Thou Beholdest, O My God, Thy Servant Who
Sources:
Prayers And Meditations
Thou beholdest, O my God, Thy servant who dwelleth in this prison-house,
wholly detached from any one but Thee, his eyes turned in the direction of
the Day-Spring of Thy mercy, his heart longing for the wondrous
manifestations of Thy grace. Thou, O my Lord, hast reckoned up the ills
that have afflicted him in Thy path. Thou seest him compassed about with
such of Thy creatures as have transgressed and rebelled against Thee, who
have come in between him and Thy loved ones, who have fixed his abode in
this land and wronged Thee, and who have hindered Thy servants from
turning towards Thee.
For all these things I offer thanksgiving unto Thee, O my Lord! I implore
Thee to assist me and them that love me to magnify Thy Word, and to endow
us with such strength that the ills of this world and its tribulations
will be powerless to hinder us from remembering Thee and from extolling
Thy virtues. Powerful art Thou to do all things; resplendent art Thou
above all things.
Every conqueror is but a serf whom Thy hand hath subjected, and the
richest of the rich is as destitute before the immensity of Thy wealth.
The noblest of nobles is humbled when faced with the manifestations of Thy
glory, and the mightiest of potentates is a mere abject one when
confronted with the compelling evidences of Thine authority.
Tear asunder, O my God, the veil of vain imaginings that hath obscured the
vision of Thy people, that all may haste towards Thee, may tread the path
of Thy pleasure, and walk in the ways of Thy Faith. We are, O my God, Thy
servants and Thy bondsmen. Thou art sufficient unto us so that we can
dispense with the world and all that is therein. We are wholly satisfied
with all that hath befallen us in Thy path, and exclaim: Praised be Thou,
in Whose hand are the realms of revelation and of creation, and all the
kingdoms of earth and heaven!