Lord Jesus, I long in Thy presence to live

Is 50:4 The Lord Jehovah has given me / The tongue of the instructed, / That I should know how to sustain the weary with a word. / He awakens me morning by morning; / He awakens my ear / To hear as an instructed one.

Is 50:5The Lord Jehovah has opened my ear; / And I was not rebellious, / Nor did I turn back.

@David Wilson, this was written by Lady Powercourt. Israel in Diamond Bar cites a biography of JN Darby in an older comment. Watchman Nee may have adapted it and set it to the tune of Flow Gently Sweet Afton, I am not sure.

Just curious - there is a comment below that says rather convincingly that this hymn was written by Lady Theodosia Powerscourt in approximately 1835, but the credit is given to Watchman Nee. Can anyone clarify? Regardless of who wrote it, it is a wonderful hymn and we should focus on the content and be brought into the sweet longing for fellowship with the Lord in His presence.

"O do not allow me to choose by myself,

Nor seek any pleasure that’s other than Thee."

Dear Brother Park. What has caused the confusion is the word order. Normally in English we would not use this word order, but changing things round like this is common in poetry and hymns. The phrase "in your presence" would normally be at the end of the sentence: I long to live in your presence. Imagine this phrase has commas round it: I long, in your presence, to live. Bless you in the name of our Lord Yeshua the King.

"O let not my heart be contented or rest

When loving or seeking what with Thee doth part."

May not all these worldly pleasures fool my heart. Remind me of the sweetness of Your presence and how vanity can never match its peerlessness, O Lord.

O let not my heart be contented or rest

When loving or seeking what with Thee doth part.

Psalm 35:22 says "You have seen, O Jehovah; do not be silent. O Lord do not be far from me."

Psalm 30:7b "You hid Your face, I was troubled"

Just like the psalmist, may we also be troubled when He hide His face from us.

What a sweet God we have. Amen

O let not my heart be contented or rest

Oh Lord,

I dont want to remain the same

I just want to love You more,

I just want to give my all,

I just want to be found in You,

I just want only You.

But Lord I dont know how.

I dont know how to love You more,

I dont know how to give my all,

I dont know how to be found in You,

I dont know how to have only You

“Lord, teach me each day in Thy presence to live,

From morning to evening my one world Thou art;

O let not my heart be contented or rest

When loving or seeking what with Thee doth part"

“Ako'y turuan Mong mamuhay sa Iyo,

Ikaw ang daigdig sa araw't gabi,

Sana'y di-mapalagay ang puso ko

Kung inaasam ang hindi Mo mithi. ”

Stanza 1 says, "Lord Jesus, I long in Thy presence to live,

From morning to evening my one world Thou art;

O let not my heart be contented or rest

When loving or seeking what with Thee doth part."

I remembered a footnote in Exodus 33:14 which goes like this: "God’s presence is His way, the “map” that shows His people the way they should take (cf. John 14:6 and note 1; Heb. 11:8 and note)."

This is precious. As God’s people, we have a different map for how we go on in our lives.

Exo. 33:14 - And He said, My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.

Exo. 33:15 - And he said to Him, If Your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.

If His presence does not go with us, how restless we'll be! May we dare not go towards some place which costs us to lose His presence.

Thanks very much for posting.

This is the first song I sang to my daughter on her first day on earth.

His presence is so precious. May we be there always - morning till evening, and whilst we are asleep, - nothing can be sweeter..