Beneath the cross of Jesus

1
Beneath the cross of Jesus
  I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty Rock
  Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
  A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
  And the burden of the day.
2
Oh, safe and happy shelter!
  Oh, refuge tried and sweet!
Oh, trysting place where heaven's love
  And heaven's justice meet.
As to the holy patriarch
  That wondrous dream was given,
So is my Savior by the cross
  A ladder up to heaven.
3
There lies beneath its shadow,
  But on the farther side,
The darkness of an awful grave
  That gapes both deep and wide;
And there between us stands the cross,
  Two arms outstretched to save,
Like a watchman set to guard the way
  From that eternal grave.
4
Upon that cross of Jesus
  Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One,
  Who suffered there for me;
And from my smitten heart, with tears,
  Two wonders I confess,
The wonders of His glorious love,
  And my own worthlessness.
5
I take, O cross, thy shadow
  For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
  The sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by,
  To know no gain nor loss,
My sinful self my only shame,
  My glory all the cross.
47
John Badham

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

'The shadow of a mighty rock within a weary land' These words have a special relevance in today's world, lacking as it does, any Godly leadership and yet much weariness. Thank God for the Cross of Jesus and His abiding love and grace!


Wanda

Marietta, GA, United States

Earl, our glory, our righteousness, our victory over sin and so many other amazing attributes that we enjoy, are ours ONLY as Christ has won these gifts and extended them to us. We have NO glory apart from Him, no eternal life apart from Him, no lasting joy, no victory... you get the pattern. Our righteousness is as filthy rags..... His is purest arraignment. Every good and perfect gift is from above. EVERY ONE.


Jackie

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The sentiments expressed in the lines "I ask no other sunshine than The sunshine of His face" was going on in my mind and I vaguely remembered it to be a part of some hymn and searched on the net and lo behold it is indeed from the beloved hymn "Beneath the Cross of Jesus."


Mark L Baker

Louisville, KY, United States

I heard this hymn on a radio program this morning and it blessed me greatly. The sermon text was John 17:13-19. It is a beautiful hymn that inspires a focus on Jesus rather than a focus on the things of this world.


Phil

Illinois, United States

See Isaiah chapter 32:2.


Karina Fictoria Emor

Bekasi, Jakarta, Indonesia

I feel blessing.


Joy

Kansas City, Missouri (MO), United States

Earl, I also love the part that goes, "My sinful self my only shame, my glory all the cross." I interpret this to mean that the only thing I need to be ashamed of is my sin, and the only thing ("all") I want to be proud of is the cross (who I am because of Jesus having become my righteousness).


Earl Flanagan

Alexandria, VA, United States

I can't help but weep when reading "My sinful self my only shame" but don't understand the last line "My glory all the cross". My mind wants it to say "MY glory on the cross".

How do you interpret the last line?


Anonymous

Truly blessed by the song.


Arthur Crane

Tauranga, New Zealand

Hagar running from the tensions of the Sarai/Abram home (Gen. 16) found a well in the wilderness of her life at that time. "A home within the wilderness, a rest upon the way, From the burning of the noontide heat, and the burden of the way." There she met the Angel of the Lord and discovered that she was seen. She gave the angel a name; Elroi - the God who sees. She named the well Beer-la-hai-roi or the God who sees and was seen. We have a well in the wilderness of life. It is always fresh and deep and satisfying life's parched pathway. Christ supplies its fresh fountains.