From noon of joy to night of doubt

Written by John Campbell Shairp in 1871.  A great exploration of how unstable our feelings are as a barometer of our relationship with God.  Christians through the ages have clung to the cross rather than circumstances and feelings as the guarantee of God’s grasp of us in Christ:

1 From noon of joy to night of doubt
our feelings come and go;
our best estate is toss’d about
in ceaseless ebb and flow;
no mood of feeling, form of thought,
is constant for a day,
but thou, O Lord, thou changest not;
the same thou art alway.

2 I grasp thy strength, make it my own,
my heart with peace is bless’d;
I lose my hold, and then comes down
darkness and cold unrest.
Let me no more my comfort draw
from my frail grasp of thee;
in this alone rejoice with awe,
thy mighty grasp of me.

3 Thy purpose of eternal good
let me but surely know;
on this I’ll lean, let changing mood
and feeling come and go;
glad when thy sunshine fills my soul,
not sad when clouds o’ercast,
since thou within thy sure control
of love dost hold me fast.