"O Lord, in the morning I will direct my prayer to You."
"To the upright there arises light in the darkness."—Psalm
103:4
Eternal, everlasting God, I bless You for the privilege of
access into Your presence. What am I—a guilty, unworthy sinner, deserving only
of condemnation—that I should be permitted, with holy boldness, to approach
the footstool of Your throne and call You "my Father in heaven!"
I rejoice to know, when "my heart is overwhelmed, and in
perplexity," that I can ever look to You as a "Rock that is higher than
I"—that, amid all the ebbings and flowings in the tide of my own fitful frames
and feelings, You, great Rock of ages, remain fixed and immovable. You have
never failed me in the past. When "deep has been calling to deep," and many
"waves and billows have gone over me," "the Lord has commanded His
loving-kindness in the daytime, and in the night His song has been with me,
and my prayer to the God of my life." And I will trust You in the future. In
the midst of baffling and mysterious providences I will be still—hushing every
murmur, and breathing in lowly resignation the prayer, "divinely taught,"
"Your will be done."
It is my comfort to know that the darkest cloud is fringed
with covenant love. I can repose on the blessed assurance that present
discipline is needed discipline, and that all which is mystery now will
be cleared up hereafter. May it be mine cheerfully to follow the footsteps of
the guiding Shepherd through the darkest, loneliest road, and amid thickening
sorrows may I have grace to say, "Though He slays me, yet will I trust in
Him."
Lord, increase my faith—let it rise above all difficulties
and all trials. Let these drive me closer to Him who has promised to make me
"more than conqueror." Let them quicken my longings for the true home of my
soul above. May it be my grand ambition here to be a "pilgrim" in
everything—to be pitching my tent day by day nearer heaven, imbibing every day
more of the pilgrim character, and longing more for the pilgrim's rest. May I
be enabled to say, with an increasingly chastened spirit, of a passing world,
"Here I have no continuing city." May this assurance dry all tears, and
reconcile to all sorrows—"I am journeying to the place of which the Lord has
said, I will give it you."
Blessed Jesus, hasten Your coming and Your kingdom. Scatter
the darkness which is now covering heathen nations. Stand by Your missionary
servants. May they exercise a simple faith on Your own sure word of promise.
"Strong in the Lord and in the power of His might," may every mountain of
difficulty be made a plain, and "the glory of the Lord be revealed."
God of Bethel, I commend to You all my beloved friends.
Shield them by Your protecting providence. Give them every needed blessing in
the present life, and in the world to come life everlasting. And all I ask is
for Jesus' sake. Amen.
"Cause me to hear your loving-kindness in the morning, for
in you do I trust."