Henry Van Dyke

The Good Teacher

THE Lord is my teacher,
I shall not lose the way.

He leadeth me in the lowly path of learning,
He prepareth a lesson for me every day;
He bringeth me to the clear fountain of instruction,
Little by little he showeth me the beauty of truth.

The world is a great book that he hath written,
He turneth the leaves for me slowly;
They are all inscribed with images and letters,
He poureth light on the pictures and the words.

He taketh me by hand to the hill-top of vision,
And my soul is glad when I perceive his meaning;
In the valley also he walketh beside me,
In the dark places he wispereth to my heart.

Even though my lesson is hard it is not hopeless,
For the Lord is patient with his slow scholar;
He will await awhile for my weakness,
And help me to read the truth through tears.