“Give to the winds thy fears; Hope and be undismayed; God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears, God shall lift up thy head.” (Paul Gerbhardt, translated by John Wesley, 1737).
We are tempted to be dismayed – how I love these words translated by Wesley in 1737: “Give to the winds thy fears; hope and be undismayed.”
‘Hope and be undismayed!’ That is what the hymn that speaks tells our ‘tempted hearts’ to say. We must speak to our souls and give them words to think – today, today, in 2016 perhaps these words are what we must repeat:
“Give to the winds thy fears; Hope and be undismayed; God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears, God shall lift up thy head.”
Why not be dismayed?! These are times of great trouble. Persecuted Christians imprisoned, economic struggles, deceptive governments, struggles in the church, physical illnesses, and losses… of great magnitude.
Where is comfort when struggling with loss? Where is hope when we can’t see the end? Perhaps the Spirit breathes truth in the night when we speak to ourselves words from old hymns:
“Through waves and clouds and storms, He gently clears thy way; Wait thou His time; So shall this night soon end in joyous day.”
“Leave to God’s sov’reign sway to choose and to command; So shall thou, wond’ring, own that way, How wise, how strong His hand!”
“Let us in life, in death, Thy steadfast truth declare, And publish with our latest breath Thy love and guardian care.”
“Far, far above thy thought, His counsel shall appear, When fully He the work hath wrought that caused thy needless fear.”
I have today. I don’t know what tomorrow brings, so today I will think on these things and write what God shows me:“Leave to God’s sov’reign sway, to choose and to command; So shall thou, wond’ring, own that way, How wise, how strong His hand!”
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth…;” (Is. 55:10,11).
“…It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Is. 55:11). “Through waves and clouds and storms, He gently clears Thy way; Wait thou His time; so shall the night soon end in joyous day.”
“Will you believe Me, even in this?” I hear the Lord speak to my heart. I have a choice to make. Either a ‘faith’ choice to believe or a choice to fear and fret. I have a choice today. ” Oh, God, what does Your word say?”
“Do not fret…trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness…commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass…rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret – it only causes harm.” (Psalm 37:1-8).
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is. 55:8,9).
‘Let us in life, in death, Thy steadfast truth declare, And publish with our latest breath Thy love and guardian care.” “Far, far above thy thought His counsel shall appear, When fully He the work hath wrought That caused thy needless fear.”
“Faith choices Lord! Help me make ‘faith choices – and believe Your word:
“For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” Is. 55:12,13).
So today, I choose to do and believe: “Give to the winds thy fears; hope and be undismayed; God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears, God shall lift up thy head.”
Today I choose…to praise in the waiting. To worship while I wait…
“Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah “Through waves and clouds and storms, He gently clears thy way; Waith thou His time; so shall this night soon end in joyous day.”But You. O LORD are a shild for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah (Psalm 3:3,4).
Pause, and think calmly of that…
“Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments], making melody with all your heart to the Lord.” (Eph.5:19, Amplified).
We are tempted to be dismayed – how I love these words translated by Wesley in 1737: “Give to the winds thy fears; hope and be undismayed.”
‘Hope and be undismayed!’ That is what the hymn that speaks tells our ‘tempted hearts’ to say. We must speak to our souls and give them words to think – today, today, in 2016 perhaps these words are what we must repeat:
“Give to the winds thy fears; Hope and be undismayed; God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears, God shall lift up thy head.”
Why not be dismayed?! These are times of great trouble. Persecuted Christians imprisoned, economic struggles, deceptive governments, struggles in the church, physical illnesses, and losses… of great magnitude.
Where is comfort when struggling with loss? Where is hope when we can’t see the end? Perhaps the Spirit breathes truth in the night when we speak to ourselves words from old hymns:
“Through waves and clouds and storms, He gently clears thy way; Wait thou His time; So shall this night soon end in joyous day.”
“Leave to God’s sov’reign sway to choose and to command; So shall thou, wond’ring, own that way, How wise, how strong His hand!”
“Let us in life, in death, Thy steadfast truth declare, And publish with our latest breath Thy love and guardian care.”
“Far, far above thy thought, His counsel shall appear, When fully He the work hath wrought that caused thy needless fear.”
I have today. I don’t know what tomorrow brings, so today I will think on these things and write what God shows me:“Leave to God’s sov’reign sway, to choose and to command; So shall thou, wond’ring, own that way, How wise, how strong His hand!”
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth…;” (Is. 55:10,11).
“…It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Is. 55:11). “Through waves and clouds and storms, He gently clears Thy way; Wait thou His time; so shall the night soon end in joyous day.”
“Will you believe Me, even in this?” I hear the Lord speak to my heart. I have a choice to make. Either a ‘faith’ choice to believe or a choice to fear and fret. I have a choice today. ” Oh, God, what does Your word say?”
“Do not fret…trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness…commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass…rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret – it only causes harm.” (Psalm 37:1-8).
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Is. 55:8,9).
‘Let us in life, in death, Thy steadfast truth declare, And publish with our latest breath Thy love and guardian care.” “Far, far above thy thought His counsel shall appear, When fully He the work hath wrought That caused thy needless fear.”
“Faith choices Lord! Help me make ‘faith choices – and believe Your word:
“For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; And it shall be to the LORD for a name, For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” Is. 55:12,13).
So today, I choose to do and believe: “Give to the winds thy fears; hope and be undismayed; God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears, God shall lift up thy head.”
Today I choose…to praise in the waiting. To worship while I wait…
“Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, “There is no help for him in God.” Selah “Through waves and clouds and storms, He gently clears thy way; Waith thou His time; so shall this night soon end in joyous day.”But You. O LORD are a shild for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah (Psalm 3:3,4).
Pause, and think calmly of that…
“Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices [and instruments], making melody with all your heart to the Lord.” (Eph.5:19, Amplified).