1
Sometimes there's clear blue sky, but clouds most of the time;
Sometimes I find a sweet song in the night; more often, there's no rhyme;
Skies rarely clear, mostly cloudy and drear—I patience learn thereby,
For I'm compelled then to seek out God's will and His delight.
Sometimes all 'round is dry, refreshment's hard to gain;
How harshly, mightily must Thy rod strike, to drink obtain?
To what hot blaze must Thy fire be raised till trials are complete?
How deep, how painfully must Thy thorn pierce, till there's an outflow sweet?
Sometimes I find a sweet song in the night; more often, there's no rhyme;
Skies rarely clear, mostly cloudy and drear—I patience learn thereby,
For I'm compelled then to seek out God's will and His delight.
Sometimes all 'round is dry, refreshment's hard to gain;
How harshly, mightily must Thy rod strike, to drink obtain?
To what hot blaze must Thy fire be raised till trials are complete?
How deep, how painfully must Thy thorn pierce, till there's an outflow sweet?
DSome
times there's
Aclear
blue
Dsky,
but clouds most
Gof
the
Atime;
Some
Gtimes
I
Afind
a sweet
F#msong
in the
Bmnight;
more
Emof
ten,
A7there's
no
Drhyme;
Skies
Grare
ly
A7clear,
mostly
F#mcloud
y and
Bmdrear—
I
Empa
tience
A7learn
there
Dby,
D7For
GI'm
compelled then to
F#mseek
out God's
Bmwill
and
EmHis
de
Dlight.
A7Some
Dtimes
all
A'round
is
Ddry,
re
Gfresh
ment's
Ahard
to Dgain;
How
Gharsh
ly,
A7might
i
F#mly
must Thy rod
Bmstrike,
to
Emdrink
Gob
Atain?
A7To
Dwhat
hot
Ablaze
must
BmThy
fire be
Draised
till
Gtri
als Aare
com
Dplete?
D7How
Gdeep,
how
A7pain
ful
F#mly
must Thy thorn
Bmpierce,
till
Gthere's
an 2
Sometimes a thorn must pierce, Thy pow'r to manifest;
At times I have wandered, near death and loss, no food, no home, no rest.
Sometimes I need to lose all that I have, to fully be set free;
When penniless, I don't beg, having faith, not anxiety.
Sometimes there's fighting too, between the brothers dear,
Each wants to score the most powerful blow, rage everywhere;
Refusing visitors, sing I to Thee, whose heart's most pained by these;
My loss with Thine can't compare, but I'd learn to share Thy sufferings.
At times I have wandered, near death and loss, no food, no home, no rest.
Sometimes I need to lose all that I have, to fully be set free;
When penniless, I don't beg, having faith, not anxiety.
Sometimes there's fighting too, between the brothers dear,
Each wants to score the most powerful blow, rage everywhere;
Refusing visitors, sing I to Thee, whose heart's most pained by these;
My loss with Thine can't compare, but I'd learn to share Thy sufferings.
Sometimes a thorn must pierce, Thy pow'r to manifest;
At times I have wandered, near death and loss, no food, no home, no rest.
Sometimes I need to lose all that I have, to fully be set free;
When penniless, I don't beg, having faith, not anxiety.
Sometimes there's fighting too, between the brothers dear,
Each wants to score the most powerful blow, rage everywhere;
Refusing visitors, sing I to Thee, whose heart's most pained by these;
My loss with Thine can't compare, but I'd learn to share Thy sufferings.
At times I have wandered, near death and loss, no food, no home, no rest.
Sometimes I need to lose all that I have, to fully be set free;
When penniless, I don't beg, having faith, not anxiety.
Sometimes there's fighting too, between the brothers dear,
Each wants to score the most powerful blow, rage everywhere;
Refusing visitors, sing I to Thee, whose heart's most pained by these;
My loss with Thine can't compare, but I'd learn to share Thy sufferings.
3
I've reached the end of life, my fleeting years passed by;
Here in Thy presence, I hear time "tick" by, I feel the dusk draw nigh;
The winter moon is beginning to wane; my life, too, ebbs away,
Ahead, not many dark clouds yet remain, most lie behind;
My future draws a line, which from my past divides,
With each day's passing, the conflicts of life are all untied;
As light from "visible" fadeth from sight, "invisible" is seen;
My hope is set on that hope in the heav'ns, with it my heart shall be.
Here in Thy presence, I hear time "tick" by, I feel the dusk draw nigh;
The winter moon is beginning to wane; my life, too, ebbs away,
Ahead, not many dark clouds yet remain, most lie behind;
My future draws a line, which from my past divides,
With each day's passing, the conflicts of life are all untied;
As light from "visible" fadeth from sight, "invisible" is seen;
My hope is set on that hope in the heav'ns, with it my heart shall be.
I've reached the end of life, my fleeting years passed by;
Here in Thy presence, I hear time "tick" by, I feel the dusk draw nigh;
The winter moon is beginning to wane; my life, too, ebbs away,
Ahead, not many dark clouds yet remain, most lie behind;
My future draws a line, which from my past divides,
With each day's passing, the conflicts of life are all untied;
As light from "visible" fadeth from sight, "invisible" is seen;
My hope is set on that hope in the heav'ns, with it my heart shall be.
Here in Thy presence, I hear time "tick" by, I feel the dusk draw nigh;
The winter moon is beginning to wane; my life, too, ebbs away,
Ahead, not many dark clouds yet remain, most lie behind;
My future draws a line, which from my past divides,
With each day's passing, the conflicts of life are all untied;
As light from "visible" fadeth from sight, "invisible" is seen;
My hope is set on that hope in the heav'ns, with it my heart shall be.
4
My days have turned to months, my months have turned to years,
Years into a lifetime that waxes and wanes, and soon the end appears;
In retrospect, which of these is most sweet? Sunrise, or set of sun?
'Tis set of sun, for it's nearer to Thee, to Thy dear home!
Awaiting Thy return, my heart is weary, spent,
My eyes are dimming, and soon I'll depart from this life's tent;
The mountains smile as they call me to rest, my burdens to unload;
Now ev'ry weight has been melted away. I go, I quickly go!
Years into a lifetime that waxes and wanes, and soon the end appears;
In retrospect, which of these is most sweet? Sunrise, or set of sun?
'Tis set of sun, for it's nearer to Thee, to Thy dear home!
Awaiting Thy return, my heart is weary, spent,
My eyes are dimming, and soon I'll depart from this life's tent;
The mountains smile as they call me to rest, my burdens to unload;
Now ev'ry weight has been melted away. I go, I quickly go!
My days have turned to months, my months have turned to years,
Years into a lifetime that waxes and wanes, and soon the end appears;
In retrospect, which of these is most sweet? Sunrise, or set of sun?
'Tis set of sun, for it's nearer to Thee, to Thy dear home!
Awaiting Thy return, my heart is weary, spent,
My eyes are dimming, and soon I'll depart from this life's tent;
The mountains smile as they call me to rest, my burdens to unload;
Now ev'ry weight has been melted away. I go, I quickly go!
Years into a lifetime that waxes and wanes, and soon the end appears;
In retrospect, which of these is most sweet? Sunrise, or set of sun?
'Tis set of sun, for it's nearer to Thee, to Thy dear home!
Awaiting Thy return, my heart is weary, spent,
My eyes are dimming, and soon I'll depart from this life's tent;
The mountains smile as they call me to rest, my burdens to unload;
Now ev'ry weight has been melted away. I go, I quickly go!
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Columbus, Ohio, United States
The ending of this song, "I go, I quickly go!" reminds me of the Lord's word in Revelation: Behold, I come quickly. It seems as if this is brother Nee's response to that word. He comes quickly, thus I go quickly to meet Him.
Tirane, Albania
Awaiting Thy return, my heart is weary, spent,
Chicago, Illinois, United States
As life so quickly passes on, we are emptied and left with nothing but Christ. Our hope grows to see Him. “We will see him as he really is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure” – 1 John 3:2-3.
Tirana, Albania
My hope is set on that hope in the heav’ns, with it my heart shall be.
The way of the cross, so full of the sweet fragrance of death and resurrection.
Boston, MA, United States
From Watchman Nee. So touching.
Rochester, MN, United States
Amen Lord Amen...we love You Lord.
Spokane, Washington, United States
What a touching hymn. It causes me to bow my head and worship the Lord for the depth of the experiences that our dear brother Nee put into this song. Surely the Lord shepherded his soul.