To love Thee with all of my heart...

Set my heart, O dear Father, On Thee, and Thee only,
Give me a thirst for Thy presence divine.
Lord, keep my focus on loving Thee wholly,
Purge me from earth; Turn my heart after Thine.

A passion for Thee; O Lord,
Set a fire in my soul and a thirst for my God.
Hear Thou my prayer, Lord Thy power impart.
Not just to serve, but to love Thee with all of my heart.

Father fill with Thy Spirit, and fit me for service,
Let love for Christ ev'ry motive inspire,
Teach me to follow in selfless submission,
Be Thou my joy and my soul's one desire.

—Joe Zichterman

What language shall I borrow...

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
How art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish that once was bright as morn!

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favour, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

My burden in Thy Passion, Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee, wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee; Redeemer, spurn me not!

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

—At­trib­ut­ed to Ber­nard of Clair­vaux, translated from La­tin to Eng­lish James W. Al­ex­and­er

Emptied that HE should fill me...

Just a song the Lord has been reminding me about. To have real joy and be used by Him, surrender is not simply an option.

Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me,
A clean vessel in Thy hand;
With no power but as Thou givest
Graciously with each command.

Jesus, fill now with Thy Spirit
Hearts that full surrender know;
That the streams of living water
From our inner man may flow.

Channels only, blessèd Master,
But with all Thy wondrous power
Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
Every day and every hour.

—Mary E. Max­well, alt.

My Will is Not My Own...

How I love this song! It has inspired me countless times when I really don't feel like being "enslaved" or "resigning my crown"! But He is good, and all His judgements are right.

Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free.
Force me to render up my sword, and I shall conqueror be.
I sink in life's alarms when by myself I stand;
Imprison me within Thine arms, and strong shall be my hand.

My heart is weak and poor until it master find;
It has no spring of action sure, it varies with the wind.
It cannot freely move till Thou has wrought its chain;
Enslave it with Thy matchless love, and deathless it shall reign.

My will is not my own till Thou hast made it Thine;
If it would reach a monarch's throne, it must its crown resign.
It only stands unbent amid the clashing strife,
When on Thy bosom it has leant, and found in Thee its life.

—George Matheson

One Year Blog Anniversary!

Today is the one year anniversary for this blog. And what a year it's been!

Well, you know... blog anniversaries are supposed to be the signal for all of you readers to comment and let me get to know you a little!

So... firstly I'll be unoriginal and ask you to please comment with your name and location (as general or specific as you wish). Then I'll ask you to share a quote or Bible verse that is meaningful/encouraging to you, if you would, and I may pick a few to share on this blog!

Surely everyone has a favourite... but if you don't, please don't let that stop you from commenting with your name (and where you are from)! :)

"Thou crownest the year with thy goodness..." (Psalm 65:11)

Join me in praising the Lord, for He really has done so!

The Blessing of Correction

"Happy is the man whom God correcteth." (Job 5:17)

I read the following quote on a friend's blog a little while ago. It really encouraged me, and I hope you, too, will find a blessing in it!

Happy, because the correction is designed to bring him into paths of blessedness and peace.
Happy, because there is no unnecessary severity in it.
Happy, because the chastisement is not so much against us, as against our most cruel enemies—our sins.
Happy, because we have abundant words of consolation.
Happy, because whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth.
Happy, because our light affliction is but for a moment.

—George Bowen