I Know Not What the Future Hath

I know not what the fu­ture hath

Of mar­vel or sur­prise

Assured alone that life and death

God’s mer­cy un­der­lies.

And if my heart and flesh are weak

To bear an un­tried pain

The bruis­èd reed He will not break

But strength­en and sus­tain.

No of­fer­ing of my own I have

Nor works my faith to prove;

I can but give the gifts He gave

And plead His love for love.

And so be­side the si­lent sea

I wait the muf­fled oar;

No harm from Him can come to me

On ocean or on shore.

I know not where His is­lands lift

Their frond­ed palms in air;

I on­ly know I can­not drift

Beyond His love and care.