September 9

The sacrifice of our will

“I seek not mine own will” (John 5:30).
“We ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done” (Acts 21:14).

There are no disappointments to those whose wills are buried in the will of God.
—F. Faber.

Absolute resignation to Divine Will baffles a thousand temptations, and confidence in our Savior carries us sweetly through a thousand trials.
—John Fletcher.


Laid on Thine altar, O my Lord divine,
Accept my will this day, for Jesus’ sake;
I have no jewels to adorn Thy shrine,
Nor any world-proud sacrifice to make;
But here I bring within my trembling hand
This will of mine—a thing that seemeth small;
And Thou alone, O God, canst understand
How, when I yield Thee this, I yield my all.

Hidden therein, Thy searching gaze can see
Struggles of passion—visions of delight—
All that I love, and am, and fain would be—
Deep loves, fond hopes and longings infinite.
It hath been wet with tears and dimmed with sighs,
Clinched in my grasp, till beauty hath it none.
Now, from Thy footstool where it vanquished lies,
The prayer ascendeth, “May Thy will be done.”

Take it, O Father, ere my courage fail,
And merge it so in Thine own will, that e’en
If, in some desperate hour, my cries prevail
And Thou give back my will, it may have been
So changed, so purified, so fair have grown,
So one with Thee, so filled with love divine,
I may not see or know it as my own,
But, gaining back my will, may find it Thine.

The will is the keystone to the arch of man’s being. It is the foundation stone of his whole mental and moral superstructure. If this is given up, or consecrated, all else will be laid on the altar with it.
—Lewis R. Dunn.

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