Recessional
God of our fathers, known of old--
Lord of our far-flung battle line
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine--
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!
The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!
Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!
If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe--
Such boasting as the Gentiles use
Or lesser breeds without the law--
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget - lest we forget!
For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard--
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard--
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord!
Rudyard Kipling
I read this today and thought the given definition of a man to be complete and it addressed the heart of the matter.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean to “be a man”? As young men, this is a question that should be on our minds. Genesis 1:27 tells us that “…God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” I have understood that, as creatures created in the image of God, to “be a man” is to “reflect God’s image”.
This leads us to another question. Do we know God? Do we know the image we bear. As creatures created in God’s image, we should desire to know both (a) who He is and (b) what He requires of us.
As a boy, “Biblical Boyhood” begins with your knowledge of God. You must seek God like David sought after God.
Those that “seek God” have this comfort in scripture: Deuteronomy 4:29 “But if from [captivity] thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”
The most important thing that I can remind you of, dear reader, is the first and greatest commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with your all your heart, soul and mind” (Matt. 22:37).
Allow me to conclude with four exhortations:
1. Seek the Lord… and you will find Him.
2. Love God with all your HEART, by desiring Him above everything else.
3. Love God with all your SOUL, by blessing Him with all that is in you.
4. Love God with all your MIND, by serving Him with your every earthly resource.
~Nolan Manteufel
http://biblicalboyhood.com/nolans-blog/ .