Crisis comes. The “fight” begins. The battle is greatest against thoughts of fear and uncertainty. “The Lord is on thy side,” the old hymn reminds. But these words feel far removed at this time.
“Be Still My soul.” The words learned during past trial, now echo from deep below. “Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side. Bear patiently, the cross of grief or pain.”
“Patiently.” That word. Who would ever choose that word?
Bear in l-o-n-g – s-u-f-f-e-r-i-n-g are my thoughts’ reasoning. And, like a thread of continuation, “Love suffers long and is kind” pops in head.
“1 Corinthians 13 is impossible with man!” is my next exclamation. “I need a Savior.” is my heart’s cry.
Sorrow and fatigue leave me by a “Slough of Despond,” Just as in the old classic I have read. But, the Hymn of faith fights to bring truth to my lips, “Leave to Thy God, to order and provide. In every change, He faithful will remain. Be still my soul.”
The battle rages against doubt and more doubt: “I can’t do this.” “God’s plan is not for good.”
“Why did He allow this?” My heart fails, only to remind me of a verse hidden there:
“My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26.
Remembrance is as if picking up a sword, and doubt flees. “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73: 25, 26 reminded me what I forgot.
Forever. That includes today.
But God is …
“Be still my soul, thy best, thy heavenly friend, through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.”
So, I take up a hymn and a Psalm for strength. I breath the words that my heart and mind have learned and I speak aloud that my whole being hears the sound:
“Be still my soul. Thy God doth undertake. To guide thy future, as He has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake,
in every change, he faithful will remain. Be still my soul. The waves and wind still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.”
Faith restored, I open up God’s word. Psalm 73 speaks so personal to me: “Truly God is good to Israel. To such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped…”
“Thus my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. NeverthelessI am continually with You;”
“You hold me by my right hand.”
“You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”
“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail;”
“But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:1,2,21-26.
My “forever” begins this minute, right now. Let us fight this battle with faith.
Join me? Let’s get up and get going in His strength. The Lord is on our side!
Tag: song
Finally, joy has come to this world of mine …
Joy to the world! The Lord is come.
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart
Prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing. O how the familiar words of Isaac Watts play over again in our minds, but it’s on a glorious moment –
when the dust of our own personal world, and the North wind has blown to make us cold, but we are tired of being broken and alone –
that we invite the King in. That we finally make room for Him.
And the angels in heaven sing. And our eyes suddenly see all of nature, with exotic colors, form and beauty, form a symphony of song as we walk on our journeys.
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy
Finally, when our flesh, says, to the LORD, “Yes.” The words of the hymn come alive. And the word ‘joy’ has meaning for the very first time. Deliverance comes when the fight finally ends. When the Savior at last, has the reins of our soul, and a miracle I witness, as I feel my world – whole.
Joy has finally come into my world, because room as been made, that the Great Surgeon can cut away, the hardness of heart, the criticalness:
He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love;
And wonders of His love;
And wonders, …
the wonder of His love for me, who, for so long refused to see – His truth, His grace, … His beautiful life He gave. Joy to my world has come, with each new day, with each new breath.
Will you join my joyful chorus as well, and of the King and His greatness tell? We would sing together a joyful song: “Joy has come to this world of mine. I will sing of my King for all – of – time.”
May I share a hidden treasure of a hymn-"It came upon a Midnight Clear"
Christmas hymns can become familiar and sterile, yet when the waves of a storm are greatly brought on, there is a searching that comes,
as we look for a glimmer of hope, or the light of the dawn.
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, That glorious song of old, From angels bending near the earth To touch their harps of gold. “Peace on the earth good will to man, From heaven’s all gracious King!” The world in solemn stillness lay To hear the angels sing.”
The hymnal is opened, Edmund H. Sears work is displayed. “The world in solemn stillness lay? …” There is nothing in this world that is still, it seems, except for the broken in heart and children’s dreams.
But the flood has come, or we’ve been made to walk through the fire, but the hymn sings in our ears, the words of the angels: “Peace on the earth, good will to man, from heaven’s all gracious King!”
My eyes catch the words of the hymn-writer’s story, (thank you Robert J. Morgan for sharing, Then Sings My Soul, in this hymn book I was given.) Recorded are lost words not known, quite forgotten, (still sung with the same melody and rhythm:)
“Yet with the woes of sin and strife/ The world hath suffered long; Beneath the angel-strain have rolled/ Two thousand years of wrong; And man, at war with man, hears not/ The love song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife/ And hear the angels sing!”
I’ve been hushed. I’ve been striving against my Lord. Perhaps the brokenness has brought me life: “O God, bring me to hear the angels sing. My vocal chords have been stilled for far too long. Dear Jesus, will you restore to me, Your song.”
And so, I read in my Christmas gift hymnal, a verse I’ve never in the past seen:
“For lo, the days are hastening on, By prophets bards foretold; With the ev-er circling years, comes round the age of gold. When peace shall o-ver all the earth, Its ancient splendors fling;
And the whole world give back the song Which now the angels sing.”
So perhaps, this ‘mid-night’ has been made clear, as my eyes caught the promise of the glorious King. God Almighty has restored to me sight, and brought back a song that was hidden in night.
I will sing of my King, and give back the song: “Peace on earth …” this earth that is me. This Christmas has brought revival and song. Lord Jesus, my Savior, God with us, Immanuel – I bow my knee …
I bring my offering … to worship Thee, my glorious King.”
If you feel revival in heart is needed today, Admit your wrongs, Believe Jesus loves you, and Call out His name! He hears, He loves and forgives and restores. Jesus is here to give you life evermore.
"We will never understand, but Prince of Peace we cry out to YOU!"
When I think of children losing their daddies and mommies and even grandmas to terror in this day…A new song we sing to You Jesus, …a new song we sing, today…
“How can I think on what is a good report when terror has stolen from my very own heart?
Pour down more, than words can ever express, Dear Lord Jesus, the children are crying, we suffer unimaginable stress!
Prince of Peace, the Great I AM – I cry to You, I will NEVER understand. Lift us Jesus, in Your gentle Hand. Hold us near to Your heart, NOW! Like never before, pour out Your grace on us – make our beds, wipe our tears, Dear Lord Jesus be ever so near!
’cause what I know, that “Jesus loves me so,” I can’t even hold on to…all this You know.
But Your Spirit is present, Faith will not fail…It’s Christmas time, ‘Immanuel’-God be with me! Be with me now, and our family: “Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay, close by me forever and love me, I pray…” though I am bleeding and weeping and hurting so deep, so deep inside- Jesus, I love You. I will worship You still.
“Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good…” Your Good word has told me,… so I cling to You, as I should! There is nothing in the world for me, but Your Voice and Your gentle touch… I will cling to You in my pain – You know all about it…during the Passion and death on the cross.
I will Remember You, as ‘You prepare a Table before me in the presence of my enemies’. Table of Communion, the broken bread and blood that You shed. You are God. You are all Might.
“I love Thee Lord Jesus, please hold me real tight, and Comfort me now…Be the Light …to my night.”