How Sweet to Bow and Wait — Don Fortner
(Tune: O for a Thousand Tongues #46 CM)

1. How sweet to bow and wait before
The throne of my dear Lord;
Surrender to His providence,
And wait to hear His word.

2. Sickness and health, sorrow and joy,
He wisely measures out:
Faithful and true, He does me good;
His love I cannot doubt!

3. My Father knows just what I need
To make me trust Him more,
To draw my heart to Christ in love,
And seek His will the more.

4. I lay myself before Your throne,
My God, Your will be done!
Order my steps and guide my heart
To magnify Your Son.

5. Holy Spirit, as I wait,
Descend upon my soul,
Inscribe upon my heart Your will,
And make my spirit whole.

From our perspective, it generally looks as though the moon has a light of its own. But during an eclipse – when the moon comes between Earth and the sun – the moon is shown for what it is: a dark and dead body. Rather than adding light to the sun, it actually diminishes the sunlight that reaches us.

So it is with doctrine. While in its proper position, it shines with a brilliant light or glory. But, just as with the moon, the glory of doctrine is not its own, it is Christ. The proof of this is simple. Let any doctrine occupy a place between Christ and us, and it will “eclipse” the glory of Christ and become a dead and darkening thing to our souls.

Election is a glorious and wonderful doctrine. But its glory is wholly borrowed from Christ. There is no glory in election apart from the fact that “we are chosen in Him…” Predestination has no glory apart from the fact that we are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. Redemption viewed by itself becomes nothing more than a point of contention and pride. Arguments arise over its extent and scope. But, when we understand that we have redemption in Christ, even more, that Christ IS our redemption, then all arguments over its extent and scope are silenced and a glorious, God-honoring, soul-comforting truth appears: that every blood-bought sinner IS redeemed by a redemption that cannot be undone. And so the principle applies to every truth: until truth is seen in its proper relation to Christ, it is a dead and dark thing. But when it is viewed in proper relation to Christ, it shines with His glory and reveals His glory to us.

Child of God, your afflictions in this world may be many, heavy and long, but they will never destroy, or even harm you. Therefore the Lord your God says, “Fear not.” Then he gives you these ten blessed promises to silence your fears.

1. “I have redeemed thee!” — Christ has redeemed you by the price of his precious blood and the power of his omnipotent grace. If he has redeemed you, nothing and no one can harm you.

2. “I have called thee by thy name!” — All whom he has redeemed are called, called with an effectual, irresistible, personal call. This is efficacious grace!

3. “Thou art mine!” — What a blessed word of grace! You belong to God as his peculiar possession, his new creation. That means you are under his protection and provision.

4. “I will be with thee!” — Wherever God by his providence puts you, he will be with you in sympathy and in power to take care of you.

5. “I am the LORD thy God, the holy One of Israel!” — The almighty God, the Holy One, who is always faithful and true, is as much your property as you are his property, because he has given himself to you.

6. “I am thy Savior!” — When he says, “I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee,” our Lord is saying, “I have bought you at such a price that I cannot afford to lose you.”

7. “Thou art Precious in my sight!” — You are God’s treasure, his jewel. Though despised by men, if you are a believer, you are precious to God!

8. “Thou hast been honorable!” — You are not honorable by nature, nor by any of your deeds, but God by his grace has made you honorable. He has washed away your sin by the blood of Christ and robed you with his perfect righteousness.

9. “I have loved thee!” — Let men talk all they please about a useless, universal love. This is special love! God so loves his own elect that he will sacrifice men and nations for them!

10. “I have created (you) for my glory!” — The very glory of the triune God is wrapped up in the salvation of his people. He will either save all the chosen seed, all who are called by his name, and save them from all evil, or he will lose his glory; and that cannot be!

His decree Who formed the earth fixed my first and second birth;
Parents, native place and time, all appointed were by Him.
He that formed me in the womb, He shall guide me to the tomb;
All my times shall ever be ordered by His wise decree.
Plagues and deaths around me fly; till He bids, I cannot die;
Not a single shaft can hit, till the God of love sees fit!