Category: Hymns

From a sigh to praise, read aloud hymns from yesterday

When my mind needs to be renewed, with a good theme. I open up before my eyes, very old hymns published in 1845. Hope, finds it’s place again, my countenance changes, and my heart becomes light.
Who wants a song of sighs anyway? We need God to change our melodies. Tell me, if you agree, these words written long ago, spoken aloud, or sung, have power to change our sighs into praise. They bring to the Psalm a powerful paraphrase.
(There’s an interesting note, in Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual Songs, of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D.D. 1845. It has included  a letter in front of the hymn’s stanzas for some “Direction for Expression.” For example, P means Slow and soft, and E for simply soft. The letter G means to produce a reading Slow and loud.
(p 1  directs for a slow and soft reading), My God, how many are my fears? How fast my foes increase!—Conspiring my eternal death, They break my present peace.
e 2 The lying tempter would persuade, There’s no relief in heaven; And all my swelling sins appear too big to be forgiven.
—3 But thou, my glory and my strength, Shalt on the tempter tread; Shalt silence all my threatening guilt, And raise my drooping head. 
e 4 I cried, and from his holy hill He bowed a listening ear; I called my Father and my God; And he subdued my fear. (1)
We have in this present day, similar feelings of fear and dread, but the unchanging God is the same always, “bowing a listening ear.” How comforting to know the God we love, cares.
Let the words of Psalm 3 ring well in our hearts. In this dark world of sadness, God gives us His word to express the great struggles.

Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
 Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah (2)

 Amplified inserts: “pause, and think of that.”

5He shed soft slumbers on mine eyes, In spite of all my foes; I ‘woke and wondered at the grace, That guarded my repose.
g 6( to be read slow and loud),  What though the host of death and hell, All armed, against me stood; Terrors no more shall shake my soul; My refuge is my God.
Speak it, believe it. Faith helps us to face it all. Psalm 3 will end our devotion with a victor’s call:
But You, O Lord, are a shield for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
 I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
“Pause, and think of that!”
(1) C.M. Canterbury of Psalm 3, in Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual Songs, of the Rev. Isaac Watts, D.D. 1845.
(2) Psalm 3, NKJV.
 

“Led by grace that love to know . . . I am His and He is mine”

“Loved with Everlasting love, led by grace that love to know. . .”
The Hymn by George Robinson, I Am His, and He is Mine, 1876, is especially speaking to my heart as I sit on a couch in 2018, reading the words aloud.

This world seems to coldly whirl by and grab, push, and shove, but this timeless hymn carries me, as if “grace” took my hand out of anxiety and stress, and an impossible mess, to remind me:

I’m Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know;
Gracious Spirit from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so!

Oh, this full and perfect peace!
Oh, this transport all divine!
In a love which cannot cease,
I am His, and He is mine.”

How my frame is weak and my heart grows weary, thoughts of doubt and terror flood in, “I can’t do this. I’ll never make it through. There is nothing left for me to do. Temptations to escape and lose this race flood to my view.

But, the Spirit breathing from above, saves me from inner turmoil, time and time again. My Rescuer, my Comforter, my present Help in need, the Spirit of the living God, He does “fall afresh on me.”

This new day, the Spirit says, “Rise,” open the hymnal. Though sitting on my living room couch, I feel as if carried to view the beauties and the healing powers of creation. Increased faith helps to lift my eyes:

“Heav’n above is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green;
Something lives in every hue
Christless eyes have never seen;

Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,
Flow’rs with deeper beauties shine,
Since I know, as now I know,
I am His, and He is mine;

Since I know, as now I know,
I am His, and He is mine.”

I pray, “Let me know Lord, even now, that ‘I am His, and He is mine.'”

Scriptures suddenly flood my mind, washing the filth of the faithless world away: Be still and know that I am God. (1)
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. (2)
In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. (3)

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (4)

Hymns and the word build faith like no other. God hears our prayers and leads us to sing. He wants us to remember, . . .
Him:

“Things that once were wild alarms
Cannot now disturb my rest,
Closed in everlasting arms,
Pillowed on His loving breast;


Oh, to lie forever here,
Doubt and care and self resign,
While He whispers in my ear
I am His, and He is mine.”

A prayer:

“Dear Lord Jesus, teach me to number my days.

That I walk, knowing, believing I am a child of the living God.

That I would not walk in a way that seems orphaned and restless.

Today, let me put my hand in Yours, Father, and allow You to lead me.

Trusting with joy that You provide all I need for this moment.

Spirit lead my eyes to “look to the hills.” Give me a new song to sing.

I am Yours Lord, and You are mine, today, tomorrow, for all of time.
Amen, Amen. And, in Jesus’ name, Amen, again and again.

(1) Psalm 46:10
(2) Isaiah 26:3
(3) Psalm 16:11b,
(4) NASBPsalm 23:4,5

Jesus died for sinners.

Jesus died for the guilty. This is a fact.

I’m guilty, is another fact.

Every living human being on this planet is guilty. Go ahead and blame Adam and Eve, but we would have done the same thing if we were them.

We’re naturally rebellious. We all struggle with temptation and curiosity. Doesn’t the wisdom of the world always sound like it makes more sense than God’s Word?

Science and scholars convince themselves (and everyone else) that the Bible is only mythology and fables.

But, what we believe doesn’t change who God is, His story, or His Word.

The Bible tells us that Jesus died for liars.

He died for haters.

He died for adulterers and murderers.

Jesus faced nails hammered into His hands, the agony, ridicule, and shame of the cross for the hopeless.

I wonder if our denying Him hurts more than all His scars put together? The spit, the tearing out of His beard. The harsh words, the cruel behavior, the flogging, the whipping.

He didn’t say, “Forget it Father, these people aren’t worth dying for.”

Instead, when it was all said and done, moments before dying, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing . . . ” Luke 23:34.

Who can do this?

Jesus.

The human race is born spiritually blind and mute. Faith is the eye opener.

Do you know Jesus? Let an old hymn unlock Faith’s door:

I hear the Savior say,
Thy strength indeed is small,
child of weakness
Watch and Pray-
find in Me – thine all in all.

Jesus paid it all,
all to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow!

He washed our stain of sin, white as snow. That’s why we make a big deal about Jesus. His power changes us when we ask forgiveness and believe in His name.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

A heart of stone made soft? Change from the inside out?

That’s what Jesus does. And He humbles us of pride:

For nothing good have I
Where-by Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Nothing good on my part, save believing on all He has done.

Jesus paid it all. He suffers long and waits. And when we receive Him, life everlasting is ours for the taking:

And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
My lips shall still repeat. 

“Sin had left a crimson stain,

He washed it white as snow.”