Because in each day, no matter how dark or how long, there is a praise to be found. Sometimes our hearts are too weary or too frightened to voice them, but our souls cry out to God... and He is there.
The Lord of light for all the earth
Was born when dark held sway.
His birth signaled that a new thing
Had begun on that day.
He brought to earth not only light,
But life and joy and peace.
Fulfilling God’s promise to man,
That His grace will not cease.
And let His praises ring.
For He who came to light the way
Is still heaven’s true king!
Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright
in heart.
Joy is such a simple thing
When seeing through my eyes,
But, when I stop to think of Him,
That joy is a surprise.
That matter here on earth,
It’s about the greatest of all,
The blessing of His birth.
To give us a new chance.
When I think of what I should face,
My soul can’t help but dance!
What true joy’s meant to be…
The fact that He loved us that much
Is perfect joy to me.
They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the
majesty of the Lord they shout from the west.
It’s easy to rejoice and sing
When this world falls in place,
But when we’re entwined in trouble,
Of joy, there is small trace.
To lift our hearts in song.
It may not fix what troubles us,
But joy can make us strong.
Even when life is rough,
Will see fresh blessings everywhere,
And have more than enough.
Rejoice and hope in Him.
Let that joy lift you through all things,
Whether hope filled or grim.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant
in prayer.
Tonight, my joy’s in simple things,
The wind brushing the eaves,
Or starlight dancing in between
The still unfallen leaves.
As the pace starts to slow.
There’s time to sit beside the fire,
To watch the embers glow.
Taking turns in the night
To keep close watch across the hills,
Their sheep, and the firelight.
As fear turned to delight,
But that stillness, which came before,
Lingers near me tonight.
That they received back then,
So, I’ll sit by my fire and watch.
I know He’ll come again.
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my
heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
I’ve never heard an angel sing,
But joy still fills my soul,
For I am redeemed from my sin.
His love has made me whole.
And comforted my grief.
When in despair, I called to Him
And found joyous relief.
And blessed that it is so.
I see His blessings everywhere,
And every day they grow.
I know their songs of praise,
For that same joy is in the songs
That I’ll sing all my days!
Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous
things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
That night the angels let their song
Of joy and praise ring out.
Yet, only shepherds on the hills
Heard the sound of their shout.
Above those of their kings,
The first to know, to hear the word,
And live the joy it brings.
And not their mortal pride.
Those He knew would do as He asked,
Spread His Word far and wide.
He blessed them above all,
The first to know the joyous news,
They heard His angels call!
The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor
among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.
You are the peace in which I rest
When I lay down at night.
You are the hope in which I rise
Within the morning’s light.
Through all that this life brings,
But it is in Your peace I find
The songs that my heart sings.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
What can you share with a sister
To heal a broken heart?
How can you uplift a brother
Making a brand new start?
When angst tears it apart?
How can you heal the wounds you cause
With no grace to impart?
Yet we forget to give
The same mercies and loving peace
That we each need to live.
While mired in despair.
That’s why we need each other’s joy,
Your joy is yours to share.
While always finding fault
In those with whom we walk life’s path.
Instead, heal and exalt.
We share a common call
To walk the walk, and live the talk,
And share His peace with all.
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort
one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and
peace will be with you.
We do not thank the Lord for food,
For wealth or our life’s hours.
We thank Him for the loving grace
That makes such blessings ours.
But such grace from the hand
Of Him who formed the galaxies
With a simple command.
While we are of small note.
For Him to see us and bless us
Is not mundane or rote.
Poured out on you and me.
Blessings beyond what we deserve
That He gives us freely.
Or our wealth on display,
It’s about love, joy, righteousness,
The peace He sends our way.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and
drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
My world lies wrapped a dark night
As it was long ago
When all there was to guide the way
Was one star to follow.
Left to their own design.
Yet they followed and there they found
The humble, but divine.
They bowed with great delight
In Him for whom they’d wandered far,
Through many a dark night.
So is it for us, too.
For He’s the light that shines for us,
That leads us home to You.
We know The Son will rise.
Thus, we will walk, peace in our hearts,
Til His light fills our eyes.
because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the
sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
I sit within Your perfect peace
And I can hear Your voice.
All the world may crash around me,
But my soul will rejoice.
Of what I see or hear.
It’s in the shelter of Your peace,
Where my soul knows no fear.
Filled with chaos and pain.
Yet, when I strip away the noise,
Your peace and grace remain.
However loud the din,
But I know I’ll find perfect peace
When I let You come in.
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
He sent the Twelve to share His word
To the earth’s very ends,
Not just to those they all knew well,
Their family and friends.
He told them what to do,
Offer His peace upon the house
And all who dwelled there, too.
Wherever we may go
We are to offer peace to all,
The loving peace we know.
That His peace must be theirs,
But for those who accept His love,
They’ll never doubt He cares.
The sins from which we’re spared,
Is the same peace we have received.
His peace, which must be shared.
Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this
house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if
not, it will return to you.
It is in the dark of winter
That my hopes and fears collide.
All my worries seem to nestle,
Tucked in closely at my side.
In the warmth of longer days,
But it holds more precious value
When the dark echoes in praise.
Fill my emptiness with Light.
In You I find hope abounding,
From You springs peace and delight.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
I dreamed about you earlier,
We laughed and had a chat.
Sitting, once more, in the kitchen
Where we’d so often sat.
When you stepped out of view.
I answered you with a question,
But no response from you.
But still heard nothing back.
So, I got up and followed you
Still making my wise crack.
Or, where you should have been,
You were not there. I was alone.
Then I woke up again.
But life must still go on.
The empty places in my heart
Reflect what is now gone.
That I’ll hug you again,
For we all trust in the promise
From heaven’s Son of Man.
For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is
not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?
From the stump of Jesse’s line
A shoot burst forth and grew,
As prophesied long years before.
His promise was proved true.
And His word does not fail.
Though darkness falls upon our lives
His Light and Grace prevail.
He called the Gentiles, too,
And covered us in redemption,
As only He could do.
That we can hold onto.
Though we are lost in this dark world,
His Light will lead us through.
And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even
he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”
The blossom sleeps in winter’s cold
Nestled beneath the soil,
And, with the advent of springs warmth,
Begins its work and toil.
Into unfolding plumes
That reflect summer’s bright sunshine
In all its joyous blooms.
That we will someday grow
To reflect back the grace of God
That we have come to know.
Of this, our sinful world,
But, patient in our hope, we’ll grow
Into His blooms unfurled!
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it
with patience.
How often do we turn our gaze
To that which can destroy,
Our troubles or our broken dreams,
While ignoring our joy.
But there are blessings, too.
Why do we focus on the pain,
But joy, we look right through.
For that is what we see.
If we spend our time counting tears
Then we’ll find misery.
Their troubles come, then go,
But their eyes stay fixed on His grace
From which all blessings flow.
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in
turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and
my God.
We live beneath His watchful eye,
And, if we look, we see
The power of His loving grace
Poured out for you and me.
By Him to whom we turn,
His Glory is abundant, and
His grace we cannot earn.
In love beyond compare
And who live in the faith that He
Will hear each lifted prayer.
To offer aught but strife,
While He blesses each breath we take,
Watching o’er every life.
To those who fear His name
And live knowing His steadfast love
Is always theirs to claim.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on
those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.
I struggled with it all day long,
This thing I couldn’t see,
A path to get from where I was
To where I ought to be.
In frustration and doubt
Until I dropped down to my knees
And let all my tears out.
Begging for a clear view
Along the path that lies ahead,
Of all I need to do.
From eyes to blurred to see,
Until I realized that You
Had cleared the view for me.
But I clearly see You,
And, since I’m called to walk in faith,
That’s what I plan to do.
Then listened for Your voice.
I stepped in faith into the fog
And felt my soul rejoice.
So we are always of good courage. We know that while we
are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by
sight.
The world thinks it is in control,
But His lambs know his voice
And they do not follow the world.
The Shepherd is our choice.
Or order that we speak,
But it is not the world’s orders
That His lambs care to seek.
Laid out so long ago
By the Shepherd who guides His flock.
Where He leads, we will go.
His lambs follow His Way.
Though this world offers its disdain,
We rejoice every day.
… The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by
name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before
them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
Today we lift up thanks to You
For all that we’ve received
And for the blessings of this life,
The burdens now relieved.
The worries of my past.
I thank You that my soul’s at peace,
I can rejoice at last.
As is the course of life.
We stand within the maelstrom of
The world’s anger and strife.
I’ve let go of the fear
Of all the things that might go wrong,
Because I know You’re near.
That’s always by my side.
Whether by blood or just though love,
Those precious hearts abide.
To make all my ends meet.
I may not have the wealth of Kings.
But just enough is sweet!
Through each struggle I’ve known,
And helped me understand struggles
Are why my faith has grown.
I was a wayward soul.
I thank You more that, by Your love,
My soul’s redeemed and whole.
But my list is so vast.
Lord, I thank You that You love me
I’m no longer outcast!
I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify
him with thanksgiving.
I seek for You when I am lost,
When life’s too hard to bear.
I call out to You, then I wait.
Though I may doubt, You care.
The strength to which I turn
When all the world is on fire
And I must watch it burn.
Though I don’t know the words.
I hear it sung on every breeze,
And by the morning birds.
And look back through each day
At all the moments You were there
To help me make my way.
The praises of my soul.
For You have loved me through it all
And, by Your love, I’m whole.
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation
of the Lord.
The world is filled with wondrous things,
Pleasing delights galore.
Wherever we may turn our gaze,
We find there’s always more.
By such a vast array
Off fascinating things to see
And do through every day.
But evil then stepped in
And tainted many wonders with
The bitter stain of sin.
Will often block our sight
Of You, who we were born to love,
Our one perfect delight.
This world that we walk through,
But help us even more to keep
Our eyes and hearts on You.
Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give
me life in your ways.
I sing my praises to the Lord,
His glory’s my delight.
He loved me, though I walked in sin,
He set my world aright.
And led me to the Light.
He turned my fears into new hope,
The dim path He made bright.
But I don’t walk in fright.
For I shall ever walk with Him.
I’m sheltered in His might.
Praising His holy name.
Call on Him from your own dark path,
His love is yours to claim.
Romans 10:13
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved.”
I watch the waves rush onto shore,
Rejoicing as they go,
And ask myself if there’s something
They know, that I don’t know.
Again, and then once more,
A joyous repetition of
What they have done before.
From what they’re called to do,
Instead, they hold fast to the joy
And faith that sees them through.
Sometimes I wonder why
I’m called to carry on and on,
Until I want to cry.
That He has called me to,
But sometimes I wonder “why me?
Isn’t there more to do?”
I heard a still, soft voice
Reminding me He has a plan,
But I can make a choice.
Though we don’t understand,
Yet I can turn away from this…
And miss what He has planned.
Rushing, joyous, to shore
And hold in faith through this trial
To what He has in store.
But I know He loves me
And I will face this trial with faith,
Doing so joyously!
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of
various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces
steadfastness.
You pour Your Grace out on me, Lord,
Abundantly it flows.
There, in the blessing of that stream,
My own thankfulness grows.
But You wait patiently
For me to remember who loves
And watches over me.
Your love’s already there.
The blessings flowing before I
Have lifted up my prayer.
How You can love me so,
But I could never doubt Your love
While standing in its flow.
He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink
abundantly as from the deep.
He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to
flow down like rivers.
He never has forgotten us
Though we have ignored Him.
He gave us light in the darkness,
Hope, when all else seems grim.
He led us through the narrow gate,
Along the valley’s rim.
He is the truth, the way, the life.
My soul belongs to Him.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
The world is spinning fast these days,
Or so it seems to me,
And I needed some quiet time
To sit still and just be.
I felt Your peace wash in.
I’d forgotten that’s what it takes
For healing to begin.
Rejoice and carry on,
And all it took was time with You.
My weariness is gone!
And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will
give you rest.”