Resist the Whisper

In the high wilderness where silence reigns,

Where stones lie sharp beneath a burning sky,

The tempter comes with honey on his chains,

And offers bread to One who will not die.

He lifts the kingdoms, glittering and vast,

Their crowns and thrones like rivers of bright gold,

And whispers low, “All these may yet be passed

To You, if You will bow as You are told.”

But from the height the answer rings like steel,

A voice that parts the heavens and the dust:

“Away from Me, Satan! I shall not kneel

To any power save the One I trust.

For it is written, clear as morning flame,

In words that burn and never shall grow dim:

Worship the Lord your God, and His sole name,

And serve Him only—serve no other hymn.”

O soul of mine, when hunger gnaws the bone,

When empty days stretch long beneath the sun,

Remember how the Savior stood alone

And turned from every crown that might be won.

The world will spread its banquet at your feet,

Its music sweet, its promises like wine;

Yet every gift it offers is deceit

Unless it bears the seal of the Divine.

The glittering lie will wear a thousand masks:

A quiet compromise, a harmless bend,

A whispered “later” for the harder tasks,

A little worship offered to a friend.

It bids you kneel to comfort, fear, or pride,

To praise of men, to safety, or to gain;

It calls the chains a crown, the wound a bride,

And teaches you to love your pleasant pain.

But hear again the word that shook the air,

The sword of Spirit flashing in His hand:

No throne on earth is worth the soul’s despair,

No fleeting kingdom worth the soul’s command.

Worship the Lord your God with heart and mind,

With every breath and every thought awake;

Let no false light your inner vision blind,

Nor any lesser master claim your stake.

When darkness offers ease for one small bow,

When weariness would trade the truth for rest,

Recall the wilderness, the voice, the vow,

The holy fire beating in His breast.

He chose the cross above the crown of earth,

The cup of sorrow over Satan’s wine;

And in that choice He proved the soul’s true worth,

And drew the line no tempter may redefine.

So stand, my soul, upon the desert height,

Though winds may howl and hunger tear the frame.

The kingdoms fade like shadows in the night;

There is one Lord, one service, one great Name.

Let every knee that bends be bent to Him,

Let every tongue that speaks confess His reign;

For only in His worship are we free from sin,

And only in His service do we gain.

Away, all lesser lords that call and crave!

Away, all glittering chains that gleam and lie!

My heart is His, my life is what He gave,

And He alone is worthy—He Most High.

I worship You, my God, with joy complete,

I serve You only, morning unto even;

And at Your throne I lay my heart’s last beat,

Forever Yours, forever home in heaven.