“Behold, I come”—the darkness lightens
Above all sorrow and all fear;
Beyond the clouds the Daystar brightens,
And our deliverance is near;
The groaning earth awaits the hour
When all the wrongs of time are past,
And clothed with glory and with power,
The King of kings shall reign at last.
—Annie Johnson Flint
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight
1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
God, Creator of all things,
guide our hearts with your grace;
renew us by your Spirit,
and keep us in your peace.Drive away the darkness within us,
cleanse us from every sin;
let your light shine upon us,
and dwell within our hearts.
The world with its beauty and charms
Comes to me with wide open arms;
Its pleasures allure to embrace
But will end in pain and disgrace.
There is better beauty beyond
That I will enjoy before long;
The most beautiful and the best
Is the One who gives peace and rest.
—Perry Boardman
Gliding o’er life’s fitful waters,
Heavy surges sometimes roll;
And we sigh for yonder haven,
For the homeland of the soul.
Blessed homeland, ever fair!
Sin can never enter there;
But the soul, to life awaking,
Everlasting bloom shall wear.
Oft we catch a faint reflection,
Of its bright and vernal hills;
And, though distant, how we hail it!
How each heart with rapture thrills!
To our Father, and our Savior,
To the Spirit, Three in One,
We shall sing glad songs of triumph
When our harvest work is done.
‘Tis the weary pilgrim’s homeland,
Where each throbbing care shall cease,
And our longings and our yearnings,
Like a wave, be hushed to peace.
—Fanny Crosby
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.