The Servant's Path in the Day of Rejection

(1) Servant of Christ, stand fast amid the scorn

Of men who little know or love thy Lord;

Turn not aside from toil; cease not to warn,

Comfort and teach. Trust Him for thy reward;

A few more moments’ suffering, and then

Cometh sweet rest from all thy heart’s deep pain.

(2) For grace pray much, for much thou needest grace,

If men thy work deride, what can they more do.

Christ’s weary foot thy path on earth doth trace

If thorn’s wound thee, they pierced Him before;

Press on, look up, though clouds may gather round,

The place of service He makes hallowed ground.

(3) Have friends forsaken thee, and cast thy name

Out as a worthless thing? Take courage then:

Go tell thy Master, for they did the same

To Him who once in patience toil’d for them

Yet He was perfect in all service here;

Thou oft hast failed: His maketh Him more dear.

(4) Self-vindication shun: If in the right,

What gainest thou by taking from God’s hand

Thy cause? If wrong, what dost thou but invite

Satan Himself thy friend in need to stand?

Leave all with God; if right He’ll prove thee so

If not He’ll pardon, therefore to Him go.

(5) Be not men’s servant: think what costly price

Was paid that thou mayest His own bondsman be,

Whose service perfect freedom is. Let this

Hold fast thy heart. His claim is great to Thee

None should thy soul enthrall, to whom tis given

To serve on Earth with liberty of Heaven.

(6) All His are thine to serve; Christ’s brethren here

Are needing aid; in them thou servest Him.

The least of all is still His member dear,

The weakest cost His Life-blood to redeem.

Yield to no “Party” what He rightly claims,

Who on His heart bears all His people’s names.

(7) Be wise, be watchful: wily men surround

Thy path. Be careful, for they seek with care

To trip thee up: see that no plea be found

In thee. Thy Master to reproach. The snare

They set for thee will then themselves enclose,

And God His righteous judgment thus disclose.

(8) Cleave to the poor, Christ’s image in them is,

Count it great honor if they love thee well.

Nought can repay thee after losing this.

Though with the wise and wealthy thou shoulds’t dwell,

Thy Master oftentimes would pass thy door,

To hold communion with His much loved poor.

(9) The time is short; seek little here below,

Earth’s goods would cumber thee and drag thee down;

Let daily food suffice, care not to know

Thought for tomorrow, it may never come.

Thou can’st not perish for thy Lord is nigh,

And His own care will all thy need supply.

J.J. Penstone

That Small Bird

One day a sparrow, winged in flight

Looked through our home and saw the light

Across the rooms, though not aware -

Between:  a barrier, hard and clear.

It struck the glass, and then it fell

Onto the grass below, so still.

It rested there, in sleep or death.

And I was told it was for me.

“The Lord is using that small bird

To let you know that you are heard.

He cares about your path, you know,

He cares when you are feeling low

And crushed beneath a weight of dread.

He cares so much! You know it’s said

Within His Word - you’re valued more

Than that small bird, or many more.

“So that’s a sign to let you know,

Again, that you are in His care.

You need not fear, you need not dread

What may or may not come to be.

That’s unbelief, do not you see?

But only trust the One Who bore

The crown of thorns upon His Head;

The One Who suffered in your stead,

That you could fly to realms above

In faith, e’en now, but soon BE there.

“You’re safe in Him Who does not sleep

Nor slumbers, but doth ever keep

The ones who love Him, in His grip

‘til our last breath doth pass our lips,

Or, better still:  He takes us up!

“We have His spirit and His word.

We have assurance that we’re heard.

We have His tender care, until

We’ve drawn our last, and we are still.

And then, e’en then, we have much more.

We’ve life with Him forevermore.”

So why do thoughts arise within?

Why do I fret? I know it’s sin.

He calls across the waves, “Fear not!

It’s I, be not afraid, nor caught

Within those thoughts that capture you

And drag you down and cause such harm.

It’s not My will that you should be

Enslaved by such anxiety,

alarm, and worry, little bird.

 You are My own, and you’ve been heard.

“I am above all these details,

I calm the seas, I close the mouths,

I have these things in my control,

And that will ever be my role.

My angels, they do yet My will.

In time ahead, it will be still.

You’re safe! You’re clothed! There is a path

Marked out for you, and much green grass

To nourish you until I come

And take you home, with all my own.

“So look above, and look beyond

This scene around, there’s more to come

much more you should be looking for.”

Later that day, I walked outside.

I had forgotten that small bird.

Though well I know that He had not!

It was still there, the little thing.

Perhaps, later, it did take wing.

It gave me hope, and still it does.

It makes me mindful of His love.

It does remind me of His care,

The One for me, Who did not spare

His son, but gave, and gave and gave some more.

He promises to keep my mind

In perfect peace.    So if I find

It wandering away, distressed,

I will just pray, and read His word,

And ask Him to return my thoughts to His sweet rest,

That He delights to give His own.

To focus on much better things:

To look on Him, and then, e’en sing!

There is so much, in Him, to cheer the heart.

To lift us up, above the earth,

To see the view of one who soars,

And is not bound by things below.

Sometime, reposted with scripture

Sometime

May Riley Smith

Sometime, when all life’s lessons have been learned,
And sun and stars forevermore have set,
The things which our weak judgements here have spurned,
The things so’er which we grieved with lashes wet,
Will flash before us out of life’s dark night,
As stars shine most in deeper tints of blue;
And we shall see how all God’s plans are right,
And how what seemed reproof was love most true.

And we shall see how, while we frown and sigh,
God’s plans go on as best for you and me;
How, when we called, He heeded not our cry,
Because His wisdom to the end could see.
And e’en as prudent parents disallow,
Too much of sweet to craving babyhood,
So God, perhaps, is keeping from us now
Life’s sweetest things, because it seemeth good.

And if, sometimes, commingled with life’s wine,
We find the wormwood, and rebel and shrink,
Be sure a wiser hand than yours or mine,
Pours out the potion for our lips to drink;
And if some friend you love is lying low,
Where human kisses cannot reach his face,
Oh, do not blame the loving Father so,
But wear your sorrow with obedient grace!

And you shall shortly know that lengthened breath
Is not the sweetest gift God sends His friends,
And that, sometimes, the sable pull of death
Conceals the fairest boon His love can send;
If we could push ajar the gates of life,
And stand within, and all God’s workings see,
We could interpret all this doubt and strife,
And for each mystery could find a key.

But not today. Then be content, poor heart;
God’s plans, like lilies pure and white, unfold;
We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart,—
Time will reveal the chalices of gold.
And if, through patient toil*, we reach the land
Where tired feet, with sandals loosed, may rest,
When we shall clearly see and understand,
I think we will say, God knew the best.”

*just to clarify - it's not our "patient toil" that gets us to heaven. But:

"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God" I Peter 3:18

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us" Titus 3:5

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Romans 6:23

"the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" I John 1:7

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved"  Acts 16:31

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." John 6:47