In an attempt to brighten things up....

[steve-in-kville]

.... what scripture, song, hymn or quote do you reference when you're feeling down?

I've carried the lyrics to a contemporary Christian song in my notebook for a year or so now. Its a song of grace and redemption and that God doesn't use those that are perfect but those that are scarred. This really spoke to me.

This week has been extra rough, both personally and otherwise. Its been rough on everyone.

[Joy]

A Seventeenth-Century hymn that reminds us of the unshakables,
"If Thou but Suffer God to Guide Thee."

by Georg Neumark, 1621-1681

If thou but suffer God to guide thee
And hope in Him through all thy ways,
He'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee,
And bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God's unchanging love
Builds on the Rock that naught can move.

Be patient and await His leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate'er thy Father's pleasure
And His discerning love hath sent,
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known
To Him who chose us for His own.

God knows full well when times of gladness
Shall be the needful thing for thee.
When He has tried thy soul with sadness
And from all guile has found thee free,
He comes to thee all unaware
And makes thee own His loving care.

[queserasera_2]

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,
Our God ever yearns His resources to share;
Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;
The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His power no boundary known unto men;
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
-Annie Johnson Flint

[steve-in-kville]

If grace was a kingdom
I stopped at the gate
Thinking I don't deserve to pass through after all the mistakes that I've made

Oh but I heard a whisper
As Heaven bent down
Said, "Child, don't you know that the first will be last and the last get a crown"

Now I'm just a beggar in the presence of a King
I wish I could bring so much more
But if it's true You use broken things
Then here I am Lord, I'm all Yours

The pages of history they tell me it's true
That it's never the perfect; it's always the ones with the scars that You use

It's the rebels and the prodigals; it's the humble and the weak
All the misfit heroes You chose
Tell me there's hope for sinners like me

Now I'm just a beggar in the presence of a King
I wish I could bring so much more
But if it's true You use broken things
Then here I am Lord, I'm all Yours

Grace is a kingdom
With gates open wide
There's a seat at the table just waiting for you
So, come on inside

-Matthew West

[Bootstrap]

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"In ev'ry condition— in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home or abroad, on the land, on the sea,
As days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

"Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand.

"When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow,
For I will be with thee, thy trials to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!"

[Neto]

Now I Belong to Jesus

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul;
Now I belong to Him;

(Chorus)
Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.

Once I was lost in sin's degradation,
Jesus came down to bring me salvation,
Lifted me up from sorrow and shame,
Now I belong to Him;

Chorus

Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me,
Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me
His precious blood, He came to redeem,
Now I belong to Him;

Chorus

(And No, I don't think this is teaching "eternal salvation" or "cheap grace".)

[MaxPC]

Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring
with lyrics.

[AnthonyMartin]

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Doth his successive journeys run;
His Kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
2
To Him shall endless prayer be made.
And princes throng to crown His head,
His name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.
3
People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.
4
Blessings abound where’er He reigns:
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains,
The weary find eternal rest,
And all the sons of want are blest.
5
Where He displays His healing power
Death and the curse are known no more;
In Him the tribes of Adam boast
More blessings than their father lost.
6
Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud Amen.

[Aurien]

This is sung by a southern gospel trio called The Talleys. I have lots of favorite songs but this one tends to run through my mind more than most when I'm upset about something.

Jenny's got more month than she's got money
Works three jobs; she's barely getting by
Bob got word his Mom's been told it's cancer
So many questions, and all of them ask why

We're living in a broken world
And a broken world won't give you any answers
Everything is upside down
Wrong is right and right is wrong
But not for long, no, not for long

This broken world is cradled by a Savior
And nothing here can take Him by surprise
Someday all this hurting will be over
And every tears been wiped away and dried
But for now, we're living in a broken world
But not for long, no, not for long

Mama spends her wakin' hours prayin'
Her child's done gone left everything behind
Daddy's getting tired; his faith is fadin'
You can't get water from a well that's runnin' dry

We're living in a broken world
And a broken world won't give you any answers
Everything is upside down
Wrong is right and right is wrong
But not for long, no, not for long

This broken world is cradled by a Savior
And nothing here can take Him by surprise
Someday all this hurting will be over
And every tears been wiped away and dried
But for now, we're living in a broken world
But not for long, no, not for long

[Wade]

.... what scripture, song, hymn or quote do you reference when you're feeling down?

I've carried the lyrics to a contemporary Christian song in my notebook for a year or so now. Its a song of grace and redemption and that God doesn't use those that are perfect but those that are scarred. This really spoke to me.

This week has been extra rough, both personally and otherwise. Its been rough on everyone.

Enjoy Steve!

[video][/video]

Fight on my brother!