PERIL
SOVEREIGN COMMANDER OF THE UNIVERSE,
I am sadly harassed by doubts, fears,
unbelief in a felt spiritual darkness.
My heart is full of evil surmisings
and disquietude,
and I cannot act faith at all.
My heavenly Pilot has disappeared,
and I have lost my hold
on the Rock of Ages;
I sink in deep mire
beneath storms and waves,
in horror and distress unutterable.
Help me, O Lord,
to throw myself absolutely
and wholly on thee,
for better, for worse, without comfort,
and all but hopeless.
Give me peace of Soul, confidence,
enlargement of mind, morning joy
that comes after night heaviness;
Water my soul richly with
divine blessings;
Grant that I may welcome
thy humbling in private so that
I might enjoy thee in public;
Give me mountain top
as high as the valley is low.
Thy grace can melt the worse sinner,
and I am as vile as he;
Yet thou hast made me a monument of mercy,
a trophy of redeeming power;
In my distress let me not forget this.
All-wise God,
thy never-failing providence orders every event,
sweetens every fear,
reveals evil’s presence lurking in seeming good,
brings tears good out of seeming evil,
makes unsatisfactory what I set my heart upon,
to show me what a short-sighted creature I am,
and to teach me to live by faith
upon thy blessed self.
Out of my sorrow and night
give me the name Naphtali – ‘satisfied with favor’ –
Help me to love thee as thy child,
and to walk worthy of my heavenly pedigree.
This is an excerpt from a book Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett. If you would like to buy this book please click here.