WAITING.

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.—Psalm xxv. 5.

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.—Psalm xxvii. 14.

The Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.—Isaiah, xxx. 18.

The Lord direct your heart into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.—II. Thessalonians, iii. 5.

They also serve who only stand and wait.

Milton.

How difficult the task to wait

For promises to be fulfilled,

To stand, and watch, and hope, though late

The coming glory be revealed.

To feel and know the sun will rise,

And patiently endure the night,

With eye of faith, through gloomy skies,

To see afar the dawning light.

Full many a fiery soul would dare

The scorn of man, the martyr’s stake,

Whose eager spirit could not bear,

Humbly to wait for Jesu’s sake.

We ask for some great thing to do,

Some mighty, herculean task,

And always doubt that God is true,

Because he grants not what we ask.

We sow, and look to see the grain

Bend with its weight the golden ears;

We pray, and deem our prayers are vain,

Because in heaven no sign appears.

Oh, give to me the christian’s mind,

Neither depressed, nor yet elate,

If active service be assigned,

Or patiently to watch and wait,

And still a patient joy to find,

Whatever be my earthly state.

Egone.