Strength of My Heart

 

Strength of my heart, I need not fail,

Not mine to fear but to obey,

With such a leader who could quail?

Thou art as Thou wert yesterday.

Strength of my heart, I rest in Thee,

Fulfill Thy purposes through me.

 

Love of my heart, my streams run dry.

O Fountain of the heavenly hills,

Love, blessed love, to Thee I cry,

Flood all my secret hidden rills.

Waters of love, oh, pour through me;

I must have love, I must have Thee.

 

Lord, give me love, then I have all,

For love casts out tormenting fear,

And love sounds forth a trumpet call

To valiant hope; and sweet and dear

The birds of joy sing in my tree,

Love of my heart, when I have Thee.

 – Amy Carmichael

 

I have been reading my way through Gold Cord, Amy’s account of the Dohnavur fellowship in India. Throughout the book, she includes many of her beautiful poems, and I found this one especially comforting. Such simple truths expressed so eloquently.

 

Strength of my heart, I need not fail, not mine to fear but to obey. Verses from the Psalms like “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength” (Psalm 18:1) and “the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) come to mind. What peace this speaks to my disquieted heart. He has promised me everlasting strength – the strength that is made mighty in my weaknesses. I need not fail because the Lord of the Universe is on my side.  My role is to simply trust and obey Him.

 

Thou art as Thou wert yesterday. “For I am the LORD, I change not” (Malachi 3:6). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Everything in the world is dynamic and unreliable, while He is the unchanging rock of my life. People will disappoint me, circumstances will change, seasons will come and go, my emotions will fluctuate. When these overwhelm me, I can run to the Eternal One. He will always be the same. His mercy, grace, and love will never end. What an amazing God we serve!

 

Lord, give me love, then I have all. If I do not have love, then I have nothing (I Corinthians 13:2). Without love, my service means nothing. Love is to be the great motivator for all I do. It is to characterize my actions. Love suffers long, puts others first, bears all things, endures all things, is not easily provoked, and is kind. It is self-sacrificing and freely gives.

 

Waters of love, oh, pour through me; I must have love, I must have Thee. Praise be to God that He gives us the love we need. “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5). He has given us His love, and because He first loved us, we can turn around and show that love to the world. People all around us are hungering for the truth, for kindness, for love, for mercy, for friendship, and we can be those to the world because Christ has given them to us. He has filled us up so we can pour ourselves out.

 

The birds of joy sing in my tree, Love of my heart, when I have Thee. When we are delighting in our Saviour, we have joy. “In Thy presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). When we are resting in Him, we have the peace that passes all understanding. What treasures we have in Him! What cause we have to rejoice! “I will sing unto the LORD, because He hath dealt bountifully with me” (Psalm 13:6).