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Hymns

Day by Day

Words: Karolina (“Lina”) Wilhelmina Sandell-Berg (b. Oct. 3, 1832; d. July 27, 1903)
Music: Blott en Dag (Swedish for Only a Day), by Oscar Ahnfelt (b. May 21, 1813; d. Oct. 22, 1882)

Note: The Wordwise Hymns links below will give you both a biography of Karolina Sandell, and a bit about the translator of this hymn into English, Andrew Skoog.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

I have a poster in my office that says: “I try to take one day at a time, but lately several days have attacked me at once.” It’s a humorous statement, but of course it’s not accurate. We can only live one day at a time–in fact, just one moment at a time. Only God “inhabits eternity” (Isa. 57:15), and can view all of time as Now. It’s our own tendency to worry and fret that adds the burdens of tomorrow (real or imagined) to the load we’re carrying today. It’s concerning just such a habit that the Lord Jesus addressed these words:

“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Matt. 6:16

To this we can add some homely wisdom from pastor and hymn writer John Newton (Amazing Grace):

Sometimes I compare the troubles which we have to undergo in the course of the year to a great bundle of fagots [sticks gathered for firewood], far too large for us to lift. But God does not require us to carry the whole at once; He mercifully unties the bundle, and gives us first one stick, which we are to carry today, and then another which we are to carry tomorrow, and so on. This we might easily manage, if we would only take the burden appointed for us each day; but we chose to increase our troubles by carrying yesterday’s stick over again today, and adding tomorrow’s burden to our load, before we are required to bear it.

from Out of the Depths, Newton’s autobiography, p. 159

Look again at the meaning of the Swedish name for the tune for our hymn: “Only a day.” God’s promise to Israel was, “As your days, so shall your strength be” (Deut. 33:25). The same principle applies to the Christian: daily grace for daily needs. Sufficient grace (II Cor. 12:9), but even more made available for the asking (Heb. 4:15-16). Lina Sandell’s marvellous hymn expresses this truth beautifully. It is a hymn that should be used often by the people of God.

(1) Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

(3) Help me then, in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.

Questions:

  1. What have you found to be the best practical remedy for worry and anxiety?
  2. What are some Bible passages that provide “faith’s sweet consolation” for you personally?

Links:

All the Way My Saviour Leads Me

Words: Frances Jane (Fanny) Crosby (b. March 24, 1820; d. Feb. 12, 1915)
Music: Robert Lowry (b. March 12, 1826; d. Nov. 25, 1899)

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The personal incident in Fanny’s life that led to the writing of this fine song is described in the Wordwise Hymns link. But there was a biblical inspiration, as well. When the hymn was first published in 1875, it was captioned with the text, “The LORD alone did lead him” (Deut. 32:12, KJV). The “him” referred to is the nation of Israel, called “Jacob” in the context (vs. 9).

Especially in the second stanza, it’s clear that Fanny has in mind the forty years the nation of Israel spent in the wilderness. There, the Lord guided them with a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night (Exod. 40:38). He fed them with bread from heaven that they called manna (Exod. 16:14-15), and when they were thirsty God twice gave them water from a rock (Exod. 17:5-6; Num. 20:9-11). All of this provides examples and illustrations of how the Lord leads and provides for our needs as Christians (Rom. 15:4; I Cor. 10:11).

(2) All the way my Saviour leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread;
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

When she wrote these words, Fanny Crosby had no way of knowing that another productive forty years lay ahead of her! All through, she continued to write hymns, and was also in demand as a devotional speaker. For a watch-night service in 1905, she wrote a poem personifying the passing year. It shows the consistency of her Christian walk. The poem says, in part:

List to the clanging bells of time.
Tolling, tolling a low, sad chime,
A requiem chant o’er the grand Old Year,
Hark! He is speaking, and bids us hear:

“Friends, I am dying, my hours are few,
This is the message I leave for you,
‘Bought with a price, ye are not your own,
Live for the Master and Him alone.

“Gather the sheep from the mountains cold,
Gather them into the Shepherd’s fold,
Work for His cause till your work is done,
Stand by the cross till your crown is won.”

And the author did just that, looking forward, as the years crept on, to the time when she entered “perfect rest…in my Father’s house above ((3) of our hymn). Fanny Crosby was fifty-five years old when she wrote the present hymn, testifying of the One “who through life has been my guide” (1). She was confident in the truth of Romans 8:28, that God works in all things for our good. As she says in her hymn,  “I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.”

(3) All the way my Saviour leads me
O the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way.

Questions:

  1. What example comes to mind of the way the Lord has led you during the days of this past week?
  2. Not everything was pleasant and comfortable in the wanderings of the Israelites–nor is it in our Christian lives. What are some of the ways God uses the challenges and obstacles we face for our good and blessing?

Links:

Christ Receiveth Sinful Men

Words: Erdmann Neumeister (b. May 12, 1671; d. Aug. 18, 1756)
Music: James McGranahan (b. July 4, 1840; d. July 9, 1907)

Note: James McGranahan sometimes used the initials “G. M. J.” as a pen name.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Christ’s kind reception of “sinners” is spoken of with a self-righteous sneer, by the Jewish scribes and Pharisees:

“Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, ‘This Man receives sinners and eats with them.’”

Lk. 15:1-2

Regarding “the tax collectors and the sinners.” The tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Roman government and thus were seen as siding with the oppressors. Further, as long as the Romans got their “cut,” these men were allowed to demand as much money in taxes as they liked. Many were thus dishonest, and lining their own pockets with money virtually extorted from their own people.

Zacchaeus provides an example. When he trusted in Christ, he expressed his willingness to restore any money taken unfairly (Lk. 19:2, 8). There were no doubt some honest collectors (perhaps Matthew was, Matt. 9:9), but they all had a bad reputation with the Jewish leaders.

The “sinners” were not necessarily evil or wicked people. Any who did not follow all the meticulous rules laid down by the Pharisees, any whom they deemed to be ceremonially unclean, were labelled sinners. (They called Jesus Himself a sinner! Jn. 9:24.)

But the important thing to note here is that these who were seen as being of no account sought Jesus out (Matt. 9:10). They recognized their own spiritual need, and came to hear Him, and ultimately to heed Him (Mk. 2:15). In this they were the opposite of the Jewish leaders, who considered themselves spiritually superior, and rejected Christ and His message.

The word “receives,” in Luke 15:2, means to welcome and accept. But Christ could only (and can only) welcome and accept those who come to Him. That did not include the self-righteous leaders of the Jews. Though they stood in His presence, they rejected Him and were blind to their own desperate spiritual need (cf. Mk. 2:16-17).

Erdmann Neumeister’s fine hymn tells of the ready welcome sinners will receive, when they turn to the Saviour. That is “the word of grace” we have to proclaim. It is part of the gospel message.

(1) Sinners Jesus will receive;
Sound this word of grace to all
Who the heavenly pathway leave,
All who linger, all who fall.

Sing it o’er and over again;
Christ receiveth sinful men;
Make the message clear and plain:
Christ receiveth sinful men.

The last two stanzas express a personal testimony. (3) describes the effectiveness of the work of salvation. Christ fulfilled the demands of God’s holy law and, in Him, we are “pure” and free from condemnation. CH-4 contains a lovely touch. Instead of taking the accusing tone of the Pharisees, “Listen up, all you sinners out there!” the author places himself among the sinners with, “Even me with all my sin.”

(4) Christ receiveth sinful men,
Even me with all my sin;
Purged from every spot and stain,
Heaven with Him I enter in.

Questions:

  1. What beliefs and attitudes are part of the thinking of one who thinks like a Pharisee?
  2. What is the greatest need of these folk?

Links:

We Plow the Fields and Scatter

Words: Matthias Claudius (b. Aug. 15, 1740; d. Jan. 21, 1815)
Music: Wir Pflugen (or Dresden), by Johann Abraham Peter Schulz (b. March 31, 1747; d. June 10, 1800)

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

This robust harvest hymn makes the point that those who garden and farm are working in cooperation with the Lord, and are dependent on His part in the process. In the beginning, “The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden” (Gen. 2:8), and surely it must have been the most beautiful garden ever seen on earth. But He did it, without man’s help, and before Adam had ever seen the garden.

However, in sovereign grace, the Lord drew man into a partnership with Himself. He “took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it (vs. 15). This, incidentally shows us that having to work, in itself, is not a result of the fall. Only things like wearing weariness in labour, frustration, danger and death, come with the curse (Gen. 3:17-19). Even on into eternity, “His servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 22:3).

My wife and I presently live in a rural community, surrounded by fields of grain and other crops. Though we do not farm ourselves, we’re continually reminded of how important it is for the Lord to send the sunshine and rain at the proper time.

(1) We plow the fields, and scatter the good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand;
He sends the snow in winter, the warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing rain.

All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord
For all His love.

The Apostle Paul makes use of farming, and divine-human cooperation, to illustrate a similar process in our service for Christ and the proclamation of the gospel.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field” (I Cor. 3:6-9).

In our Christian service, as in our work in the field or the garden, we depend on the wisdom and help of Almighty God. The words of the Lord Jesus, in another context, apply here: “Without Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5).

(2) He only is the Maker of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower, He lights the evening star;
The winds and waves obey Him, by Him the birds are fed;
Much more to us, His children, He gives our daily bread.

If we own a farm, we may be able to pay a hired hand–indeed, we’re obligated to do so. But what can we render to the Lord for His abundant mercies? Claudius says we can offer Him our thanks, and the humble submission of our thankful hearts. Our gratitude is a kind of fruit as well, as it springs up from within us. “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15).

(3) We thank Thee, then, O Father, for all things bright and good,
The seed time and the harvest, our life, our health, and food;
Accept the gifts we offer, for all Thy love imparts,
And what Thou most desirest, our humble, thankful hearts.

Questions:

  1. In what area of your life are you most conscious of this partnership between the Lord and yourself?
  2. What would you say to someone who argues that he’s a “self-made man”? (In this regard, consider the Lord’s admonition to Israel, Deut. 8:13-18.)

Links:

Higher Ground

Words: Johnson Oatman, Jr. (b. Apr. 21, 1856; d. Sept. 25, 1922)
Music: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (b. Aug. 18, 1856; d. Sept. 15, 1932)

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

We live in a material world and, though we’re also spiritual beings, we often have difficulty grasping the spiritual dimension of life. The Bible helps us with many figures of speech, and with poetic imagery, giving us a way to understand something of the spiritual and eternal.

A word of caution is needed, however. The Bible’s authors do not always use a particular image or symbol in exactly the same way each time. For example, the imagery of a lion is used of both Satan and the Lord Jesus Christ (I Pet. 5:8; Rev. 5:5). This does not mean that the devil and the Lord Jesus are the same, except in the limited sense that each is powerful. (The devil in a finite sense, and the Son of God infinitely so.)

To the point here, the spatial dimensions of height and depth are used to describe contrasting spiritual experiences. But again, not always in the same sense. God’s protection of the saints is compared to being lifted up to “high places,” places of safety (Ps. 18:33). But in other texts the “high places” are idol shrines that God abominates (Lev. 26:30). It is important to consider the context (the verses before and after) to see how the phrase is being used.

God’s judgments are [i.e. His justice is] “a great deep,” and His righteousness reaches to the heights of “the great mountains” (Ps. 36:6). God’s “thoughts are very deep” (beyond human comprehension)” (Ps. 92:5), and He is frequently called the “Most High” (e.g. Ps. 7:17). Lucifer’s (Satan’s) pride before his fall caused him to declare, “I will be like the Most High” (Isa. 14:14).

A common use of the dimensions of height and depth is to describe the extremity of danger or suffering that humans pass through: “I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me” (Ps. 69:2; cf. vs. 14-15). But the Lord will lift me up (Ps. 27:5; cf. 40:2). “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him” (Ps. 103:11).

The city of Jerusalem was built on an elevation (part of which, Mount Zion, came to stand for the whole city). This was a geographical reality. People spoke of “going up to Jerusalem” (cf. Mic. 4:2; Jn. 2:13). But it also came to be a spiritual symbol, since the temple was there, a symbol of drawing near to God, of deeper fellowship and richer praise and worship.

It is perhaps this sense that Johnson Oatman draws upon in his gospel song. It expresses a desire to draw closer to God and to grow in spiritual character and strength. To the extent that he is able to do this, he has a sense of being on the borderland of heaven itself.

(1) I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on heaven’s table land,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

(4) I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Questions:

  1. In (3), Oatman says, “I want to live above the world.” In what sense can this be done? And in what sense is it impossible and impractical?
  2. What will the character and behaviour of a person be like if he or she is living consistently on “higher ground”?

Links:

Nearer, My God, to Thee

Words: Sarah Fuller Flower Adams (b. Feb. 22, 1805; Aug. 14, 1848)
Music: Bethany (or Mason), by Lowell Mason (b. Jan. 8, 1792; d. Aug. 11, 1872)

Note: Sarah Adams was a famous actress in her day, and both she and her sister were accomplished authors. Sarah was also a pious and strongly moral woman. When her sister became ill with tuberculosis, Mrs. Adams lovingly cared for her. The sister died in 1847, and it’s likely Sarah contracted the illness from her. She died about a year later, at the age of 43.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

This lovely hymn is a poetic retelling of an incident in the life of Jacob. Fleeing from his brother Esau, who had threatened to kill him, Jacob found himself alone in the wilderness. It will help you to understand the hymn if you take a few moments to read the Bible passage involved–Genesis 28:10-19.

Sarah Adams was a Unitarian, which accounts for the fact that there’s not much in the hymn expressive of Christian doctrine. Notice in the opening stanza that the cross is seen not as the place of Christ’s redeeming work, but as a symbol of human suffering. One change has been made in the original of (1). Mrs. Adams’s version read, “Still all may song would be…” That is, it’s my goal and my desire. “Shall” makes a stronger commitment, but it must also be taken as dependent on the daily grace God supplies.

(1) Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.

Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!

(2) draws on Genesis 28:11. Having a stone for a pillow does not seem very comfortable! Nor does a night in the wilderness! The scene is intended as a symbol of hardship and lonely suffering. That is certainly not contradictory to the Bible’s teaching, though there’s a strong emphasis on identification with Christ in the suffering of the believer (Matt. 16:24).

(3) is based on Genesis 28:12. In Jacob’s dramatic dream, the Lord appeared at the top of a towering ladder that reached up to heaven (vs. 13). God promised Jacob He would bring him back to the Promised Land once more, and fulfil the covenant made with Abraham and his descendants, to make of them a great nation, and give them the land of Canaan as their homeland (vs. 13-15).

On waking, Jacob is awed with the thought that where he had lain down had proved to be “the gate of heaven” (vs. 17). In a ceremony of dedication, he named the place “Bethel” (vs. 19–Hebrew for House of God). Sarah Adams delights in the nearness of God, even in the wilderness experiences of life (4). Her phrase, “Then, with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise…” is beautiful indeed. May that be the experience of each one of us.

Her final stanza (5) reflects on the joy of spending eternity in the presence of God in heaven. That thought is strengthened by another stanza (6) added years later by Edward Bickersteth.

(5) Or, if on joyful wing cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I’ll fly,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.

(6) There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest,
There in my Saviour’s love, perfectly blest;
Age after age to be, nearer my God to Thee.

Though it began as a Unitarian hymn (the Unitarians deny the deity of Christ), the hymn, as noted earlier, does not contradict the Scriptures. That accounts for the fact that it’s now included in all major Protestant hymnals, and is sung by those who espouse the Trinitarian nature of God.

Questions:

  1. What is there in Jacob’s experience that parallels that of the Christian today?
  2. What is the meaning and motivation of one passionately desiring to be “nearer” to God?

Links:

Holy, Holy, Holy

Words: Reginald Heber (b. Apr. 21, 1783; d. Apr. 3, 1826)
Music: Nicaea, by John Bacchus Dykes (b. March 10. 1823; d. Jan. 22. 1876)

Note: Reginald Heber’s hymn was first published in 1826, the year of his death. Notable English poet, Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) considered this the finest hymn ever written. Without much question, it is the best of our hymns on the Trinity. It continues in common use nearly two centuries after it was written. Some congregations sing it every Sunday.
There is a historical note related to the tune Nicaea as well. Considered by many to be Dykes’ finest hymn tune, it is named after the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325), attended by more than three hundred bishops of the early church. There they wrestled with Arianism and the denial of the full deity of Christ. Arius said Christ was a created being, but Athanasius argued that if He were less than God He could not be our Saviour. Young Athanasius (about twenty-five years old at the time) ably defended Trinitarian doctrine, earning him the reputation of being one of the giants of church history. It is fitting that the tune for a hymn praising the triune God should be named Nicaea.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

The inspiration for the hymn comes mainly from Revelation chapters 4 and 5. As reflected in (1), the Apostle John describes seeing four living creatures around the throne of God (likely cherubim) who declare, day and night, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Rev. 4:8). The praising of God “early in the morning” comes perhaps from Psalm 63:1 or Isaiah 26:9.

(1) Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Casting golden crowns before the throne of God, and the “glassy sea” around the throne (2) are described in Revelation 4:6,  9-10. The darkness that hides the majestic glory of God (3) was experienced by Moses at Mount Sinai (Exod. 20:21). The holiness of God is so absolute that none can compare with Him. Therefore, it can be said, “only Thou art holy” (cf. Rev. 15:4).

(2) Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert, and art, and evermore shall be.

(3) Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

All that God has done and will yet do can only bring more glory to Him. “All Your works shall praise You, O LORD” (Ps. 145:10; cf. (4)). “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honour and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!’” (Rev. 5:13).

(4) Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Questions:

  1. Compare the best of our attempts to praise God here and now, with what we can expect in heaven. What will be some of the differences?
  2. Various “crowns” are spoken of in the New Testament–rewards for faithful service, for suffering for the cause of Christ, and so on (cf. I Cor. 9:24-27; Jas. 1:2-3, 12). What is the significance of these crowns being cast before the throne of God (Rev. 4:10-11)?

Links:

What a Wonderful Saviour

Words: Elisha Albright Hoffman (b. May 7, 1839; d. Nov. 25, 1929)
Music: Elisha Albright Hoffman

Note: Elisha Hoffman’s father was a minister of the gospel in the Evangelical Association, and his son took up Christian ministry in his own time. He was both a poet and a musician as well, so provided both words and music for many of his songs. Eventually he produced more than two thousand of them, some translated into many languages.

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Several of Pastor Hoffman’s songs that are still in common use are somewhat repetitious–as is the present one. They’re often dismissed on that account by the hymnological elite. Granted these songs will never make a list of the greatest hymns in English hymnody. But it seems to me they have a place, in part because of their very repetitiousness. In another of his songs the repeated “I must tell Jesus” hammers home the need for prayer, when so many of us neglect it. In this one, we are reminded twenty or so times “What a wonderful Saviour!” we have–with twenty exclamation marks following.

Is that too much? Maybe. Or maybe not–given the nature of the Subject. An exclamation mark (!) indicates the expression of a strong emotion, and grammarians caution writers against overusing it. However, when we are referring to One who is infinitely wonderful, it’s difficult to see how we can overstate the case.

I grew up, and ministered in churches, and now attend a church, where there’s little outward expression of emotion in the worship services. Perhaps, in part, it’s because we’re Canadians–whom others describe as being somewhat reserved. Also, for some, it’s a result of fearing that the opposite might take hold. What if congregants go on an emotional binge, with shouts of “Hallelujah!” or weeping and wailing all over the place?

Well, what if it did happen? Is there anything heretical about that? (No. The Word of God contains many examples of God’s people weeping before Him, or shouting for joy.) Further, we need to make a clear distinction between the legitimate expression of feelings on the one hand, and emotionalism on the other. The latter describes an excessive emotion or sentimentalism stirred up for its own sake. When emotion rules, rather than a legitimate reason for emotion, that should be a concern.

It is also appropriate to call for a subduing of emotion when it is inappropriate to the moment. Nehemiah gives us an example (Neh. 8:8-12). The people had listened to the Scriptures read and explained, and they grieved at how they had offended God. But the Feast of Tabernacles which they were celebrating was a time for rejoicing. Time enough afterward to deal with confession and repentance–as they did (Neh. 9:1-3). During the feast, Nehemiah counselled, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10).

Freedom and flexibility in the Spirit need to coexist with moderation and spiritual discipline. The end result will no doubt vary somewhat with culture and custom, but surely there are limits in both directions. We may decry a formal liturgy that leaves no room at all for spontaneous expression. But, it’s possible to become rigid about having no structure too. Even in free-wheeling evangelical circles, there can be a kind of unspoken rigidity when “Amens!” and “Praise the Lords!” dominate the entire service and seem close to becoming automatic and unthinking.

It is something worth monitoring. Encourage freedom, but avoid an implied license to do or say whatever the individual’s whim motivates. For myself, I sometimes remind a congregation that there are two wonderful sounds a preacher likes to hear when he is proclaiming God’s Word. One is the turning of pages, as folks check out what he’s saying with what the Bible says (cf. Acts 17:11). The other is a hearty and sincere “Amen!” or “Praise the Lord!” when a significant point is made. Surely we should encourage both!

(1) Christ has for sin atonement made
What a wonderful Saviour!
We are redeemed, the price is paid
What a wonderful Saviour!

What a wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Jesus!
What a wonderful Saviour is Jesus, my Lord!

(2) I praise Him for the cleansing blood
What a wonderful Saviour!
That reconciled my soul to God
What a wonderful Saviour!

Questions:

  1. How would you describe the level of spontaneous expression in your own church? (Too little? Too much? Or just about right?)
  2. If this area of worship isn’t what you believe it should be, how could you encourage change?

Links:

Take the World, But Give Me Jesus

Words: Frances Jane (“Fanny”) Crosby (b. March 24, 1820; d. Feb. 12, 1915)
Music: John Robson Sweney (b. Dec. 31, 1837; d. Apr. 10, 1899)

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

Many of Fanny Crosby’s gospel songs were inspired by things that happened to her, or conversations she had, during her long life. Biographer Bernard Ruffin quotes from Miss Crosby’s book Memories of Eighty Years, concerning one such:

Fanny was talking to one of her neighbours, who complained bitterly of his poverty. “If I had wealth I would be able to do just what I wish to do; and I would be able to make an appearance [i.e. an impression] in the world.” Fanny replied, “Well, take the world, but give me Jesus.”

Bernard Ruffin

She later turned that comment into the present song–words that also seem to draw upon the penetrating words of the Lord Jesus, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mk. 8:36-37). The value of our “treasures” depends on who does the counting, and what kind of a measuring instrument is used (cf. Matt. 6:19-21).

One day a gem dealer attended a Gem and Mineral Show, in Arizona. At one booth, he noticed a blue-violet stone about the size and shape of a potato. “You want $15 for this?” he said to the vendor. And the seller, realizing the stone was not as pretty as others in the bin, lowered the price to $10, and made a sale. But that stone has since been certified as a 1,905-carat natural star sapphire, nearly twice the size of the next largest stone of its kind. Its worth is estimated at more than two and a quarter million dollars!

“Take the world, but give me Jesus.” Why? Because the pleasures and treasures of this world are soon going to pass away (Heb. 11:24-26; II Pet. 3:10; I Jn. 2:15-17), but “His love abideth ever” (Jn. 13:1; Rev. 1:5). As the Lord told the people of Israel, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3). Nothing can compare with that! One is reminded of the oft-quoted words of missionary Jim Elliot: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

(1) Take the world, but give me Jesus,
All its joys are but a name;
But His love abideth ever,
Through eternal years the same.

Oh, the height and depth of mercy!
Oh, the length and breadth of love!
Oh, the fullness of redemption,
Pledge of endless life above!

One more note of interest. As you likely know, Fanny Crosby was blind. However, she not only refused to count this as a disability, but was able to testify that it gave her certain advantages. She saw things with the eyes of faith, and with a poet’s insight, that others of us so often miss. It’s not surprising that many of her gospel songs refer either to this spiritual sight, or to the joy that would be hers when the first face she sees in Glory will be that of her Saviour.

In stanza (3), “His constant smile” seems to be poetic imagery for Christ’s fellowship and His many blessings on her life.

(3) Take the world, but give me Jesus,
Let me view His constant smile;
Then throughout my pilgrim journey
Light will cheer me all the while.

Questions:

  1. What are the common measuring sticks many in this world use to measure the value of things in their lives–or things they wish were there?
  2. What is the best way to measure the worth of these things?

Links:

God Leads Us Along

Words: George A. Young (c. 1855 to 1935)
Music: George A. Young

Note: This is a fine gospel song, though its origins are obscure. As students of hymnology, we continue to look for more data about the author.  Information for the “P.S.” to this post comes from Al Smith’s Treasury of Hymn Histories, by Alfred B. Smith (Dickinson Press Incorporated, 1981).

(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)

George Young was a carpenter, and a preacher of the gospel. In the late nineteenth century he laboured in obscurity, serving small rural areas in the United States. Today, there is not even a reliable record of the dates of his birth and death. (A guess would be approximately 1855 and 1935, respectively.) Often his income was so small he had difficulty supporting his wife and family. Even so, he kept on diligently serving the Lord.

Finally, after a great deal of effort and years of sacrifice, the Youngs were able to move into a small house they had built for themselves. All were delighted with the new place, but tragedy soon overtook them. While George was away holding meetings in another community, some ruffians who were hostile to the gospel he preached set fire to the Young’s home burning it to the ground.

In 1903, George Young published a hymn for which he wrote both words and music. It is a testimony to his faith in God, in spite of this severe trial. It depicts different kinds of circumstances and experiences we face in life, with a reminder that the Lord provides for us in them all. The opening stanza paints a lovely picture, reminiscent of the 23rd Psalm. But the author was well aware that not all of life is like that. The song’s refrain gives a more sobering view of life’s trials:

(1) In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along;
Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,
God leads His dear children along.

Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.

“Some through great sorrow.” It’s believed this is a reference to Young’s own experience. He had learned, through painful loss that “God…gives songs in the night” to those who trust in Him (Job 35:10). And through it all, whether in good times or bad, the Lord continues to “lead His dear children along.”

Perhaps there are those who think that if God is our Guide, our lives should never be touched by hurt or harm. But that’s not the case. When God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, he led his people with a supernatural pillar of cloud and fire (Deut. 1:33). But He led them through a wilderness. There they experienced a lack of water, and a shortage of food, in addition to enemy attacks. God did not deliver them from such experiences. But He proved Himself strong, time and again, to meet their need.

Today, Christians are subject to all the ills common to man, and they have, as the hymn writer’s experience reminds us, the added burden of living in a world at enmity with God. Jesus warned, long ago, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (Jn. 15:20). George Young certainly knew about that!

Though there are some remarkable instances of God’s deliverance from pain or peril, they are not the common thing. We are not promised a final and full release from trials until we go to be with Him in glory. It is then that sickness, pain, and death will be forever put behind us (Rev. 21:4). More often now, rather than delivering us from these things, the Lord helps us in them, and carries us through them.

(3) Though sorrows befall us and evils oppose,
God leads His dear children along;
Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,
God leads His dear children along.

There is an interesting P.S. to this story. Around 1942, hymn writer Haldor Lillenas (The Bible Stands; Wonderful Grace of Jesus) decided to track down George Young’s widow, and find out more. He got an address in a small town and, driving there, he stopped at a gas station to ask for directions. When the attendant saw the address, he said, “Why sir, that’s the County Poor House up the road about three miles. And mister, when I say poor house, I really mean poor house!”

Not knowing what to expect, Lillenas made his way there. He found Mrs. Young, a tiny, elderly woman, in surroundings that were far from congenial. However, she radiated the joy of the Lord, and spoke of how He’d guided her and her husband over many years. Then, she exclaimed, “Dr. Lillenas, God led me here! I’m so glad He did, for you know, about every month someone comes into this place to spend the rest of their days….So many of them don’t know my Jesus. I’m having the time of my life introducing them to Jesus! Dr. Lillenas, isn’t it wonderful how God leads!”

Questions:

  1. How would you answer someone who said he could not believe there was a God, because there is so much suffering in the world?
  2. In what ways has the Lord been leading you in the past week?

Links:

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