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← Songs With Grace

A Glance

Devotional · Purpose, Seasons & Gratitude
A Glance cover artwork

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Lyrics

Opening Chorus

His glance from a lightyear away,

You'd be surprised what it can do

With His glance, I'm as radiant as day

And the One I thank, Dear Lord, is You

Verse 1

I tried my hand at this and that

Learned a lot along the way

Some things stayed, and some fell flat

Some I left for another day

There were times even then I knew

I found myself in the right place

And did the thing I did for You

And Your light shone on my face

Chorus

His glance from a lightyear away,

You'd be surprised what it can do

With His glance, I'm as radiant as day

And the One I thank, Dear Lord, is You

Verse 2

I started each year, time and again

Not knowing where the road would bend

I tried to sell, those started things

What came back, gave my heart a sting

A year to learn, a Christmas to give

A hundred ways to make things shine

I made more things than where I could live

Perplexed why they weren't worth a dime

Chorus

His glance from a lightyear away,

You'd be surprised what it can do

With His glance, I'm as radiant as day

And the One I thank, Dear Lord, is You

Verse 3

I didn't know what lay ahead

Or where those winding roads would lead

Until the words started to flow

From a place so deep I didn't know

The things I'd learned along the way

Found purpose in the songs today

And with the gifts You gave to me

I found the place I'm meant to be

Bridge

And sometimes, in the quiet joy

When the task is finally through

I sense Your smile, Lord

And lift my grateful eyes to You

Chorus

His glance from a lightyear away,

You'd be surprised what it can do

With His glance, I'm as radiant as day

And the One I thank, Dear Lord, is You

Final Chorus

Your glance from a lightyear away,

I'm surprised at what it can do

With Your glance, I'm as radiant as day...

Outro

And the One I thank, Dear Lord, is You

Devotional

Beautiful in His Time

Sometimes the meaning of a season becomes clear only after it has passed.

We learn, practice, create, and give. We invest our time and effort in things that seem important, only to watch some of them come to an end. We may wonder what became of all that work.

But the things we learn can remain long after the things we make are gone.

A skill acquired in one season may serve an entirely different purpose in another. Patience, perseverance, discernment, and craftsmanship become part of what we carry forward.

Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time for every purpose under heaven and that God makes everything beautiful in His time. Philippians 1:6 assures us that He continues the good work He begins, while Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we are His workmanship, created for good works prepared beforehand.

There is joy in looking back and recognizing how one season helped prepare us for another.

And there is a particular kind of gratitude that comes when we find ourselves doing something we love, using gifts we have been given, and offering the results to the Lord.

The song, A Glance, expresses that gratitude through a simple image: even the smallest acknowledgment of God's pleasure would be enough to fill a heart with radiance.

The work may require years of effort. The results may surprise us. But the deepest satisfaction comes from knowing whom we serve.

And the One we thank is the Lord.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gifts You have given us and for the years in which You have prepared us to use them. Help us recognize Your hand in our lives, serve You faithfully in the work before us, and receive each opportunity with gratitude. May the things we do bring honor and glory to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Extra Info — Scripture Map

A time for every purpose: Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV) — “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”

Beautiful in His time: Ecclesiastes 3:11 (KJV) — “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”

God continuing His work: Philippians 1:6 (KJV) — “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

Created for good works: Ephesians 2:10 (KJV) — “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

Working heartily for the Lord: Colossians 3:23 (KJV) — “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

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