Rest mine eyes upon thy face

Rest mine eyes upon thy face
Upon thy steadfast grace
Which carries me
Through the storm

Though oft my foot
May slip
And fall
So search

My soul
And take
Control

For all I am
No hiding
From thee

So turn my will
To thine alone
For I dare not
Trust my own

Long have I strayed
In my own way
And where hath it
Brought me each day

Save to you
Who knows me
Best of all

Though I weep
Though I crawl
Have me
One and all

I am desperately
In need and none other
Dare I heed than
Thou who didst bleed

That my heart
May heal
For thou
Art real

The one and only
None ere beside
Dare to suffer
So for me

So take me
Hopeless yet
Hopeful for thee

Nowhere
Can I flee
From thy
Presence

And wonder be
The thought of thee
Who will not
Abandon

So trudge I
The raging sea
In sheer serenity
For thou art with me

And guide me
By faith and hand
To thy glorious land
Beyond

-Joshua Lee Foist

Now to this unsettled feeling

Now to this unsettled feeling

When well I know I must remain

For all I hope tis lost 

Tis vain in me

For well I know

My heart my mind

Tis fleeting

God help me

Though I long

May thou be

My one true song

While all the world

Beside shall thee

In I always abide

Thy will be my guide

In time shall you provide 

-Joshua Lee Foist

Now to that glorious awakening

Now to that glorious awakening
Where all other things forsaking
To come and be present
In this place

Where shadows may come
And lingering be
Yet still thy light
Illuminating me

Oh faith do find
In me the ability
Save not flee
Oh errant desires

May thy joy rest
Upon me
Where doubt
There be
May it flee

Oh to awaken
To that joyous land
Though a far way off
Still along the horizon

It yet lies
Mine eyes
Shall trace
Its gentle grace

Though fear may come
As quickening in the night
Oh faith be my sight
To hold the candle light

Reveal thy truth
May it be my saving proof
That thou art unchanged
And so I too though changing

My heart
Longs more
And more for you
Who shall ere remain

Through doubt and pain
So cast mine eyes
Upon thy face
To find

My hope
Untainted
My joy renewed
Shall carry me

Through this tempest at sea
Though currents may catch me
Thy will shall carry me
Safely to shore

And there at last
All present and future
Past as one shall be
When come I to be
With thee

Then no more
The darkness shall I
Wake to see
For thy joy

And light
Shall always
Delight in me
Boundless free

Thou remain in me
And I with thee
Through all
Eternity

-Joshua Lee Foist

Break me of my false pretenses

Break me of my false pretenses

Burden me with thy boundless love

For brother and enemy

As thou above do so

Greatly love me

My heart is full of vanity

And thirst for a worldly humanity

That seeks a superficial grace

But tis a disgraceful profanity

So come humility 

Grant me the ability

With open eyes

And ears and heart

To serve thy kingdom come

And here thy will be done

Not for my sake or others praise

But that they be caught up

And amazed by thy wonderous

All encompassing steadfast love

May thy light so shine

And burn me to the core

Ruin the darkness 

That oft clouds my vision

Unglaze my eyes

And fill them with a hunger

And holy wonder

To seek thee and serve thee

Most diligently in word and deed 

Not out of obligation

But of pure intoxication

For thy unbridled love

So grant it me

For enemy and me

That my life would so be

A crude counterfeit of thee

And nothing more

So this day

May I begin

To live and be

Set free

Of fear

And live

By faith

In hope of that

Greater country

That lies beyond 

Where we shall be

Face to face and free 

-Joshua Lee Foist

I shall awhile with thee wander once more

I shall awhile with thee wander once more
In the air of that far off land
In the gaze of that garden of green
In the shadows of that greater land

Amidst the meadows of that better country
The air is rich and full sweet
Filled with the fragrance of thy unbridled creation
And though these are but passing portraits

They are a welcome respite of that
Which is yet to come
The sum of them
Is ne'er enough

Though of their eternal architect
The author of their existence
Is far beyond wreckening
And wild in His wonder

His glory beyond
All comprehension
Of all the greatest thunder
And tempests at sea

Are but a jest to His
Glorious majesty
His presence alone
Doth prick every hair

To stand on end
They all as one
With gladness
Bow in boundless

Exaltation before the Lord
Of all creation
King of that Greater Land
Who formed them not

By His hand
But the thought
The word
Became

Flesh that dwelt
And dwells
Amongst us
Divine

No one is greater
Yet to taste and see
And bask in His
Beauty

Wonder beyond all wonders
And though the memory
Of this passing shadow
But a moment lingers

The longing
That comes
Far greater
Anew

Doth surge
Within the vessel
Of every vein
For it longs

To be in that place again
Yet glory of all
These ancient wonders
The knowledge

And wisdom that come
From His Words
Doth fill the void
Of time and space

So sweet the substance
Of their choice taste
Doth tickle the tongue
When from the mouth
Is spronge

So release the joy
Of that exaltation
And may it ere to be
As one declaration

Though in this broken land
We may awhile remain
There is a hope that yet
Is found within the cracks
Of this dying wasteland

And it speaks of a life anew
It warms and glistens
With the goodness of that
Greater Kingdom

When all burdened breath
Shall no more be born
Then come the dawn
Of that new day

Where all shall be
Made new
And joy of joy
Shall we be home

-Joshua Lee Foist

Wherefore ere the sun shall rise

Wherefore ere the sun shall rise
Look on with expectant eyes
And hope in this passing breath
Release my worry and stress

For me not devise
A cruel disguise
Let truth surprise
And open eyes

To see thy very great and wise
Who alone can know and fill
Thou alone still and still
Wake my slumber

No more in shadows
Hide for in thee
Shall I always
Abide

My joy
My pride
In thee alone
Shall I confide

For thou art king
And I thy bride
Thy hope of one day
While here betrothed

This vow
May I by it
Always live
And to another

Ne'er to seek
For none in they
Shall wash away
Or know me

As thou
Dost know me
In the deep
And dark

Light
Bring to my
Lonesome heart
Depart oh fear

By faith
Be filled
Thy truth
Revealed

Enough
To this frail
Satisfaction
Canst ere

The dust
Of this broken land
Ere to meet
The grace

Of thy pierced hand
For love alone
Did form this place
And love alone

To carry discrace
To save that some
May return
And reconcile

To thee
Alone shall
Find and not
Another to bind

Of this grafted vine
Shall make me
Thine own
One

-Joshua Lee Foist

What ere a day may come

What ere a day may come

What ere the hour

And breadth 

Of its sum

Thy will alone be done

For fear too long hath

Fooled me

And debted me

Of dreams

For where desire 

Is delighted in you

And ere a heart may

Sing anew

Thy praise

Thy glory

Shall be

My story

For too long my path 

Hath plummeted in vain

And I had nothing in me

To gain

Till once again

Thy mercy awakened

My heart ne'er forsaken

My soul set free

Oh savior and king

May come this joy

If thy will it employ 

Save not my will

But thine be done

And so shall see

The night to fall

And the dawn

Turn spring

-Joshua Lee Foist