Now...

I always loved this verse. I think it's such a great encouragement that no matter how frequently we mess up, our God is the One who is able to keep us and present us faultless with exceeding joy. What a glorious day of rejoicing that will be! God and the angels and redeemed mankind will all rejoice greatly at the Lord's great loving kindness and mercies and gracious dealings with His people. 

When you're struggling to hold on to that, remember this:

"The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth." Psalm 145:17-18. 

Whether it feels like that or not is another matter but our feelings do not dictate truth. 

He is gracious, and worthy of all the praise we can give, even in the hardest circumstances. We have many examples of this all through the Scriptures. 

A beautiful song I heard years ago!

I don't know why I've not posted this before, because I think the words are really lovely, but I'm fairly sure I haven't, so here it is. It's a great reminder at every time of year!

"I've heard it said that angels came to roll the stone away

I've heard them say, that morning, that the earth began to shake

And that the light that filled the garden also filled an empty grave

I've heard it said, He's risen from the dead

Repeat

Alive, alive, dead but now arisen

He's alive, alive, living now in heaven

As we wait for Him to come again some day

The people say, He is alive

Come one and all to wonder at the grave they laid Him in

Come see the tomb is empty, He has triumphed over sin

The power of death has been defeated and forgiven now we sing

O hear us sing, He's risen from the dead

Alive, alive, dead but now arisen

He's alive, alive, living now in heaven

As we wait for Him to come again some day

The people say He is alive

Beaten, rejected, crucified

Scorned and afflicted

Left to die

Risen, victorious, King of life

Saviour, Redeemer, Jesus Christ

Alive, alive, dead but now arisen

He's alive, alive, living now in heaven

As we wait for Him to come again some day

The people say He is alive"

author unknown to me!

Come Thou Fount

I've known this lovely old hymn for years but when I looked it up I found two extra verses I didn't know previously, and they're rather good. 

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

 Robert Robinson (1758)

There is a story (but sadly unverifiable) that Robinson had strayed away and many years later was sat in a stagecoach when a fellow traveller asked him if he knew the hymn. He replied, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then." It is said the lady gave a wise response; "Sir, the streams of mercy are still flowing." 

Whether it actually occurred and he returned we may never know, but I think it's an encouraging reminder of the blessing that the Lord is so very patient and merciful.