Screening the Scorning

“Our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that He have mercy upon us… Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud” (Psalm 123:2-4).  “If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it” (Proverbs 9:12).  “We are troubled on every side… but not in despair… for which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day… while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:8-18). 

Our eyes must wait upon the Lord

Each day, each night, and every morning,

For God alone can thus afford

A refuge from this world’s scorning.

Our soul exceedingly is filled

With scorning that is daily hurled,

Contemptible as those who killed

The Lord and Savior of this world.

The scorn of foolishness is loud

And growing louder every day,

As is the hatred of the proud

Whose great contempt is on display.

These things our God has heard and seen;

He knows the scorner and the wise.  

He calls us by His Word to screen

And separate the truth from lies.

The wise will hear and be forewarned;

The scorner’s folly shall be shown. 

At last the scorner shall be scorned,

And he shall bear it all alone.

Though we are scorned on every side,

There is no reason to despair. 

In Christ our Lord we safely hide,

And on Him we may cast each care.

The outward man, we know, must perish,

Yet God renews our inner man.

The things unseen are what we cherish, 

Confirmed in God’s eternal plan.

O Lord, we thank You for Your voice

Which by Your Word removes all doubt,

Which stirs us daily to rejoice,

And screens the world’s scorning out.