Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

The Day Before

Episode Transcription

When all my labors and trials are o’er,
And I am safe on that beautiful shore,
Just to be near the dear Lord I adore,
Will through the ages be glory for me.

Refrain

O that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me,
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.

That is an old, old, old, hymn.  I don’t think many people even sing it any longer, but I sure love singing it...  And not only do I love singing songs about heaven and how glorious it’s going to be, I love poems about the coming glory, too.  Like this beautiful old, old, old poem by Martha Snell Nicholson.  This is how it goes… she says, 

“Some time, some ordinary day will come, A day like this, filled to the brim With ordinary tasks, perhaps so full That we have little time or thought for Him;

And there will be no hint from silent skies, No sign, no clash of cymbals, roll of drums, And yet that ordinary day will be 

The very day before our dear Lord comes!

The day before we lay our burdens down, And learn instead the strange feel of a crown, The day before all grieving will be past, 

And all tears wiped away at last, at last;

When we shall bid farewell, nor see again That bitter-sweet, lifelong companion,

Pain, But through unmerited, unfathomed grace, 

Our rapt eyes shall behold our Savior’s face!

Oh child of God, awake and work and pray; That ordinary day may be today,

And yet the setting of tomorrow’s sun Will find a billion souls still here, unwon!”

Well, I think you can see why I love this old poem. And, friend, it’s a powerful reminder that, yes, the Lord Jesus could come back for us this year, this month… even tomorrow.  And for heaven to be truly glorious, we must first finish the work down here on earth. So let’s get to it!  That are a billion souls yet to be won into the kingdom. Jesus may come tomorrow or that ordinary day may be today.

 

Used by permission of

JONI AND FRIENDS

P.O. Box 3333

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