A Word of Grace

Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely
And long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy—
I sing because I’m free—
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

Under His wings I am safely abiding.
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me.
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Refrain:
Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.

2 Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
there I find comfort, and there I am blest. [Refrain]

3 Under His wings, O what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me.
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore. [Refrain]

1 For the beauty of the earth, 
for the glory of the skies, 
for the love which from our birth 
over and around us lies. 

Refrain: 
Christ, our Lord, to you we raise 
this, our hymn of grateful praise. 

2 For the wonder of each hour 
of the day and of the night, 
hill and vale and tree and flower, 
sun and moon and stars of light, [Refrain ]

3 For the joy of human love, 
brother, sister, parent, child, 
friends on earth, and friends above, 
for all gentle thoughts and mild, [Refrain] 

4 For yourself, best gift divine, 
to the world so freely given, 
agent of God's grand design: 
peace on earth and joy in heaven.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings. 

We bid thee welcome in the name

of Jesus, our exalted Head,

Come as a servant, so he came,

And we receive you in His stead.

Oh, that the Lord would guide my ways
to keep his statutes still!
Oh, that my God would grant me grace
to know and do his will!

Order my footsteps by your Word
and make my heart sincere;
let sin have no dominion, Lord,
but keep my conscience clear.

Assist my soul, too apt to stray,
a stricter watch to keep,
and should I e'er forget your way,
restore your wand'ring sheep.

Make me to walk in your commands—
'tis a delightful road—
nor let my head or heart or hands
offend against my God.

1. Of the Father's love begotten,
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see,
Evermore and evermore.

2. At his word the worlds were framèd;
He commanded, it was done:
Heav’n and earth and depths of ocean,
In their threefold order one;
All that grows beneath the shining
Of the moon and burning sun—
[Evermore and evermore.]

3. He was found in human fashion,
Death and sorrow here to know,
That the race of Adam’s children,
Doomed by law to endless woe,
May not henceforth die and perish
In the dreadful gulf below—
[Evermore and evermore.]

4. O that birth forever blessèd,
When the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bore the Savior of our race,
And the babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed his sacred face—
[Evermore and evermore.]

Depth of mercy, can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear?
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?
"Whence to me this waste of love?"
Ask my Advocate above
See the cause in Jesus' face
Now before the throne of grace

I have long withstood His grace
Long provoked Him to His face
Would not harken to His calls
Grieved Him by a thousand falls
There, for me, the Savior stands
Shows His wounds, and spreads His hands
God is love, His grace so free
Depth of mercy, there for me

I my Master have denied
I afresh have crucified
And profaned His hallowed name
Put Him to an open shame
Jesus speaks and pleads His blood
He disarms the wrath of God
Now my Father's mercies move
He receives me with His love

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended, 
that we to judge thee have in hate pretended? 
By foes derided, by thine own rejected, 
O most afflicted! 

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee? 
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee! 
'Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee; 
I crucified thee. 

Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered; 
the slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered. 
For our atonement, while we nothing heeded, 
God interceded.

Not what these hands have done
can save this guilty soul;
not what this toiling flesh has borne
can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
can give me peace with God;
not all my prayers and sighs and tears
can bear my awful load.

Thy work alone, O Christ,
can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God, not mine,
O Lord, to Thee,
can rid me of the dark unrest,
and set my spirit free.

Thy grace alone, O God, 
to me can pardon speak;
Thy pow'r alone, O Son of God, 
can this sore bondage break.
I bless the Christ of God;
I rest on love divine;
and with unfalt'ring lip and heart,
I call this Savior mine.