Oh God, who made the summer
and warmed the earth with beauty,
Warm our hearts with gratitude
and devotion to our duty.
For in this age of violence, rebellion, and defiance,
We’ve forgotten the true meaning
of dependable reliance.
We have lost our sense of duty
and our sense of values, too,
And what was once unsanctioned no longer is taboo.
Our standards have been lowered,
and we resist all discipline,
And our vision has been narrowed
and blinded to all sin.
Oh, put the summer brightness
in our closed, unseeing eyes,
So in the careworn faces that we pass we’ll recognize
The heartbreak and the loneliness,
the trouble and despair
That a word of understanding
would make easier to bear.
Oh God, look down on our cold hearts
and warm them with Your love,
And grant us Your forgiveness
which we’re so unworthy of.
It’s true we have never looked on His face,
But His likeness shines forth from every place,
For the hand of God is everywhere
Along life’s busy thoroughfare,
And His presence can be felt and seen
Right in the midst of our daily routine.
Things we touch and see and feel
Are what make God so very real.
God’s love is like an island
in life’s ocean, vast and wide,
A peaceful, quiet shelter from the restless, rising tide.
God’s love is like a fortress,
and we seek protection there
When the waves of tribulation
seem to drown us in despair.
God’s love is like a sanctuary
where our souls can find sweet rest
From the struggle and the tension
of life’s fast and futile quest.
God’s love is like a tower rising far above the crowd,
And God’s smile is like the sunshine
breaking through the threatening cloud.
God’s love is like a beacon
burning bright with faith and prayer,
And through all the changing scenes of life
we can find a haven there.
Where there is love the heart is light,
Where there is love the day is bright.
Where there is love there is a song
To help when things are going wrong.
Where there is love there is a smile
To make all things seem more worthwhile.
Where there is love there’s a quiet peace,
A tranquil place where turmoils cease.
Love changes darkness into light
And makes the heart take wingless flight.
Oh, blessed are those who walk in love
They also walk with God above….
And love that once seemed yours alone
God gently blends into His own.
Have you ever been caught in a web you didn’t weave,
Involved in conditions that are hard to believe?
Have you ever felt you must speak and explain and deny
A story that’s groundless or a small, whispered lie?
Have you ever heard rumors you would like to refute
Or some telltale gossip you would like to dispute?
Well, don’t be upset, for God knows the score,
And with God as your judge you need worry no more.
For men may misjudge you, but God’s verdict is fair,
For He looks deep inside and is deeply aware
Of every small detail in your pattern of living,
And always He’s fair and lenient and forgiving,
And knowing that God is your judge and your jury
Frees you completely from man’s falseness and fury.
And secure in this knowledge, let your thoughts rise above
Man’s small, shallow judgments that are so empty of
God’s goodness and greatness in judging men,
And forget ugly rumors and be happy again.
The farmer plows through the fields of green,
And the blade of the plow is sharp and keen,
But the seed must be sown to bring forth grain,
For nothing is born without suffering and pain,
And God never plows in the soul of man
Without intention and purpose and plan.
So whenever you feel the plow’s sharp blade,
Let not your heart be sorely afraid,
For like the farmer, God chooses a field
From which He expects an excellent yield.
So rejoice though your heart be broken in two—
God seeks to bring forth a rich harvest in you.
We are all God’s children and He loves us, every one.
He freely and completely forgives
all that we have done,
Asking only if we’re ready to follow where He leads,
Content that in His wisdom
He will answer all our needs.
Sometimes, when a light
goes out of our lives,
and we are left in darkness
and we do not know which way to go,
we must put our hand
into the hand of God
and ask Him to lead us;
and if we let our lives become a prayer
until we are strong enough
to stand under the weight
of our own thoughts again,
somehow, even the most difficult
hours are bearable.
It’s easy to say “In God we trust”
when life is radiant and fair,
But the test of faith is only found
when there are burdens to bear.
For our claim to faith in the sunshine
is really no faith at all,
For when roads are smooth and days are bright
our need for God is so small.
And no one discovers the fullness
or the greatness of God’s love
Unless they have walked in the darkness
with only a light from above.
For the faith to endure whatever comes
is born of sorrow and trials
And strengthened only by discipline
and nurtured by self-denials.
So be not disheartened by troubles,
for trials are the building blocks
On which to erect a fortress of faith,
secure on God’s ageless rocks.
Do not be anxious, said our Lord,
Have peace from day to day—
The lilies neither toil nor spin,
Yet none are clothed as they.
The meadowlark with sweetest song
Fears not for bread or nest
Because he trusts our Father’s love,
And God knows what is best.
There is really nothing we need know
or even try to understand
If we refuse to be discouraged
and trust God’s guiding hand,
So take heart and meet each minute
with faith in God’s great love,
Aware that every day of life
is controlled by God above.
And never dread tomorrow
or what the future brings.
Just pray for strength and courage
and trust God in all things,
And never grow discouraged—
be patient and just wait,
For God never comes too early,
and He never comes too late.
I am perplexed and often vexed,
And sometimes I cry and sadly sigh,
But do not think, dear Father above,
That I question You or Your unfailing love.
It’s just that sometimes when I reach out,
You seem to be nowhere about.
And while I’m sure You love me still,
I know in my heart that You always will,
Somehow I feel I cannot reach You.
And though I get on my knees and beseech You,
I cannot bring You close to me,
And I feel adrift on life’s raging sea.
But though I cannot find your hand
To lead me on to the promised land,
I still believe with all my being
Your hand is there beyond my seeing.
Take heart and meet each minute
with faith in God’s great love,
Aware that every day of life
is controlled by God above.
And never dread tomorrow
or what the future brings—
Just pray for strength and courage
and trust God in all things.