O My FATHER, Give YOUR Own Blessing.

The world's pleasures are 

often curses in disguise!

(John MacDuff, "Ripples in the Twilight" 1885)

"Jabez called on the GOD of Israel
saying: 'Oh, that YOU would bless 
me indeed!' So GOD granted him
what he requested." 1 Chronicles 4:10

There is much apparent good not worth

calling by the name. What the world 

speaks of as blessings are, some

of them, often worthless, and many

of them positively evil and detrimental.

They are counterfeits--

they do not bear upon them

the coinage and currency of Heaven.

Satan has disguised them--

stamped them as true metal--

while they are base alloy!

Let us leave our blessings, and

the method of their bestowal, with

the Giver of every good and perfect gift--

into HIS hand committing our earthly all,

with this prayer of intense fervor yet

of simple faith,

"Oh that YOU would bless 
me indeed!"

I want nothing which the world

calls a blessing, unless YOU think

it proper for me. I want no shadows--

no baubles. I do not ask for riches--

they may be a snare to me.

I do not ask for . . .

  the cup running over,

  the barns full,

  the fig-tree blossoming,

  the home-nest without the thorn.

These might alienate me from

YOURSELF, and bind me

only closer to earth!

I want blessings indeed.

GOD of Israel!

I am no judge of this.

Whatever YOU give, will be

a true blessing to me.

And even if YOU take it away--

I will strive to believe that

the dark, painful dealing,

is YOUR kindness to me also.

Yes, we repeat, the world's pleasures 

are often curses in disguise--

like Cleopatra's viper, which was

hidden in a basket of flowers. 

There is often . . .

  an adder lurking in the bed of roses,

  a fly in the ointment,

  poison in the wine-cup!

But the blessings of GOD are blessings 

bearing HIS own divine seal and signature. 

They may come . . .

  in frowning providences,

  in baffling dispensations,

  in strokes of the chastening rod.

For the present they may seem 

not joyous, but grievous. But I am 

content to be in HIS hands--

joyful or sorrowful, in health or 

in sickness, living or dying. 

O my FATHER, give YOUR own 

blessing, and I shall bow my head 

in submission; for I can only hear 

in it accents of paternal love!

   ~  ~  ~  ~  ~ 

GraceGems has published John MacDuff's superb 31 day devotional,
"THE THOUGHTS OF GOD".
MacDuff is the finest overall devotional author we have ever read!