The Divine Will
O LORD,
I hang on thee; I see, believe, live,
when thy will, not mine, is done;
I can plead nothing in myself
in regard of any worthiness and grace,
in regard of thy providence and promises,
but only thy good pleasure.
If thy mercy make me poor and vile,
blessed be thou!
Prayers arising from my needs
are preparations for future mercies;
Help me to honor thee by believing before I feel,
for great is the sin if I make feeling a cause of faith.
Show me what sins hide thee
from me and eclipse thy love;
help me to humble myself for past evils,
to be resolved to walk with more care,
For if I do not walk holily before thee,
how can I be assured of my salvation?
It is the meek and humble
who are shown thy covenant,
know thy will, are pardoned and healed,
who by faith depend and rest upon grace,
who are sanctified and quickened,
who evidence thy love.
Help me to pray in faith and so find thy will,
by leaning hard on thy wich free mercy,
by believing thou wilt give
what thou hast promised;
Strengthen me to pray
with the conviction that whatever I
receive is thy gift,
so that I may pray until prayer be granted;
Teach me to believe that all degrees of mercy
arise from several degrees of prayer,
that when faith is begun
it is imperfect and must grow,
as chapped ground opens wider and wider
until the rain comes.
So shall I wait thy will, pray for it to be done,
and by thy grace become fully obedient.
—Valley of Vision
In his book Here and Now, Henri Nouwen shares a wide range of experiences and points with bracing honesty to the spiritual lesson in the situation and the opportunity we have to see God show up, present in the moment. In today’s reading, he gives us a parallel thought to ponder—patience is required to be fully present and to fully experience God in the situation. Patience comes from the word patior, which means “to suffer.” Jesus promises suffering in this life: “I tell you . . . you will be weeping and wailing . . . and you will be sorrowful.” But he likens these experiences to birth pains. And so, what seems a hindrance becomes a way; what seems an obstacle becomes a door; what seems a stumbling block becomes a cornerstone. Jesus changes our history from a random series of sad incidents and accidents into a constant opportunity for a change of heart. To wait patiently, therefore, means to allow our weeping and wailing to become the purifying preparation by which we are made ready to receive the joy that is promised to us. Let us pray the prayer Nouwen offers, may we “be patient and trust that the treasure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.” —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics