Mid Joy, Mid Sorrow

Mid joy, mid sorrow, my Lord will lead His child.
   With pain, with pleasure, He works redeeming grace.
Earthly things are taken, lost or soon exiled,
   Yet gold is gained in His smiling face.

When overwhelmed, I pray to You,
   O take my hand and lead me there,
Up to the Rock, my refuge true,
   Into the comfort of Your care.

- D. Benning

Rise Up, O Lord!

Rise Up, O Lord, defend Your cause,
  Give aid to us Your sheep so weak;
Come to our aid, dispel our fears,
  Have mercy on the meek.

Rise up, O Lord, come to our aid,
  They taunt and jeer Your Name;
Confront their evil plans, O God,
  And cover them in shame.

Rise up, O Lord, we are Your own,
  You are our Rock secure;
The storms may howl around our souls—
  Be e'er our Fortress sure.
 
Rise up, O Lord, lift up Your Church,
  That we may soar with You;
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done
  On earth as angels do.

- D. Benning

My Heart Is Stirred

My heart is stirred—a noble theme—
    as I recount the praise of Him,
    Of Him who is most excellent!
Let words flow out in constant stream.

Gird on Your sword, O mighty King;
    now clothe Yourself with splendor,
    with majesty and lips of grace.
Your praises shall Your people sing!

In majesty the King shall ride
    victorious in His cause of truth,
    His cause of meekness and of right—
Most awesome deeds attend His side.

Now hearken, daughter, caref'lly heed:
    Be enthralled by all your King is;
    Let Him joy in all your beauty;
He is your Liege, your Lord indeed.

The princess is all glorious
    her clothing golden beauty;
    she shall be brought unto the King,
rejoicing and victorious.
                                 D. Benning ©2016

    This poem has been set to music. 
    Click here to see and listen to the hymn.

The Lord Reigns

The Lord reigns, he is clothed with majesty; the Lord is clothed with strength, wherewith he has girded himself: the world also is established, so that it cannot be moved.

Your throne is established of old: You are from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; 

the floods lift up their waves.

The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, 

yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

Your testimonies are very sure: 

holiness adorns for Your house, 

O Lord, for ever.

Psalm 93, modified KJV

This psalm starts with the Lord.  That should be the starting point of all our discussions, our focus, our logic and our action.  Start with the Lord.  See Him high and lifted up.  His train fills the temple. (Isa. 6:1)  

See the Lord.  This is the Covenant Lord, the One who of His own volition bound Himself to His people by oath and covenant.  This great power of the Lord is for us and is "to us-ward" Eph 1:19 KJV) and is available so that we may say that we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.

See the Lord clothed with majesty.  Not with something that is majestic.  No, He puts on Majesty!  He is arrayed in the essence of all that is Majestic and Brilliant and Resplendent.  "Not with emblems of majesty, but with majesty itself: everything which surrounds him is majestic."  (Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Ps. 93)

But see also that the Lord is higher than all.  The nation rage and the people image things in vain, plotting how to overthrow God's authority (Ps. 2).  But He is above all that.  The Lord sits in the heavens and laughs, scoffs, at such puny attempts.  His throne is from ancient—it is eternal because the Lord Himself is from everlasting.

Spurgeon writes upon verse 4:

"Loud the stormy billows spoke,
Loud the billows raised their cry;
Fierce the stormy billows broke,
Sounding to the echoing sky.
Strong the breakers tossing high,
Stronger is Jehovah's might.
True thy words; and sanctity
Well becomes thy temple bright."

 And that brings us to the last verse.

This Psalm starts with the Lord reigning in Sovereignty.  This Psalm ends with holiness adorning His house.  Isaiah saw the Lord in unimaginable Glory and Splendor and heard the angels cry out "Holy, holy, holy!"  If we are properly contemplating the reigning Lord our response will be to adorn our house with holiness.  The Lord will have a pure and spotless Bride.  He is making His Church clean.  And we must do our part to cooperate with Him to become more and more sanctified because holines is fitting of all God's people.

 

Inspiration

     

Even as I sit here
In deep wonderment I am;
It's something between awe
And ad nauseam!
     Yet not that—but puzzlement.

I am not myself,
But another, yet unknown;
It is something in my finger
That I would seek to disown.
     Yet not that—but imprisonment.

I would that I could control it
(It from my stylus pours);
It must be tamed somehow,
Lest I myself deplore.
     Yet not that—but penitent.

This scourge that from my finger flows
Is sampled here upon this page;
It comes and keeps on coming—
I would to put it in a cage!
     Yet not that—but banishment.

But I reckon that it's here stay,
So I'll let it do its thing;
I'll let it pour out on paper
All its foolish clamorings.
     Yet not that—but accomplishments!

So I'll use this Gift from God
(He by His Grace bestowed it);
I'll nurture it and cherish it
And be a real composer-poet.
     Yet not that—but His instrument!

- D. Benning
02 Dec 1982