For My Friend

 

I have been through the valley of weeping,

The valley of sorrow and pain;

But the "God of all comfort" was with me,

At hand to uphold and sustain.

 As the earth needs the clouds and the sunshine,

Our souls need both sorrow and joy;

So He places us oft in the furnace,

The dross from the gold to destroy.

When he leads thro' some valley of trouble,

His omnipotent hand we trace;

For the trials and sorrows He sends us,

Are part of His lessons in grace.

Oft we shrink from the purging and pruning.

Forgetting the Husbandman knows

That the deeper the cutting and paring,

The richer the cluster that grows. 

Well He knows that affliction is needed;

He has a wise purpose in view,

And in the dark valley He whispers,

"Hereafter Thou'll know what I do." 

As we travel thro' life's shadow'd valley 

Fresh springs of His love ever rise;

And we learn that our sorrows and losses,

Are blessings just sent in disguise.

So we'll follow wherever he leadeth,

Let the path be dreary or bright;

For we've proved that our God can give comfort;

Our God can give songs in the night.

---From Streams in the Desert for August 9th.