Thou art my hiding place, O Lord

June 30

Thou art my hiding place, O Lord!
In Thee I put my trust,
Encouraged by Thy holy Word,
A feeble child of dust.
I have no argument beside,
I urge no other plea;
And ’tis enough my Saviour died,
My Saviour died for me.

When storms of fierce temptation beat,
And furious foes assail,
My refuge is the mercy-seat,
My hope within the veil.
From strife of tongues and bitter words
My spirit flies to Thee;
Joy to my heart the thought affords:
My Saviour died for me.

’Mid trials heavy to be borne,
When mortal strength is vain,
A heart with grief and anguish torn,
A body racked with pain;
Ah, what could give the sufferer rest,
Bid every murmur flee,
But this, the witness in my breast:
That Jesus died for me?

And when Thine awful voice commands
This body to decay,
And life, in its last lingering sands,
Is ebbing fast away,
Then, though it be in accents weak,
And faint and tremblingly,
O give me strength in death to speak:
“My Saviour died for me.”
     Thomas Raffles

We give Thee but Thine own

June 29

We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.

May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive,
And gladly, as Thou blessest us,
To Thee our firstfruits give.

O hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.

To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.

The captive to release,
The lost to God to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace,—
It is a Christ-like thing.

And we believe Thy Word,
Though dim our faith may be;
Whate’er for Thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto Thee.
     William Walsham How

O Lord of heaven and earth and sea

June 28

O Lord of heaven and earth and sea,
To Thee all praise and glory be;
How shall we show our love to Thee,
Who givest all?

The golden sunshine, vernal air,
Sweet flowers and fruit Thy love declare,
When harvests ripen, Thou art there,
Who givest all.

For peaceful homes and healthful days,
For all the blessings earth displays,
We owe Thee thankfulness and praise,
Who givest all.

Thou didst not spare Thine only Son,
But gav'st Him for a world undone,
And freely with that blessed One
Thou givest all.

Thou givest the Holy Spirit's dower,
Spirit of life and love and power,
And dost His sevenfold graces shower
Upon us all.

For souls redeemed, for sins forgiven,
For means of grace and hopes of heaven,
Father, what can to Thee be given
Who givest all?

We lose what on ourselves we spend;
We have as treasure without end
Whatever, Lord, to Thee we lend
Who givest all.

To Thee, from Whom we all derive
Our life, our gifts, our power to give,
O may we ever with Thee live
Who givest all.
     Christopher Wordsworth

Jesus, Master, Whose I am

June 27

Jesus, Master, Whose I am,
Purchased, Thine alone to be,
By Thy Blood, O spotless Lamb,
Shed so willingly for me,
Let my heart be all Thine own,
Let me live for Thee alone.

Other lords have long held sway;
Now, Thy Name alone to bear,
Thy dear voice alone obey,
Is my daily, hourly prayer:
Whom have I in heaven but Thee?
Nothing else my joy can be.

Jesus, Master, I am Thine:
Keep me faithful, keep me near;
Let Thy presence in me shine,
All my homeward way to cheer.
Jesus, at Thy feet I fall,
O be Thou my all in all.

Jesus, Master, Whom I serve,
Though so feebly and so ill,
Strengthen hand and heart and nerve
All Thy bidding to fulfill;
Open Thou mine eyes to see
All the work Thou hast for me.

Lord, Thou needest not, I know,
Service such as I can bring;
Yet I long to prove and show
Full allegiance to my King.
Thou an honor art to me;
Let me be a praise to Thee.

Jesus, Master, wilt Thou use
One who owes Thee more than all?
As Thou wilt!  I would not choose;
Only let me hear Thy call.
Jesus, let me always be
In Thy service glad and free.
     Frances Ridley Havergal

Jesus, I live to Thee

June 26

Jesus, I live to Thee,
The loveliest and best;
My life in Thee, Thy life in me,
In Thy blest love I rest.

Jesus, I die to Thee;
Whenever death shall come,
To die in Thee is life to me,
In my eternal home.

Whether to live or die,
I know not which is best;
To live in Thee is bliss to me,
To die is endless rest.

Living or dying, Lord,
I ask but to be Thine;
My life in Thee, Thy life in me,
Makes heaven for ever mine.
     Henry Harbaugh

O Light, Whose beams illumine all

June 25

O Light, Whose beams illumine all
From twilight dawn to perfect day,
Shine Thou before the shadows fall
That lead our wandering feet astray;
At morn and eve Thy radiance pour,
That youth may love and age adore.

O Way, through Whom our souls draw near
To yon eternal home of peace,
Where perfect love shall cast out fear,
And earth’s vain toil and wandering cease;
In strength or weakness may we see
Our heavenward path, O Lord, through Thee.

O Truth, before Whose shrine we bow
Thou priceless pearl for all who seek
To Thee our earliest strength we vow,
Thy love will bless the pure and meek;
When dreams or mists beguile our sight,
Turn Thou our darkness into light.

O Life, the well that ever flows,
To slake the thirst of those who faint,
Thy power to bless what seraph knows?
Thy joy supreme what words can paint?
In earth’s last hour of fleeting breath
Be Thou our conqueror over death.

O Light, O Way, O Truth, O Life,
O Jesus, born mankind to save,
Give Thou Thy peace in deadliest strife,
Shed Thou Thy calm on stormiest wave;
Be Thou our hope, our joy, our Head,
Lord of the living and the dead.
     Edward Hayes Plumptre

Lord, to whom except to Thee

June 24

Lord, to whom except to Thee
Shall our wandering spirits go,
Thee Whom it is light to see,
And eternal life to know?

Lord, to whom except to Thee
Shall we go when ills betide?
Who except Thyself can be
Hope and help and strength and guide?

Who can cleanse the soul from sin,
Hear the prayer, and seal the vow?
Who can fill the void within
Blessed Saviour, who but Thou?

Therefore evermore I’ll give
Thanks and praise, my God, to Thee;
Evermore in Thee I live,
Evermore live Thou in me.
     John Samuel Bewley Monsell

Thou art the Way; to Thee alone

June 23

Thou art the Way; to Thee alone
From sin and death we flee;
And he who would the Father seek
Must seek Him, Lord, by Thee.

Thou art the Truth; Thy Word alone
True wisdom can impart;
Thou only canst inform the mind,
And purify the heart.

Thou art the Life; the rending tomb
Proclaims Thy conquering arm;
And those who put their trust in Thee
Nor death nor hell shall harm.

Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life;
Grant us that Way to know,
That Truth to keep, that Life to win,
Whose joys eternal flow.
     George Washington Doane

O draw me, Saviour, after Thee

June 22

O draw me, Saviour, after Thee!
So shall I run and never tire.
With gracious words still comfort me;
Be Thou my Hope, my sole Desire.
Free me from ev’ry weight:  nor fear
Nor sin can come, if Thou art here.

From all eternity, with love
Unchangeable, Thou hast me viewed.
Ere knew this beating heart to move,
Thy tender mercies me pursued.
Ever with me may they abide,
And close me in on ev’ry side.

Still let Thy love point out my way;
How wondrous things Thy love hath wrought!
Still lead me, lest I go astray;
Direct my work, inspire my thought;
And if I fall, soon may I hear
Thy voice, and know that love is near.

In suffering be Thy love my peace,
In weakness be Thy love my power;
And when the storms of life shall cease,
Jesus, in that important hour,
In death as life be Thou my Guide,
And save me, Who for me hast died!
     Paul Gerhardt  Tr John Wesley, altered

Not all the blood of beasts

June 21

Not all the blood of beasts
On Jewish altars slain,
Could give the guilty conscience peace
Or wash away the stain.

But Christ, the heavenly Lamb,
Takes all our sins away;
A Sacrifice of nobler name,
And richer blood than they.

My faith would lay her hand
On that dear head of Thine,
While like a penitent I stand,
And there confess my sin.

My soul looks back to see
The burden Thou didst bear
When hanging on the cursed Tree,
And knows her guilt was there.

Believing, we rejoice
To see the curse remove;
We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice,
And sing His bleeding love.
     Isaac Watts

I lay my sins on Jesus

June 20

I lay my sins on Jesus,
The spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all, and frees us
From the accursed load.
I bring my guilt to Jesus,
To wash my crimson stains
White, in His blood most precious,
Till not a stain remains.

I lay my wants on Jesus;
All fullness dwells in Him;
He heals all my diseases,
He doth my soul redeem.
I lay my griefs on Jesus,
My burdens and my cares;
He from them all releases,
He all my sorrows shares.

I long to be like Jesus,
Meek, loving, lowly, mild;
I long to be like Jesus,
The Father’s holy child.
I long to be with Jesus,
Amid the heavenly throng,
To sing with saints His praises,
To learn the angels’ song.
     Horatius Bonar

Not what these hands have done

June 19

Not what these hands have done
Can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne
Can make this spirit whole.

Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.

Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy Blood alone, O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.

Thy love to me, O God,
Not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest,
And set my spirit free.

Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy power alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.

I bless the Christ of God;
I rest on love divine;
And, with unfaltering lip and heart
I call this Saviour mine.
     Horatius Bonar

Chief of sinners though I be

June 18

Chief of sinners though I be,
Jesus shed His Blood for me;
Died, that I might live on high;
Lives, that I might never die.

O the height of Jesus’ love!
Higher than the heavens above.
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity.

Jesus only can impart
Balm to heal the smitten heart,
Peace that flows from sin forgiven,
Joy that lifts the soul to Heaven.

Chief of sinners though I be,
Christ is all in all to me;
All my wants to Him are known,
All my sorrows are His own.
     William McComb,
Jesus shed His Blood for me;
Died, that I might live on high;
Lives, that I might never die.

O the height of Jesus’ love!
Higher than the heavens above.
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity.

Jesus only can impart
Balm to heal the smitten heart,
Peace that flows from sin forgiven,
Joy that lifts the soul to Heaven.

Chief of sinners though I be,
Christ is all in all to me;
All my wants to Him are known,
All my sorrows are His own.
     William McComb

Now I have found the ground wherein

June 17

Now I have found the ground wherein
Sure my soul’s anchor may remain;
The wounds of Jesus, for my sin
Before the world’s foundation slain;
Whose mercy shall unshaken stay
When heaven and earth are fled away.

Father, Thine everlasting grace
Our scanty thought surpasses far;
Thy heart still melts with tenderness,
Thy arms of love still open are,
Returning sinners to receive,
That mercy they may taste and live.

O Love, Thou bottomless abyss!
My sins are swallowed up in Thee;
Covered is my unrighteousness,
No spot of guilt remains on me;
While Jesus’ Blood, through earth and skies,
Mercy, free, boundless mercy, cries!
     Johann Andreas Rothe  Tr. John Wesley

Approach, my soul, the mercy-seat

June 16

Approach, my soul, the mercy-seat,
Where Jesus answers prayer;
There humbly fall before His feet,
For none can perish there.

Thy promise is my only plea,
With this I venture nigh;
Thou callest burdened souls to Thee:
And such, O Lord, am I.

Bowed down beneath a load of sin,
By Satan sorely pressed,
By wars without and fears within,
I come to Thee for rest.

Be Thou my Shield and Hiding place,
That, sheltered near Thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him, Thou hast died!

O wondrous Love, to bleed and die,
To bear the Cross and shame,
That guilty sinners such as I
Might plead Thy gracious Name!
     John Newton

My God! how wonderful Thou art

June 11

My God! how wonderful Thou art,
Thy majesty how bright!
How beautiful Thy Mercy-seat
In depths of burning light!

Yet, I may love Thee, too, O Lord!
Almighty as Thou art;
For Thou hast stooped to ask of me
The love of my poor heart.

No earthly father loves like Thee,
No mother e’er so mild,
Bears and forbears, as Thou hast done
With me, Thy sinful child.

My God! how wonderful Thou art,
Thou everlasting Friend!
On Thee I stay my trusting heart
Till faith in vision end.
     Frederick William Faber

Thee will I love, my Strength, my Tower

June 10

Thee will I love, my Strength, my Tower,
Thee will I love, my Joy, my Crown;
Thee will I love with all my power,
In all Thy works, and Thee alone;
Thee will I love, till the pure fire
Fill my whole soul with chaste desire.

I thank Thee, uncreated Sun,
That Thy bright beams on me have shined;
I thank Thee, Who hast overthrown
My foes, and healed my wounded mind;
I thank Thee, Whose enlivening voice
Bids my freed heart in Thee rejoice.

Uphold me in the doubtful race,
Nor suffer me again to stray;
Strengthen my feet with steady pace
Still to press forward in Thy way;
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.

Thee will I love, my Joy, my Crown;
Thee will I love, my Lord, my God!
Thee will I love, beneath Thy frown
Or smile, Thy scepter or Thy rod.
What though my flesh and heart decay?
Thee shall I love in endless day.
     Johann Scheffler Tr John Wesley