May 2, 2013
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While life's dark maze I tread ... Thou wilt light my candle | letter 161 on assurance & joy
While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread, be Thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray from Thee aside.
May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me, O may my love to Thee,
Pure warm, and changeless be, a living fire!from "My Faith Looks up to Thee" by Ray Palmer (1830)
Psalm 18
28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.
29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.Jesus, my Savior,
You received the Spirit
without measure,
impart grace to me,
to will and to do
of God's good pleasure.Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judæa,
and in Samaria,
and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 3
19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,
20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord...Jehovah, my Rock, my Strength,
of fleshly schemes I repent,
on Thee alone I must dependForsake me not,
True, Living Font!God of all grace,
pierce through this haze,
anoint my head,
O! Dove descend
with fresh'ning grace
in life's dark maze.Psalm 71
17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth:
and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded,
O God, forsake me not;
until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation,
and thy power to every one that is to come.Light of the world,
Everlasting Light,
light my candle,
enlighten my darkness,
so I might arise
and shine as a light
in this world benightedGazing upon Your face,
let me not be ashamed,
but shine Your radiance,
testifying with gladness
to the Gospel of Christ Jesus
with patient joyfulness
running with endurance
finishing my race
to the praise of Your glorious grace
for the sake of Your exalted name!
Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life...Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.O! Lord, may Your grace abound to me in life's dark maze, that I might walk worthy of You unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of You; being strengthened with all might, according to Your glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness... (Colossians 1:10-11, adapted)
Related:Please see my other letters on assurance and fighting for joy here, including:
"give me also springs of water" - Will you be an Achsah? (letter 66 on assurance & fighting for joy)
Will you finish your course with joy? (Acts 20:24) - letter 71 on assurance & joy
Can there be more? | letter 113 on assurance & fighting for joy
Three Years Later: Dancing & Skipping with Mrs. Durham | Letter 147 on fighting for joy
Thank Him for a little grace, and ask Him for great grace ~ Spurgeon | letter 158 on assurance & joyWhy not pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Grace me! (a plea to the God of all grace)
Birthday reflections ~ "Keep me an infant" (Isaiah 46:1-4)
birthday reflection: "the great & glorious possibilities" ~ "Now therefore, give me this mountain"
"I cannot consider myself to have been a believer (in the full sense of the word)"
Amazing Grace . . . upon Grace ~ the 240th anniversary
"... since thou hast been thus gracious ..." ~ Susanna Anthony and grace upon grace
As a deer pants ... Is your soul panting for God? (Psalms 42 & 43)
Jeremiah's Lament ... my lament: "My throat is parched, this place so dry"Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Photo credits:
I edited the original work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bolton_Castle_Maze_-_geograph.org.uk_-_584485.jpg from geograph.org.uk by Mick Garratt / CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic.
Work found at http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/1024px-Antichthon.jpg / Public Domain from NASA.
Work found at http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/archive/b/b7/20110630234415!Dance_of_Fire.JPG / http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dance_of_Fire.JPG / CC BY-SA 3.0.
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Comments (3)
Good Evening, Karen
I loved this post--you listed some Bible verses that I had to memorize in the first church I attended after being born again.
We need to be lights in this ever darkening world.
Thanks for your encouraging post.
frank
Thanks for the reminder that God is still in control. When you're walking through a maze, you can't see the end from the beginning; but God is the beginning and the end! Men's hearts are failing them for fear - the survivalists and all begin to think it's all up to them, and they do fear that they are unable to cope. I don't think fatalism is necessary, but in the end, there is still our sovereign God....and always will be!
We are definitely to be light in a dark world.