Lord, it belongs not to my care

 

Lord, it belongs not to my care

Whether I die or live;

To love and serve Thee is my share,

And this Thy grace must give.

If life be long, I will be glad,

That I may long obey;

If short, yet why should I be sad

To welcome endless day?

Christ leads me through no darker rooms

Than He went through before;

He that unto God’s kingdom comes

Must enter by this door.

Come, Lord, when grace hath made me meet

Thy blessèd face to see;

For if Thy work on earth be sweet

What will Thy glory be!

Then I shall end my sad complaints

And weary sinful days,

And join with the triumphant saints

That sing my Savior’s praise.

My knowledge of that life is small,

The eye of faith is dim;

But ’tis enough that Christ knows all,

And I shall be with Him.

Lord, It Belongs Not to My Care

by Richard Baxter

(1615 – 1691)

Baxter, an English Puritan continues to have an impact on the church through his writings including: The Reformed Pastor and The Saints’ Everlasting Rest. As a pastor, he developed an intentional approach to discipleship and pastoral care that the Lord used to bring renewal to the churches and communities in which he served. Toward the end of his life he was imprisoned as a “Nonconformist” for not adhering to certain Anglican beliefs regarding The Book of Common Prayer and other matters. His faith in Jesus Christ regardless of the trials of life is reflected in this poem.