Covenant

The past couple of days, the Lord has been overwhelming my heart with gratefulness for His constant care. For His tenderness to me when I'm breaking, His steadfastness when I'm failing. I love how His character and love doesn't change, even when my fickle emotions ride the waves. Thank goodness God is not like us! He has made a covenant with us that will never be broken and He is eternally faithful to this covenant. Am I? Will I love and follow Him in sickness and in health? In good times and in bad? God is drawing my heart to pursue more faithfulness and less fickleness. O God, bind my heart tightly to thee!

Lord, Jesus,

Grant me the favour of being lead by thee, under the directions of thy providence and thy word. Grant me the blessings with bitter things, to brighten and quicken me, not to depress and make me lifeless; Grant me, like Gideon of old, way-tokens, by removing things that discourage me; Grant me succour beneath the shadow of thy sympathy when I am tempted. Accept my unceasing thanks that I am not cast off from thy hand as a darkened star or rudderless vessel. Suffer not my life to extend beyond my usefulness; Cast me not under the feet of pride, injustice, riches, worldly greatness, selfish oppression of men; Help me to wait patiently, silently upon thee, not to be enraged or speak unadvisedly. Let thy mercy follow me while I live, and give me aid to resign myself to thy will. Take my heart and hold it in thy hand; write upon it reverence to thyself with an inscription that time and eternity cannot erase. To thy grace and the care of thy covenant I commit myself, in sickness, and in health, for thou hast overcome the world, fulfilled the law, finished justifying righteousness, swallowed up death in victory, and taken all power everywhere. Mark this covenant with thine own blood in the court of forgiving mercy; Attach unto thy name in which I believe, for it is sealed by my unworthy mortal hand. - The Valley of Vision (Puritan Prayer)