You

The more I want you
the more I am determined
to have you and only you

Because I desire gold
I am tempted with all things that glitter
but you are worth the waiting

I will not numb my senses
with counterfeits and half-measures
I will wait for you.

Having done all, to stand firm

Even as we await the outcome, we can praise You in the midst of the furnace-- praise You that You stand with us even in the fire, praise You that we are being refined, praise You that the breaking point is higher than we imagined, that we are made of stronger stuff than we imagined, and certainly of stronger stuff than when we began.

I need righteousness more than I need to be right
I love Your wisdom more than I love my own light
So I lay me open before You
I lay me open, coming just to implore You
Search me, O God, and know my heart
Try me, and know my anxious thoughts
Test me and see if any wicked way there be,
I lay me open, I lay me open.

Praise You that You are just and wise and merciful, slow to anger and rich in love. Praise You that You discipline the ones You love, allowing hardship and hurt and confusion to refine us, but not to ruin us. Praise You and proclaim that, whatever the outcome, You are good and Your mercy endures forever.