June 27, 2011
-
In the midst of my temptations fierce ~ O, Jesus Christ, my Treasure first
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.From George Whitefield's Journals:
Saturday, September 22 [1739]. Underwent inexpressible agonies of soul for two or three days, at the remembrance of my sins, and the bitter consequences of them. All the while I was assured God has forgiven me; but I could not forgive myself for sinning against so much light and love. I felt something for that which Adam felt when turned out of Paradise; David, when he was convicted of adultery; and Peter, when with oaths and curses he had thrice denied his Master. At length, my Lord looked upon me, and with that look broke my rocky heart, and I wept bitterly. When in this condition, I wondered not at Peter's running so slowly to the sepulchre, when loaded with the sense of his sin. Were I always to see myself such a sinner as I am, and as I did then, without seeing the Saviour of sinners, I should not be able to look up.
From Isaac Watts' hymn "Let us Love and Sing and Wonder":
Let us sing, though fierce temptation
Threaten hard to bear us down!
For the Lord, our strong Salvation,
Holds in view the conqueror’s crown:
He Who washed us with His blood
Soon will bring us home to God.Ezekiel 6:8 “Yet I will leave a remnant, so that you may have some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the countries. 9 Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am the LORD; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them.”
In the midst of my temptations fierce
Your Living Word continues to pierce
O, Lamb of God, who died for me,
O, my Lord, how can I defy Thee?
O, my Bridegroom, how can I deny Thee?
O, Jesus Christ, my Treasure first
Living Water for my thirst!
Having beheld and held the Pearl
My Treasure is not of this world
How can I my Beloved desert?
How can I Your heart crush and hurt?How can I sin against so much light and love?
Fountain of living waters poured from above!O, wretched flesh, you misdirect my eye
Divide my heart, turn me, you tantalizeMy affections had been single and whole
Seeking Christ alone to exult in and extolSettled and established in perfect Love
My gaze was firmly fixed on things aboveNow broken and interrupted
My growth in Jesus is stuntedLike Lot's wife, I turned around
Let go, looked back from the plowMy journey halted, I am cast down
Eyes fixed on the waves that surroundIn the midst of my temptations fierce
Your Living Word continues to pierceO, Lamb of God, who died for me,
O, my Lord, how can I defy Thee?
O, my Bridegroom, how can I deny Thee?
O, Jesus Christ, my Treasure first
Living Water for my thirst!
Having beheld and held the Pearl
My Treasure is not of this world
How can I my Beloved desert?
How can I Your heart crush and hurt?How can I sin against so much light and love?
Fountain of living waters poured from above!In this valley of humiliation
My head You are gently liftingShining Your light on my darkness
Kindness leading to my repentance"Rise up, my fair one, come away,
My love, on Me fix your gaze!""Open now, come, sit under My tree
Come, buy and eat! Sup with Me!""Your debt was paid at Calvary
Sweetness and delight await thee!"In the midst of my temptations fierce
Your Living Word continues to pierceO, Lamb of God, who died for me,
O, my Lord, how can I defy Thee?
O, my Bridegroom, how can I deny Thee?
O, Jesus Christ, my Treasure first
Living Water for my thirst!
Having beheld and held the Pearl
My Treasure is not of this world
How can I my Beloved desert?
How can I Your heart crush and hurt?How can I sin against so much light and love?
Fountain of living waters poured from above!Grace, You are relentlessly gifting
Before, in and all through the siftingHaving found exceeding Joy and matchless Treasure
O, for Spirit's strength to mortify lesser pleasureTo see Your beauty in the secret place
To hear from Your lips truth and graceO, to forsake Egypt, see Him who is invisible
To dwell with Him, sweet wine dripping, delight ineffableEverlasting Joy, I buy! I buy!
Without money and without price!Unspeakable Joy, I buy! I buy!
No other treasure can satisfy!O, Lamb of God, who died for me,
O, my Lord, how can I defy Thee?
O, my Bridegroom, how can I deny Thee?
O, Jesus Christ, my Treasure first
Living Water for my thirst!
Having beheld and held the Pearl
My Treasure is not of this world
How can I my Beloved desert?
How can I Your heart crush and hurt?How can I sin against so much light and love?
Fountain of living waters poured from above!
Everlasting Joy, I come! I buy!
Without money and without price!
Unspeakable Joy, I come! I buy!
No other treasure can satisfy!
Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Related:- Why do I write poetry?
- this earthly manna ~ the Christian hedonist's plea
- What is Biblical mourning? (Ash Wednesday)
- I asked to know Your love
- my 3rd Xangaversary: "His grace abounded to this chief of sinners"
- Blessed Be God for His Kindness Which Leads Us to Repentance
- Bible Reading: Elisha--A Picture of Abiding: Leaving the Plow and Burning the Yoke
- 6th Sunday after Epiphany: Characteristics of true religion, # 2, part 1-honesty & sincerity
- THE SIFTING OF PETER (Longfellow)
- true repentance leads to joy (Letter 37 on assurance & fighting for joy)
- Letter 25 on assurance and fighting for joy (a strong craving ≠ His joy)
- the lover's inquiry | letter 114 on fighting for joy
- Rejoicing here on the Potter's Wheel (Psalm 66) | Letter 96 on assurance & joy
- When I fed them to the full ~ Jeremiah 5:7
- "Bread of Heav'n on Thee I Feed"
- Things To Look for in a Church, 9: "Pearl Freaks" (a.k.a. a Kingdom-Obsessed People)
- Dealing with past sins & guilt: God's good gift of guilt
- Dealing with past sins & guilt: Godly guilt does not break the bruised reed
- Dealing with past sins & guilt: God does not despise the broken & contrite heart
- Dealing with sins & guilt: Godly guilt leads us to declare spiritual bankruptcy & run home
- Dealing with past sins & guilt: Micah 7-False guilt vs.Godly guilt--Godly guilt causes us to rise rather than remain fallen
- Dealing with sins & guilt: "If any man sin, we have an Advocate"
- sin's cold deception, my Father's warm reception
- His sweetness in the great fish | update 3/16/2011
- "your heart is not right in the sight of God" - May I not waste God's loving discipline
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
RSS feed
Comments (1)
nice