

SIMPLE TRUST

I do not know why sin abounds
Within this world so fair,
Why numerous discordant sounds
Destroy the heavenly air--
I can't explain this thing, I must
Rely on God in simple trust.

I do not know why pain and loss
Oft fall unto my lot.
Why I must bear the heavy cross
When I desire it not--
I do not know, unless 'tis just
To teach my soul in God to trust.

I know not why the evil seems
Supreme on every hand:
Why suffering flows in endless streams
I do not understand--
Solution comes not to adjust
These mysteries. I can but trust.

I do not know why grief's dark cloud
Bedims my sunny sky,
The tear of bitterness allowed
To swell within my eye--
But, sorrow-stricken to the dust,
I will look up to God and trust.

--R. F. Mayer.

ALL IS YOURS

O foolish heart, be still!
And vex thyself no more!
Wait thou for God, until
He open pleasure's door.
Thou knowest not what is good for thee,
But God doth know--
Let him thy strong reliance be,
And rest thee so.

He counted all my days,
And every joy and tear,
Ere I knew how to praise,
Or even had learned to fear.
Before I him my Father knew
He called me child;
His help has guarded me all through
This weary wild.

The least of all my cares
Is not to him unknown--
He sees and he prepares
The pathway for his own;
And what his hand assigns to me,
That serves my peace;
The greatest burden it might be,
Yet joys increase.

I live no more for earth;
Nor seek my full joy here;
The world seems little worth
When heaven is shining clear.
Yet joyfully I go my way
So free, so blest!
Sweetening my toil from day to day
With thoughts of rest.

Give me, my Lord, whate'er
Will bind my heart to thee;
For that I make my prayer,
And know thou hearest me!
But all that might keep back my soul--
Make thee forgot--
Though of earth-good it were the whole,
O give it not!

When sickness, pains, distress,
And want doth follow fear,
And men their hate express,
My sky shall still be clear.
Then wait I, Lord, and wait for thee;
And I am still,
Though mine should unaccomplished be,
Do thou thy will!

Thou art the strength and stay
Of every weary soul;
Thy wisdom rules the way
Thy pity does control.
What ill can happen unto me
When thou art near?
Thou wilt, O God, my keeper be;
I will not fear.

--Christian F. Gellert (1715-1769).