Thursday, February 5, 2009

Early will I seek thee


(Photo by Richard Lawry of Mena, Arkansas. Used by permission.)

I don’t know what you use your little black book for, but I used mine to write down things too important to forget. I remember copying down the following poem and Bible verses in my small, loose-leaf, two-ring binder when I was twenty years old. That was almost 48 years ago. I don't know whatever became of the little black book, but the poem and verses are still very much with me.

The Secret
by Ralph S.Cushman


I met God in the morning
When my day was at its best,
And His Presence came like sunrise
Like a glory in my breast.

All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O’er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them
Brought to us a peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings,
With the Presence left behind.

So I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!

(Published in Spiritual Hilltops by Ralph S. Cushman, Copyright 1932, The Abingdon Press.)


“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee.” --Psalm 63:1

“With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” --Isaiah 26:9


If you don’t have a little black book, maybe you ought to get one.

8 comments:

  1. Lovely photo by Richard Lawry and sometimes I envy those who are able to believe in some kind of deity. Where did Richard take that photo or is this part of another RWP quiz?

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  2. Hey there, Yorkshire Pudding, not a part of another quiz, LOL! Richard took the photograph on a trip to Belize (formerly British Honduras). I requested and obtained permission from Richard to use his photograph after I saw it on his January 27, 2009 post, "B is for Belize". It is lovely, isn't it?

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  3. P.S. to Y. Pudding - I didn't mean to ignore the first part of your comment, sorry. I don't think any human is able to belive. Belief isn't something you work up or reason yourself into. I think faith is very much a gift God gives to those who show the slightest inclination toward Him, to help them move closer.

    Do you know the story of C. S. Lewis, an atheist who called himself "the most reluctant convert in all England"? Here is an abbreviated version of the story of his journey from atheism to theism first and Christianity eventually. Fascinating reading.

    C. S. Lewis

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  4. Lovely, Bob. Thanks for the bit of serenity.

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  5. No little black book here, but lots of colorful spiral notebooks.
    Wonderful poem.....I have a little book by the author, bought recently at a thrift store.

    Very good.....your comment about us not developing faith on our own....it is a gift of God. The Lutherans teach that.....rhymsie, you could be a Lutheran!

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  6. Oh, no.....I forgot I was signed in with my real name.....that previous comment was from ME....Jeannelle.

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  7. Lois - Are you an Iowan, by any chance?? Who raises cows??

    Lois a.k.a. Jeannelle - You can't fool me. Every bovine between here and Saskatchewan knows your real name is Jeallene....

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  8. <Ruth - Glad to have a calming effect in your very busy day!

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<b>Always true to you, darlin’, in my fashion</b>

We are bombarded daily by abbreviations in everyday life, abbreviations that are never explained, only assumed to be understood by everyone...