Israel believed that God was a saving God, not because some thinker evolved the conception from his fertile mind, but because He had revealed Himself in their history as a saving God. He had chosen Israel, when Israel was weak and in bondage, and He had sent Moses down to Egypt in His name to lead them forth. By a great and wonderful deliverance He had delivered them, and through all their history they could not forget it. That deliverance was regulative for all their thinking of God. They believed that He was the controller of history just because it was in history that He had revealed His character to them. They believed that He was the controller of Nature just because He had used Nature as the instrument of that deliverance. In the subsequent history God shows Himself a saving God repeatedly, and uses both Nature and men in whom is His spirit to effect deliverance.

With eager heart and will on fire, 

I fought to win my great desire; 

"Peace shall be mine,'* I said; but life 

Grew bitter in the weary strife. 



My soul was tired, and my pride 

Was wounded deep; to Heaven I cried, 

"God grant me peace or I must die"; 

The dumb stars glittered no reply. 



Broken at last, I bowed my head. 

Forgetting all myself, and said, 

"Whatever comes. His will be done"; 

And in that moment peace was won. 

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater, 
He sendeth more strength as our labors increase; 
To added afflictions He addeth His mercy, 
To multiplied trials He multiplies peace. 

When we have exhausted our store of endurance, 
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done, 
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources 
Our Father's full giving is only begun. 

His love has not limits, His grace has no measure, 
His power no boundary known unto men; 
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus 
He giveth, and giveth and giveth again. 

Oh God, we go through life so lonely, needing what other people can give us, yet ashamed to show that need.  And other people go through life so lonely, hungering for what it would be such a joy for us to give.  Dear God, please bring us together, the people who need each other, who can help each other, and would so enjoy each other.

Have courage for the great sorrows of life
and patience for the small ones;
and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task,
go to sleep in peace.
God is awake.

Not what, but Whom, I do believe,

     That, in my darkest hour of need,

     hath comfort that no mortal creed

     To mortal man give;--

   Not what, but Whom!

     For Christ is more than all the creeds,

     And His full life of gentle deeds

     Shall all the creeds outlive.

   Not what I do believe, but Whom!

     Who walks beside me in the gloom?

     Who shares the burden wearisome?

     Who all the dim way doth illume,

     And bids me look beyond the tomb

     The larger life to live? --

   Not what I do believe,

     But Whom!

     Not what,

     But Whom!      

Nothing before, nothing behind;
the steps of faith fall on the seeming void
and find the rock beneath.

I did not find my friends; the good God gave them to me.

I know not by what methods rare, 
But this I know: 
God answers prayer.

God knows, not I, the reason why
His winds of storm drive through my door;

I am content to live or die
Just knowing this, nor knowing more.

My Father’s hand appointing me
My days and ways, so I am free.