Life in Heavenly Places

"My life abides in Heaven"—Lord, can it be
That Thou wilt grant this Heavenly life to me,
The while the path of common toil I tread,
And daily work with heart, and hand, and head?
How can the light of Heaven's own glory shine
Upon a lot so commonplace as mine?

The answer came. The accents sweetly fell,
"We will come unto him, and We will dwell
Within the willing and surrendered heart."
Then, in the stillness, I was drawn apart
To Calvary, where my Lord was crucified,
And there He showed me I in Him had died,
I saw myself as nailed upon that tree,
And knew that by that cross I was set free
From the long tyranny of self and sin.
From that day forward did my Lord begin
His resurrection power to teach and show,
His "joy unspeakable" did shine and glow
Within the heart, which now His love possessed,
And Heaven seemed begun within my breast.

The days sped onward, and His mighty hand
Was gently working what His heart had planned.
Fain on the sunny slopes I would have stayed,
But He said "Forward!" and my soul obeyed.
I followed, though I did not comprehend
Why thus He dealt with me, nor yet the end
Towards which He led. But well my Leader knew,
And still worked onward toward the goal in view.

The manifested glory passed away,
His conscious presence was no more my stay,
Now must I walk by faith, and not by sight,
While the keen searching of His holy light
But laid me lower, stripped and bare indeed.
No "glory" now, only a speechless need;
Only an emptiness, which He must fill,
If unto thirsty souls He sent me still;
Only deep poverty, with nought to give,
He must do all, if dying souls should live.

But night was passing, and I stood once more
In radiance of His glory as of yore,
Only the light was calmer, and the joy
Was purer, deeper, freed from the alloy
Of earth's excitement. He had brought me through
Humiliation's valley, and I knew,
As I had never known in days gone by,
My utter nothingness. And now the cry
Went up, "O Father glorify Thy Name,
And let men see that Thou art still the same
As when Thy power at Pentecost was shown."
Once more my eyes were lifted to the Throne,
And I beheld my priestly King Who died
Through the rent veil, for Heaven stood opened wide.
Through His atoning blood I entered there,
E'en now the Heavenly life with Him to share.
Seated "in heavenly places" with my Lord,
I rest upon His faithful, changeless word.
And, as His power doth keep me "far above,"
He manifests His grace, and truth, and love,
Revealing in each circumstance His hand.
Thus doth my heart begin to understand
How the most homely life may yet be given
To live each day and hour with Christ in heaven.