Awake, My Soul, And The Sun
Posted By Miss Jocelyn Tzahala on January 3, 2009 | Category: Saturday Psalm & Praise
The Bible calls us to give the Lord our first fruits, and what comes to mind for me, and many, is tithing, but what else are we to give the Lord of our first fruits? 
Though I fail continually I always try to give the Lord the first of my day in prayer and study of His Word. I start my day with meditating of His commands and His love so I might obey and be a witness for Him even to my family. How often do we skip over this simple act of reverence to the Lord? Of prayer and supplication? I am going to make or buy a notebook just to keep as a prayer journal and try my hardest, this year, to faithfully keep an account of prayer needs and to set aside a special time in my day to give the Lord my heart and mind.
Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay thy morning sacrifice.Thy precious time misspent, redeem,
Each present day thy last esteem,
Improve thy talent with due care;
For the great day thyself prepare.By influence of the Light divine
Let thy own light to others shine.
Reflect all Heaven’s propitious ways
In ardent love, and cheerful praise.In conversation be sincere;
Keep conscience as the noontide clear;
Think how all seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart,
And with the angels bear thy part,
Who all night long unwearied sing
High praise to the eternal King.All praise to Thee, who safe has kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake
I may of endless light partake.Heav’n is, dear Lord, where’er Thou art,
O never then from me depart;
For to my soul ’tis hell to be
But for one moment void of Thee.Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew.
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with Thyself my spirit fill.Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say,
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.I would not wake nor rise again
And Heaven itself I would disdain,
Wert Thou not there to be enjoyed,
And I in hymns to be employed.Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
While searching for the Doxology I found that it is only the ending of this song, and found it very inspiring and encouraging. However, the story behind it is quite interesting. Look up it’s author, Thomas Ken, when you have time.
Psalm 17:15
“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.”
Shalom,
Please join me by posting a song or psalm, and do the Saturday Psalm & Praise meme today. Please only add your link if you’ve posted a SP&P link:
Comments
19 Responses to “Awake, My Soul, And The Sun”
Leave a Reply
Thank you for visiting my site! I hope that it has encouraged and challenged you in someway. Please be aware that my blog is not intended for any debatable purposes (honestly!!), though that's not to say admonishment (via the Scriptures in context) is not welcome. This is simply just a place for me to share what YHVH-God is convicting me of and showing me in my walk with Him. Please read "You're Judgmental" before commenting if the thought strikes you.
I have comments set for moderation and I reserve the right to deny or edit out comments if I feel it necessary. I will deny comments that go against the Scriptures. If you are going to refute what I say, please use a Scripture for each belief, in context.
Also note that if you do not use a valid email address your comment will not be published, no exceptions. Your email is only seen by me so that I might clear my website of spammers. You can read My Site, My Right for more on my site rules.
Wanna a place an image next to your comment? Get yourself a gravatar.
Please make sure you sign up for comment-notifications (below) to receive reply comments in your inbox as I do answer comments on the post thread. Thank you for commenting!
Shalom, welcome to A Pondering Heart. I hope you will be challenged by what you read here and it will cause you to search deeper and deeper into the Word of YAH. My name is Jocelyn Tzahala - I am a 19yo young woman, living in Latin America, seeking to be 'set apart as YHVH is set-apart". I want my faith to resemble that Avraham because in him YHVH found a man who would trust in him with everything and act upon his Word. My hope is that my life may be a sweet fragrance unto YHVH the MOST HIGH! HalleluYAH!
What a beautiful hymn. Wow. I sang it to myself sort of, just now, assuming the tune was the same as the last four lines. The words and sentiments are just so beautiful and true. Convicting, lovely, wonderful!
[Reply]
What you say is so true. This year I started to write in a daily devotional journal. Hoping it will help keep me true to God’s word and record some of my thoughts. Many blessings to you and your website, Vicki B
[Reply]
Hope your new year is sweet and full of God’s wonderful love!!!
(thanks for the comment! ^_^)
Hope ya’ll are doing well and staying healthy, a lot of people up here are sick with the stomach flu. =S I just have a cold at the moment…
Have a blessed Day!
Love,
Miss Toria
[Reply]
What a beautiful song, thank you for sharing it with us. I, too, need to write in a prayer journal. I hear it’s amazing to review the journal after time to see all the miracles God has blessed us with!!
[Reply]
Beautiful lyrics! I never thought of firstfruits being the first of everything else aside from tithing. Thank you for giving me a better understanding of firstfruits!
Charlenes last blog post..Remodeling!!
[Reply]
What a beautiful hymn. Is it the same tune as the last four lines? BTW, what is the doxology (forgive my ignorance…)?
I’ll post my hymn here:
Come, Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the Mount, I’m fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love.
Here I raise mine Ebeneezer
Hither by Thy help I’ve come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God;
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood.
O to grace, how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above.
My sister and I play this hymn bluegrass style with our family band, with mandolin, banjo, and fiddle. She and her friend arranged it beautifully, keeping to the original tune. You can go to cyberhymnal.org to hear the melody. It’s an inspiring, spine-tingling hymn!
~Miss Mellie
[Reply]
I had no idea that the Doxology was part of a hymn! That is a beautiful song. I, too, have been working on keeping a prayer journal and spending more time in prayer each day. I’ve been learning more and more how vital that is to my spiritual and even physical life.
Vanessas last blog post..~ O Love of God, How Strong and True ~
[Reply]
Jocelyn,
I checked your site with my netscape browser and it works and I can comment, now. I will have to remember to open that browser when looking at your site.
Warmly, ~Melissa
~Melissas last blog post..Making preparations…
[Reply]
In my morning devotions, I’ve been doing this faithfully just about every day since Oct. 27, 2008, and each morning I read a portion of OT, NT and a Psalm or Proverb – it is all assigned in the devotional I am doing. It just amazes me, it should but none the less, that at least 3-4 times a week it could have been written just for what is happening in my life right then. Yet the devotional was written almost 5 years ago. God is simply amazing that way and I am so very glad that He is. :D
Elaine Hs last blog post..Inspiring Article on Learning; Not just for homeschoolers
[Reply]
You know, I have been pondering the very same thing – first fruits! (Click over to my blog and see.) God is worthy of our best. He deserves First Place! :o)
Thanks for sharing the beautiful hymn!
Tammys last blog post..On reading the Bible
[Reply]
Oh man, it’s Saturday?!??! I had no idea lol! My week is all messed up because my Dad is in china and he is normally home for Saturday so it feels like a week day to me :P
I love that hymn and thanks for the day reminder!
Love and hugs,
Ellie
Miss Ellies last blog post..Year: 2009
[Reply]
Miss Jocelyn-
Do you mind commenting the code for the Winter Bundle Giveaway link? I can’t find it anywhere…
Thanks much!
Love,
Miss Toria
Miss Torias last blog post..January 1st…can you believe it?!
[Reply]
sure Toria (it’s at the top of my for future reference) http://aponderingheart.com/blog/?p=1223 :)
[Reply]
That’s neat.. I didn’t know the Doxology was part of a hymn! :)
[Reply]
WOW!!! I had no idea that song is so long! I have a friend who loves that song – I shall have to ask him how many verses he knows!
To the KING be all the glory!
Love,
Rebekah
Rebekahs last blog post..Reading…
[Reply]
Thank you for the lovely comment :) May you have a wonderful and blessed 2009 as well!
((HUGS))
~Nikki
Nikkis last blog post..I know, I know…
[Reply]
Dear Jocelyn,
I have been on your site a few times and have been encouraged by your postings!;) What a beautiful song how rich are the words!! You have inspired me about the prayer journal thing, maybe I will add this to my New Years resolution list! ;) I remember reading in “Raising Maidens of Virtue” by Stacy McDonald about prayer journaling. I believe it was written by Jessica M. and she was stating the benefits of having a prayer journal. One of the benefits I recall was the discipline of it. So many times we can pray and our mind begins to swirl around with other thoughts, but there is indeed a discipline to journaling prayers and keeping our minds focused with paper and ink in hand.Thank you for your wisdom and encouragement in this post and for your ministry to ladies around the world, for Christ Kingdom! Your site is beautiful!
Blessings in Him,
Miss Jen
http://www.blessedfemina.blogspot.com
“Furnish thyself with arguments from the promises to enforce thy prayers, and make them prevalent with God. The promises are the ground of faith, and faith, when strengthened, will make thee fervent, and such fervency ever speeds and returns with victory out of the field of prayer…. The mightier any is in the Word, the more mighty he will be in prayer.”
—William Gurnall
Miss Jens last blog post..Lord’s Day…
[Reply]
Thanks for your blessing for the new year. Love this post. What a beautiful psalm. My youth pastor once gave a great example of giving God our time with him first. Its like your best friend, wouldn’t you like it if your best friend spent his or her first time of there day with you, I believe thats how God feels.
Hopefully that makes sense.. I find it very difficult to write what I mean in comments or blog post..LOL..
[Reply]
Hi Miss Jocelyn,
As I go through my e-mails, finally opening January’s, I am enjoying revisiting sites I have been to in a while.
I pray you have been able to keep up your `Prayer Journal`.
If so, congrats you’ve made it to March, sweetie.
You know, I never knew there was more to the Doxology. Thanks!!
I like your disclaimer. Mind if I use some of it?
(((HUGS)))
Joyful@JoyfulJourney
Mrs. Michelles last blog post..`JESUS Knows My Name`
[Reply]