Delight

How good it is to delight in God...in His time, I will write more about what this has all entailed, but I wanted to share some powerful works from Gerhard Tersteegen, a 18th century poet/hymnist. These words express everything far better than I can.

Hidden in God’s Heart
How good it is, when weaned from all beside
With God alone the soul is satisfied,
deep hidden in his heart!
How good it is, redeemed, and washed, and shriven,
To dwell, a cloistered soul, with Christ in heaven
Joined, never more to part!

How good the heart’s still chamber thus to close
On all but God alone—
There in the sweetness of His love repose
His love unknown!
All else forever lost—forgotten all
That else can be;
In rapture undisturbed, O Lord, to fall
And worship Thee.

No place, no time, neath those eternal skies
How still, how sweet, and how surpassing fair
That solitude in glades of paradise
And, as in olden days, God walking there.
I hear His voice amidst the stillness blest
And care and fear are past
I lay me down within His arms to rest
From all my works at last.

How good it is when from the distant land
From lonely wanderings, and from weary ways
The soul hath reached at last the golden strand,
The Gates of Priase!
There, where the tide of endless love flows free
There, in the sweet and glad eternity
The still, unfading Now.
Ere yet the days and nght of earth are o’er,
Begun the day that is forever more—
Such rest art Thou!

Within the Holy Place
His priest am I, before Him day and night
Within His holy place
And death, and life, and all things dark and bright
I spread before His face.
Rejoicing with His joy, yet ever still,
For silence is my song
My work to bend beneath His blessed will
All day and all night long
Forever holding with Him converse sweet
Yet speechless, for my gladness is complete

The Royal Priesthood
The race of God’s anointed priests
Shall never pass away
Before His glorious face they stand
And serve Him night and day

Though reasons rave and unbelief
Flows on, a mighty flood
There are, and shall be until the end
The hidden priests of God

His chosen souls, their earthly dross
Consumed in sacred fire
To God’s own heart their hearts ascend
In the flame of deep desire
The incense of their worship fills
His temple’s holiest place
Their song with wonder fills the heavens
The glad new song of grace.