Rejoicing in Affliction

“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—let Israel now say.
Ps. cxxix. 1.

“From my youth they’ve oppressed,”
Let the church say in chorus.
“They have greatly distressed
But have not triumphed o’er us.
They have plowed on our back,
Bloody furrows endeavored,
But their traces and tack
God in righteousness severed.”

Yield you not to dismay
When affliction encroaches,
But rejoice that you may
Share the Savior’s reproaches,
For as Christ felt the rod,
He must also subject us,
Yet the troth of our God
Shall preserve and perfect us.

Could we count all the care
Of today’s tribulation,
‘Twere not fit to compare
With the promised salvation,
Which a curse-swollen earth
Stands on tiptoe to share it,
When she joins our rebirth
As we all things inherit.

May the foes of the blest
Be ashamed and confounded,
Be as grass on the crest
Of a roof gable grounded,
Which the sun’s healthy grace
Makes their depthless growth fail them,
With no baler’s embrace,
And no passers-by hail them:

Refrain—“May the Lord lift his face
Upon you and your labor!
May his peace and his grace
Shine upon you, O neighbor!”

—8/8/26. From Psalm 129. To “The Braes o’ Balquhidder.”

Autumn Day

‘Tis time, O Lord; long summer in the west
Hath sunken, like its sun, not long ago;
The fields that lately gleamed with fruitful glow
Now with abandon wildflow’rs have dressed.
Bring forth thy vintage fruits, final and best,
Yet first a few more golden rays bestow!
Just two or three more balmy days to grow
In sweetness; after that: thy wine be pressed.
The time to fall is not the time to build;
The time is come for lingering alone,
To wake, to read, to pen to paper bear,
To wander streets with contemplation filled
And follow ‘cross the lonely cobblestone
The drifting leaves along their here and there.

—7/25/26. Adapted from Rainer Maria Rilke, “Herbsttag.”

Shame Reversed

…you will forget the shame of your youth. Isa. liv. 4.

Naked in shame, we hid in fear,
Cursing the Name we should hold dear,
Exiled by flame, the source whereof
Yet proclaims his steadfast love.

Clothed in our skin, he bore our shame;
Killed for our sin, he rose to claim
Church without wrinkle, mark or spot—
“It is finished”: wondrous thought!

Risen to know his life above,
Where can we go without his love?
Waiting below to share his home:
Even so, Lord Jesus, come.

—7/17/26. To “Surrender” (Enfield). A love song.

Restlessness

I lie awake. Ps. cii. 7.

I know not how I ought to pray
In watches of the night,
When cares and sorrows on me weigh,
And sleep hath no delight.
Be near me, O my God, be near!
No other help can be.
If thou wilt sleep deny me here,
Still let me rest in thee.

I wish that I had wings to sail,
To like the dove retreat,
From ev’ry raging wind and gale
That earthward bind my feet.
I cast my burdens on thy grace—
O haste to hear my pleas!—
And ‘neath thee other hopes abase,
Assured that thou art peace.

Thou bidd’st me seek thy glorious face;
O give me heart to seek
Thy sov’reign beauty all my days,
Enthroned on Zion’s peak.
I long to seek no earthly toy,
But only, ever thee,
Who art my portion and my joy,
My God eternally.

Short as the watches of the night
My weary days pass on,
But as their watchmen with delight
Anticipate the dawn,
So to thy rise I lift my gaze,
O righteous, Sabbath Sun,
And set my heart to hope and praise
Till thou hast morn begun.

—7/4/26. To “Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul” (Twit) or “Kingsfold.” Insomnia IV.

Meditations: May 2026

When John proclaimed,
“The kingdom of heaven is at hand,”
He preached not a new Gospel but the same:
Every promise ever made is about to come true.

(Mark 1:15)

Teach us not to mistake our serpents for the fish we asked for, nor these stones for bread.

(Matthew 7:7-11)

Upon a Stormy Rainbow

A day is coming rainbow never knew,
The which the stars of heav’n have never heard,
With noonday light diminished by a third
And sanguinary sky instead of blue;
The sea, fenced still by bound’ry untransgressed,
Is serpent-churned, a boiling, livid wound;
The mountains all have fled into the ground,
Save transfixed Zion, fractured and distressed—
The cloudless heights furl back. Heav’n’s symphony
Ceases full half an hour. The weary sun
Yields mirror-glory back to blazing eye
And sev’nstrength-shining visage. It is done!
The trembling earth herself submits to die:
Thus may her resurrection be begun.

—5/27/26

Psalm 126

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Ps. cxxvi. 1.

When Zion’s fortunes were restored,
Her captives by her cov’nant LORD,
We dreamlike were, and then our tongue
And mouth were filled with happy song:
O thank the LORD, his goodness sure!
His steadfast love shall e’er endure!

(Ps 107:1-3)

The nations all proclaimed it then,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD for us has done great things;
Our ransomed soul with gladness rings.
O thank the LORD, his goodness sure!
His steadfast love shall e’er endure!

Restore our fortunes, cov’nant LORD,
Like streams upon the desert poured;
Those who have sown in tears the grain
Shall reap with shouts of joy again.
O thank the LORD, his goodness sure!
His steadfast love shall e’er endure!

The one who goes in weeping out
To sow with tears his seed about,
The same with shouts of joy shall come
To bring his fruitful harvest home.
O thank the LORD, his goodness sure!
His steadfast love shall e’er endure!

—5/26/26. To “Veni Emmanuel.”

Looking for the City

Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble. Ps. cvii. 5-6.

Home, O Lord, we scarce can taste it,
Roving o’er this pilgrim soil;
Let not lonely sighs go wasted;
Leave us not in strengthless toil;
Straightly lead to Zion’s towers,
Ever-numbered as our home,
Where the Bridegroom shall be ours—
O foundationed City, come!

(Heb 11:13-16; Gen 4:12; Ps 107:4-9; 48:12-14; Matt 9:15;
Rev 21:2; Heb 11:10)

Hear, O Savior, our entreaty
For our fortunes to reverse.
Thou dost suffer with the needy;
Thou hast sworn no heir to curse.
Though the rainless desert find us
Where we oft for streams have pled,
Still we trust paternal kindness
Did not send these stones for bread.

(Pss 14:7; 126:1, 4; Job 30:25; Rom 8:16-18; Isa 43:19-20;
Matt 7:9)

When desire will not perish
For a lawful pray’r, and good,
Teach us then our cross to cherish
As it lifts us up to God;
Be our joy mid want’s hosanna,
Grace sufficient for the thorn,
Day by day our daily manna,
And our fullness, though forlorn.

(John 12:32-33; Mark 11:9-10 cf Ps 118:25-26; 2 Cor 12:7-9;
Matt 6:11; Ex 16:18-21; Eph 1:23; 2 Cor 12:10)

We have all for thee forsaken,
Have desired no other love,
Save what from thy bounty’s taken,
From, and through, and to above.
Let our hearts on high be given,
Where no rust can tarnish worth;
Sound within us songs of heaven
As we walk this tuneless earth.

(Matt 19:27; Ps 73:25; Rom 11:36; Matt 6:20; Heb 11:13-16)

—5/21/26. To “Vancouver” (“Here Is Love”). A lament.

Grace

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift. Rom. iii. 23-24.

Subdue, O Lord, the dull pretense
That any good resides
In us, lest we should mount defense
Where even conscience chides.

Your holy sight has never known
The slightest tinge of sin
Without you did repay it on
The guilty head again.

Yea, could we upright be from hence
To keep your Law’s demand,
Guilt still could claim no recompense
Of goodness from your hand.

O freest God! By no man bound
To pity exercise,
We cast our laurels to the ground
And dustward bend our eyes.

Redeeming mercy, faithful grace,
And steadfast love we need;
Naught else can help our helpless case,
And naught beside we plead.

Grace ere the worlds salvation planned,
Grace saves each thus loved soul,
And grace shall keep us till the end,
When all salvation’s whole.

Lord, may we in your service e’er
Exalt that gracious scheme,
And may we everlasting bear
Your wondrous grace as theme.

—5/14/26. To “New Britain” (“Amazing Grace”). Based on JI Packer, Knowing God, “The Grace of God.”

Meditations and Notes: April 2026

Abba, may I have a fish?

(Matt 7:7-11)

Do not be drawn in different directions about tomorrow, for tomorrow will draw itself in different directions. Sufficient for the day its own malice is.

(John 6:34, word study)