Life’s Shortness and God’s Lasting Mercy

MAKE us wise, Almighty God, ever to set our lives in the light of Thy countenance. When we think of life’s shortness, let us remember eternity’s lastingness. When we mourn over Man’s weakness, comfort us with God’s strength. When we have lifted our piteous cry touching the short life of the flower, how quickly gone; then let us turn, as the ancients did, and say: “Thy years are from everlasting to everlasting.”

When we see the falling, failing things of life, let us turn to the unshaken purpose, the unchanging will, the fixed things of God.

So, Lord God! when our sins are before us, and looking back upon the way we have travelled, we see here waters of bitterness, and there days of sin; here a wilderness made wild by our wilfulness, there barrenness spread by our sinfulness;—still may we turn to the merciful God: for though our sins are many, Thy mercy is great; though our sins are swift, Thine anger is slow; though our tears are many, Thou driest up all tears.

And when we look at death, and count with sad accurateness the empty places, and we long “for the sound of a voice that is still,” and cry for “the touch of a vanished hand;” then, Lord God, let us comfort ourselves, in that Thy truth and Thy mercy reach to children’s children. In Thee are all souls; to Thee belong all spirits; with Thee are the dead—with Thee, because they are alive. What is in Thee must be of the Living. They are in Thee, and they live!

And when our days are joyful, let us see no contrast to them in Thee, who art altogether lovely. To Thee, even the grave means beauty, and evil things are in Thy sight means to ultimate good. Thy joy is unbroken; Thy gladness, Thy blessedness, unshaken. O Lord God, in sunny days may we see Thee to be our sunshine, and in dark days may we see Thee still to be our light. “He that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth.” In the morning when we awake, let our first thought be: “O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.”

O Lord God! let come what will, sunshine or shower, few days or many, the pinching of poverty, or the glorious fulness of plenty; whether the head be bowed or upright; whether we rise to highest glory, or sink in deepest sorrow; whether we keep our souls clean or defile them with sin; whatsoever we do, even at our worst estate, we are near unto Thee. And at whatsoever time in our lives we turn to Thee, this we know: Thou wilt do what is best for the spirit that is within us; and wherever we go, we know it will be to our true destination. Into Thy hands, whether we are saintly or sinful, sad or glad, O God! we fall. Make our will Thine; then shall we say: “Not unto us, but unto Thy name be the glory.”

Receive our thanks, our hearty thanks, for all Thy mercy to us during the year that is past. Have mercy upon our folly. Pardon our sins. Hear us when we thank Thee for all that Thou hast done for us; and, Lord God, help us to thank Thee for the stroke, for the tear, for loss and darkness. Help us to sing Thy song in the night. And hear Thou the thanks of those who specially desire to render them to Thee for mercies received.

Lord God! let Thy grace in times past of our lives be to us a pledge that the God of our fathers, Who hath been good to us in childhood now, when some of us are old and grey-headed, will not forsake us. Be to us as Thou hast ever been to all who have trusted Thee, faithful even to the end. Hear us of Thy mercy, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.—AMEN.