Wednesday, February 04, 2009

AS LONG AS YOU ARE GLORIFIED

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.

Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2.7-10)

Mark Altrogge @ http://www.theblazingcenter.com has created a new song. He notes the rationale:

It’s easy to praise God in prosperity. But what do we do when we’re suffering? Job shows us that we should trust God at all times, not just in good times. I recently tried to capture this in a song:

AS LONG AS YOU ARE GLORIFIED

SHALL I TAKE FROM YOUR HAND YOUR BLESSINGS
YET NOT WELCOME ANY PAIN?
SHALL I THANK YOU FOR DAYS OF SUNSHINE
YET GRUMBLE IN DAYS OF RAIN?
SHALL I LOVE YOU IN TIMES OF PLENTY
THEN LEAVE YOU IN DAYS OF DROUGHT?
SHALL I TRUST WHEN I REAP A HARVEST
BUT WHEN WINTER WINDS BLOW, THEN DOUBT?

O, LET YOUR WILL BE DONE IN ME
IN YOUR LOVE I WILL ABIDE
O, I LONG FOR NOTHING ELSE AS LONG
AS YOU ARE GLORIFIED

ARE YOU GOOD ONLY WHEN I PROSPER?
AND TRUE ONLY WHEN I’M FILLED?
ARE YOU KING ONLY WHEN I’M CAREFREE?
AND GOD ONLY WHEN I’M WELL?
YOU ARE GOOD WHEN I’M POOR AND NEEDY
YOU’RE TRUE WHEN I’M PARCHED AND DRY
YOU STILL REIGN IN THE DEEPEST VALLEY
YOU’RE STILL GOD IN THE DARKEST NIGHT

O, LET YOUR WILL BE DONE IN ME
IN YOUR LOVE I WILL ABIDE
O, I LONG FOR NOTHING ELSE AS LONG
AS YOU ARE GLORIFIED

SO QUIET MY RESTLESS HEART, QUIET MY RESTLESS HEART
QUIET MY RESTLESS HEART, IN YOU.

From his conclusion:

Isn’t it amazing how the gospel so changes us that what matters most is the glory of Jesus, and not our own comfort? Let us be a people who overflow with praise and thanks, not only when we receive blessing from his hand, but when we receive hardship from his hand, trusting that even then he is working for our good and his glory.

NOTE: Sovereign Grace Music has graciously agreed to give away this song for free. DOWNLOAD IT HERE.

(Lyrics from the CD “Come Weary Saints”, copyright Sovereign Grace Music)

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