Dead phones need a charger. Weary souls need a re-charger too. Paul Gerhardt knew about the need to be encouraged, so in 1656, he penned these words:
“Give to the winds Thy fears; Hope and be undismayed;
God hears Thy sighs and counts Thy tears,
God shall lift up Thy head.” Hymn by Paul Gerhardt, translated by John Wesley, 1656.
Some old hymns need to find their way back in today’s busy minds.
A 1656 hymn speaks volumes, plain and clear for today, “hope and be undismayed.”
John Wesley is a familiar name. He’s the brother of Charles Wesley, one of the 19 children born of Samuel and Susanne Wesley. John was four years older than Charles, and they both were used mightily by God.
But John Wesley had sighs and fears. All of human race has sighs, tears, and fears.
However, God lifts up our head. When we believe, our heads rise.
“Through waves and clouds and storms, He gently clears Thy way; Wait Thou His time; So shall this night soon end in joyous day.”
Faith helps us wait for His time. Ecclesiastes 3:17 reminds us:
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
This night will soon be over into a joyous day.
“Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD” Ps. 27:14.
God is God, we’re not. He is a Sovereign God, He knows the beginning from the end. But waiting on the LORD is hard. Our hearts become weak and weary.
We struggle to trust Him. How we need to know Him and His love deeper and wider.
He knows everything about us, yet He loves us with tender-mercies.
There is no one like God. But do we know Him?
When we spend time with Him. He will strengthen our heart.
Faith is believing God. Wanting to know His Word, His Ways, His wisdom.
“Leave to God’s sov’reign sway To choose and to command; So shall thou, wond’ring, own that way, How wise, how strong His hand!”
He desires my best, not my own wandering ways.
When I don’t fully understand, do I believe still?
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ Romans 10:17.
Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind Job 12: 9-10.
“How can tragic loss, disease, and strife bombard our lives as it does?”
We ask, we wonder, we doubt God’s love,
Yet His Hand remains to hold ours as we walk among thorns in this broken sin-cursed world.
There’s always hope, as long as there’s God.
“Let us in life, in death, Thy steadfast truth declare, And publish with our latest breath Thy love and guardian care.
God’s Word, a voice of love and care and steadfast truth:
“Far, far above thy thought, His counsel shall appear, When fully He the work hath wrought, that caused thy needless fear.”
He supernaturally lifts us to carry on . . .
Until that day,
He calls us home.
“Give to the winds thy fears. Hope and be undismayed.
God hears they sighs and counts thy tears.
God shall lift up thy head.”
