Only in You Known!

Michael E. Wood
May 26, 2011


From The Confessions and Letters of St. Augustine, Chapter 1

“O Lord, my faith calls on Thee, - that faith which Thou hast imparted to me, which Thou hast breathed into me through the incarnation of Thy Son, through the ministry of Thy preacher” (128)

Footnote (128) That is, Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, who was instrumental in his conversion (vi.sec.1; viii sec.28etc.). “Before conversion”, as Leighton observes on 1 Peter 2:1, 2, “wit or eloquence may draw a man to the Lord, and possibly prove a happy bait to catch him (as St. Augustine reports of his hearing St. Ambrose), but, once born again, then it is the milk itself that he desires for itself.”

The following poem was actually first stimulated by a statement made in our seasonal nurture group on a Wednesday night. The last two stanzas came as a result of looking for a rhyming word to fit. While looking for that word, of which I ended up not using, I came across the above quote.

Thanks be to God that He uses the men and women of His church in the measure He so chooses to glorify Himself therein by the power of His Spirit unto the praise of His glorious grace, but more so, thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift of Christ Himself of Whom we are made to partake!

Thank You Father that a taste
By faith of heaven we partake
As in Jesus we are freely
Given all and for His sake.


Oh that we as one may rise
And glorify Thy majesty
As by faith we grow in grace
And know in truth, Thy liberty
Which was given through the cross
When Christ bore our sins for us
That we may in life and death
Prove You as all glorious.


Though You need not anything
Which our hands may now produce,
Make us more the vessels through
Which You choose to introduce
Yourself as God; High and Holy,
Lifted up in Whom we stand,
And to Jesus Who is present
Interceding by Your hand,
For all those You have appointed
By Your glory and design
To be with You by Your Spirit;
All the chosen: Come and dine!


Though we now in the measure
You have given point the way,
Only that which You have finished
Will be shown as true that day.


Though we have now many teachers,
It is You for whom we groan,
And our satisfaction fully
Will be only in You known!