1. Olives that have known no pressure
No oil can bestow;
If the grapes escape the winepress,
Cheering wine can never flow;
Spikenard only through the crushing,
Fragrance can diffuse.
Shall I then, Lord, shrink from suffering
Which Thy love for me would choose?
Each blow I suffer
Is true gain to me.
In the place of what Thou takest
Thou dost give Thyself to me.
2. Do my heart-strings need Thy stretching,
Songs divine to prove?
Do I need for sweetest music
Cruel treatment of Thy love?
Lord, I fear no deprivation
If it draws to Thee;
I would yield in full surrender
All Thy heart of love to see.
3. I'm ashamed, my Lord, for seeking
Self to guard alway;
Though Thy love has done its stripping,
Yet I've been compelled this way.
Lord, according to Thy pleasure
Fully work on me;
Heeding not my human feelings,
Only do what pleases Thee.
4. If Thy mind and mine should differ
Still pursue Thy way;
If Thy pleasure means my sorrow,
Still my heart shall answer "Yea!"
'Tis my deep desire to please Thee,
Though I suffer loss;
E'en though Thy delight and glory
Mean that I endure the cross.
5. Oh, I'll praise Thee, e'en in weeping
Mingle with my song.
Thine increasing sweetness calls forth
Grateful praises all day long.
Thou hast made Thyself more precious
Than all else to me;
Thou increase and I decrease, Lord-
This is now my only plea. _________
Well, this hymn from the big hymnal really touched me yesterday night during home meeting. This hymn had reminded me how it is that I should give my life to the Lord and that whatever trials and problems I may face in the future, I should consider all loss as gain... loss of what I like to gain my dear Lord Himself... Just like how the hymn mention "In the place of what Thou takest, Thou dost give Thyself to me".
But this week during my walk with Him, I realise it's very difficult to do so... super hard... because I realise that I'm still unable to give up myself to Him... sometimes I can, but most of the time I just fail Him... Argh... I can't stand... can't stand the fact that I always fail Him, turn back to my flesh and empathise with it...
Dear Lord... help me to overcome my fleshly desire and turn more to you... Cause me, Lord, not to be distracted by the things of this world... But to turn our whole being to gaze upon You in all things that I do. Help me to overcome my desires and only do what pleases You the most. Amen!
Loben den HERR!
