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Lord’s Day 47, 2008

I reioyced, when they sayd to me, We wil go into the house of the Lord. (Psalme 122:1 Geneva Bible)

The Life Look

O God,

I bless thee for the happy moment
when I first saw thy love fulfilled in Christ;
   wrath appeased, death destroyed, sin forgiven,
      my soul saved.
Ever since, thou hast been faithful to me:
   daily have I proved the power of Jesus‘ blood,
   daily have I known the strength on the Spirit,
      my teacher, director, sanctifier.
I want no other rock to build upon than that I have,
   desire no other hope than that of gospel truth,
   need no other look than that which gazes
      on the cross.
Forgive me if I have tried to add anything
      to the one foundation,
   if I have unconsciously relied upon my knowledge,
   experience, deeds, and not seen them
      as filthy rags,
   if I have attempted to complete what is perfect
      in Christ;
May my cry be always, Only Jesus! only Jesus!
In him is freedom from condemnation,
   fullness in his righteousness,
   eternal vitality in his given life,
   indissoluble union in fellowship with him;
In him I have all that I can hold;
   enlarge me to take in more.
If I backslide,
   let me like Peter weep bitterly and return to him;
If I am tempted, and have no wit,
   give me strength enough to trust in him;
If I am weak,
   may I faint upon his bosom of eternal love;
If in extrremity,
   let me feel that he can deliver me;
If driven to the verge of hope and to the pit
      of despair,
   grant me grace to fall into his arms.
O God, hear me, do for me more
   than I ask, think or dream.

—from The Valley of Vision, Arthur Bennett, editor (Banner of Truth Trust, 2002).

Psalme 63
(Geneva Bible)
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.