The Cross That He Gave May Be Heavy

The cross that He gave may be heavy,
But it ne’er outweighs His grace;
The storm that I feared may surround me,
But it ne’er excludes His face.

The thorns in my path are not sharper
Than composed His crown for me;
The cup which I drink not more bitter
Than He drank in Gethsemane. [Refrain]

The light of His love shineth brighter,
As it falls on paths of woe;
The toil of my work groweth lighter,
As I stoop to raise the low. [Refrain]

His will I have joy in fulfilling,
As I’m walking in His sight;
My all to the blood I am bringing,
It alone can keep me right. [Refrain]

Refrain:
The cross is not greater than His grace,
The storm cannot hide His blessed face;
I am satisfied to know 
That with Jesus here below,
I can conquer ev’ry foe. Amen.

Ballington Booth, 1892
Read Galatians 6:14-16

(The Cross He Gave May Be Heavy is a reminder that the life Christ calls us to is not one of luxury and ease. It is a challenging one. However, we have the assurance of His grace and His presence with us. Along with that are reminders as in stanza 2.

The thorns in my path are not sharper
Than composed His crown for me.

How can we be anything but resolute when we remember what Christ has done for us.
The hymnwriter is the son of Salvation Army founders William and Catherine Booth.)