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Today in 1884 – William Gaskell Died

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The Bible talks about Christian ministry as a process in which many have a part. Paul says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (I Cor. 3:6). And sometimes a person who gains only limited recognition, or later fades into obscurity, can play an important part in God’s program all the same. For instance, it was his Sunday School teacher, Edward Kimball, who led evangelist D. L. Moody to Christ. Kimball is all but forgotten, but God used him to bring Moody to Himself, and Moody brought thousands more.

Another who had that kind of little-recognized influence was a man named William Gaskell. He served as pastor of the Cross Street Chapel in Manchester, England, for over 60 years. But since he was a Unitarian in doctrine, many of us would find ourselves opposed to some of the beliefs he held. Gaskell wrote many hymns, but they are long forgotten. However, it was in another area that he made an unexpected contribution.

William Gaskell was a teacher, as well as  being a pastor. He gave lectures on literature and other subjects in Manchester. But he went a step further. The city at that time had a large population of poor and underprivileged people. He took it upon himself to tutor both boys and girls who could not get an education elsewhere. Catherine Winkworth was among his students (as was her sister).

And if Gaskell’s contribution to hymnology is forgotten today, Catherine Winkworth’s certainly is not. Considered the foremost English translator of old German hymns, her name is found in nearly every hymn book. If you have ever sung hymns such as Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, or If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee, or Now Thank We All Our God, you have benefited from her service for the Lord.

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

(2) Sitting at the Feet of Jesus (Data Missing)

From the 19th century comes a lovely little gospel song that is based on the occasion described in Luke when Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, sat at the feet of Christ to hear His teaching (Lk. 10:39).

We know nothing of the author. He or she is listed simply by the initials J.H. (or sometimes J.H.T.). Asa Hull’s tune is also used for All for Jesus. (You can hear it played on the Cyber Hymnal.)

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
Oh, what words I hear Him say!
Happy place! so near, so precious!
May it find me there each day.
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
I would look upon the past;
For His love has been so gracious,
It has won my heart at last.

Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
Where can mortal be more blest?
There I lay my sins and sorrows
And, when weary, find sweet rest.
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
There I love to weep and pray,
While I from His fullness gather
Grace and comfort every day.

Bless me, O my Saviour, bless me,
As I sit low at Thy feet.
Oh, look down in love upon me;
Let me see Thy face so sweet.
Give me, Lord, the mind of Jesus;
Make me holy as He is.
May I prove I’ve been with Jesus,
Who is all my righteousness.

Today in 1579 – William Whittingham Died

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Little is known about William Whittingham, but his work lives on long after him. In the mid-1600’s, committees of men associated with the Church of Scotland worked to render the Psalms in a poetical English translation. They hoped to create songs that were both accurate and singable. It took them several years of painstaking labour drawing on the work of others, eventually producing The Scottish Psalter.

Though this is a great and historic contribution to English hymnody, only one selection from it is commonly sung today outside of Scotland. That is the well-known 23rd Psalm. And the version we have is a composite of seven other renderings of the psalm, including work by William Whittingham.  Whittingham’s quaint opening stanza began:

The Lord is only my support,
And He that doth me feed;
How can I then lack anything,
Whereof I stand in need?

The final composite verson of the hymn follows the text of Scripture pretty closely. It begins:

The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want.
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again;
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.

(2) Today in 1921 – Edwin Excell Died

Edwin Othello Excell made a dramatic career change. For the first 12 years of his adult life he worked as a plasterer and bricklayer. But the Lord had other plans for him. It was during those years that he put his faith in Christ, eventually turning his attention to a music ministry. After receiving extensive training, he began to publish dozens of popular gospel song books. He was also a skilled song leader, assisting several evangelists in that way. And Excell composed the music for about 2,000 songs, occasionally writing the words himself as well.

One song for which he provided both words and music is Since I Have Been Redeemed. Presenting some of the blessings enjoyed by the child of God, it begins with what the Bible calls our “new song”:

I have a song I love to sing,
Since I have been redeemed,
Of my Redeemer, Saviour King,
Since I have been redeemed.

In another stanza the hymn testifies: “I have a Christ who satisfies.” And in still another, “I have a home prepared for me.” Most hymn books include only four stanzas, but there is one more. It talks about the basis for our standing before God. The Bible says that “He [God the Father] made Him who knew no sin [the Lord Jesus] to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (II Cor. 5:21). And “in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).

With these things in mind, Edwin Excell’s hymn ends:

I have a joy I can’t express,
Since I have been redeemed,
All through His blood and righteousness,
Since I have been redeemed.

In 1900, Edwin Excell provided the tune for the Sunday School song, I’ll Be a Sunbeam (also known as Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam). He dedicated the result to his grandson, Edwin Junior. The words came from rural Missouri Sunday School teacher Nellie Talbot, who wrote them for the children she taught.

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam,
To shine for Him each day;
In every way try to please Him,
At home, at school, at play.

A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
Jesus wants me for a sunbeam;
A sunbeam, a sunbeam,
I’ll be a sunbeam for Him.

Jesus wants me to be loving,
And kind to all I see;
Showing how pleasant and happy
His little one can be.

I will ask Jesus to help me
To keep my heart from sin,
Ever reflecting His goodness,
And always shine for Him.

Today in 1790 – Robert Robinson Died

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In his youth, Robert Robinson was apprenticed to a barber in London and lived a wild and reckless life. But one day he heard a sermon by George Whitefield on the stern words of John the Baptist to the Jewish leaders of his day, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matt. 3:7). The Spirit of God convicted the wayward young man and he put his faith in Christ.

Associated with the Wesleys for a time, Robinson served as a pastor in several churches. He wrote a number of works on theology, and two hymns that we know of, Mighty God, While Angels Bless Thee, and Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. The latter hymn begins:

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.

The song is autobiographical in its confession of a proneness to wander away from the Lord. Though a man of intellectual brilliance, Robert Robinson was, in the words of Scripture, “unstable as water” (Gen. 49:4). In his later years he drifted away from God. This weakness is reflected in a later stanza of the hymn above:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

In a spiritually backslidden condition, the author was traveling in a stage coach one day. His only companion was a young woman unknown to him. In the providence of God, and not realizing who it was she spoke with, the woman quoted Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, saying what an encouragement it had been to her. And try as he might, Robinson could not get her to change the subject.

Finally, he said, with tears in his eyes, “Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who composed that hymn, many years ago. And I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I then had!” Gently, she replied, “Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are still flowing.” He was deeply touched by that. As a result of the encounter he repented. His fellowship with the Lord was restored through the ministry of his own hymn, and a Christian’s willing witness.

(2) Today in 1834 James Thompson Born

James Oren Thompson fought with Maine’s 17th Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War, but for most of his adult life he served pastorates in a number of churches. He is known for one hymn only, a missionary prayer from 1885. The song says:

Far and near the fields are teeming
With the waves of ripened grain;
Far and near their gold is gleaming
O’er the sunny slope and plain.

Lord of harvest, send forth reapers!
Hear us, Lord, to Thee we cry;
Send them now the sheaves to gather
Ere the harvest time pass by.

The refrain is based on the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter 9. The Bible says, “When [Christ] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (vs. 36). In response, the Lord said to His followers, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest” (vs. 37-38).

Today in 1915 – Margaret Clarkson Born

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Grain Elevator
Grain elevators like this once dotted the Saskatchewan prairies

Margaret Clarkson was born in Melville, Saskatchewan, a small city on the western prairies of Canada. She was a school teacher, an acclaimed author (of 17 books), and a hymn writer. I met her around 1985, and found her to be a sharp, no-nonsense kind of person. (I wondered if she  could have been a bit of a tyrant when she taught school!)

Margaret died in 2008. It is a mark of her personality that she had prepared her own funeral service, years in advance–prepared it to last exactly one hour. (And it did!) All these things aside, she wrote a number of fine hymns. (Check the Cyber Hymnal for a list of some of these.)

During her early years, she taught school in a remote lumber camp, and then a mining camp, in Northern Ontario. She says, “I experienced loneliness of every kind–mental, cultural, but particularly spiritual. I never found real Christian fellowship. Churches were modern [liberal in doctrine] and born again Christians almost non-existent.”

But one evening, meditating on the Scriptures, she came across Jesus’ words in John 20:21, “As the Father hath sent Me, so send I you.” She relates, “God seemed to tell me that night that this was my mission field, and this was where He had sent me.” Encouraged by the thought, she wrote a hymn poem entitled So Send I You. Presenting a starkly realistic picture of the painful sacrifice some have undergone for the cause of Christ, it says in part:

So sent I you to labour unrewarded,
To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown,
To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing–
So send I you to toil for Me alone.

But that is not quite the end of the story. In later years, the author viewed her song with a critical eye. She came to the conclusion that, while such things were often true, they only give one side of the story. There are many positive blessings in the Lord’s work as well. So Margaret Clarkson wrote another similar hymn to balance the first. It says in part:

So send I you–by grace made strong to triumph
O’er hosts of hell, o’er darkness, death and sin,
My name to bear and in that name to conquer–
So send I you, My victory to share.

So send I you–My strength to know in weakness,
My joy in grief, My perfect peace in pain,
To prove My pow’r, My grace, My promised presence–
So send I you, eternal fruit to gain.

 (2) Were You There? (Data Missing)

When telling others about God’s salvation, the true believer is not speaking merely of an intellectual assent to some facts. He is recounting his own experiences of a personal relationship with the living Christ. By faith, he stood before the cross and the empty tomb, and applied the reality of them to his own heart and life.

There is a song which calls us to consider whether we have had this kind of personal spiritual experience. It is Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?, a song originating with the African-American slaves of the early 1800’s (though the tune may actually be of prior British origin). The earliest known printed version of this anonymous song is found in a book called Old Plantation Hymns, published in 1899.

The slaves could identify in a powerful way with the sufferings of Christ. His abuse at the hands of both the Jews and the Romans seemed to echo their own mistreatment. The simple song takes us through the Easter story with succeeding stanzas:

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? …

Were you there when they pierced Him in the side? …

Were you there when the sun refused to shine? …

Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb? …

After each of these is the exclamation:

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
Tremble, tremble!
Were you there when…?

And finally, the song ends with a message of hope and joy:

Were you there when He rose up from the dead?
Were you there when He rose up from the dead?
Oh! Sometimes I feel like shouting glory,
Glory, glory!
Were you there when He rose up from the dead?

Tomorrow: Learn about a man restored to fellowship with the Lord by means of his own hymn!

Today in 1878 – Knowles Shaw Died

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When he was only 13, Knowles Shaw stood at the bedside of his dying father. “Prepare to meet thy God!” said the old man. Weighty words from Amos 4:12. And the young man promptly ignored them! A talented fiddler, he played for many community dances, living a careless, fun-filled life.

But five years later, at a rowdy dance party, Knowles Shaw seemed to hear his father’s words echoing in his heart. He says he dropped his violin bow on the spot. Sensing his values were all wrong, he determined never again to use his talent just to amuse the careless crowd. At the age of eighteen, Knowles Shaw gave his heart to Christ and prepared for Christian ministry. Records kept at the time suggest that the Lord used him to bring nearly 20,000 people to Christ.

In 1874, he wrote a gospel song called Bringing in the Sheaves. It is based on Psalm 126:5-6 which says:

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

That expresses a basic principle that can be applied to serving the Lord. A similar encouragement is given to us in Galatians, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9). These passages remind us there is hard work involved in our service for the Lord, with heavy burdens, and perhaps even tears. But the end result is well worth it. In part, Knowles Shaw’s hymn says:

Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,
Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;
When our weeping’s over, He will bid us welcome,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Say what you will about any lack of polish evident in the singing on this video clip, but these folks clearly love to sing. Wow! (It takes them a stanza to warm up, but stick with it.) A “joyful noise unto the Lord” indeed! (Ps. 98:4, KJV).

(2) Sooner or Later (Data Missing)

Christians today are waiting for and looking forward to the promised return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 1:11; II Tim. 4:8). We know He has promised to come “quickly” (Rev. 22:12, 20). Yet it has been 2,000 years since then. Has He forgotten to return? No. But there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

First, the Greek word translated “quickly” (tachu) can mean soon, but it also carries the idea of suddenly (and thus unexpectedly). Second, God does not count time as we do. He inhabits eternity (Isa. 57:15), existing in the eternal now. The Bible says, “With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (II Pet. 3:8). And Moses wrote of Him, “A thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past” (Ps. 90:4).

In His infinite wisdom, God has not chosen to reveal the timing of Christ’s return to us (Matt. 24:36). But we know that He is a God of truth, and sooner or later the Lord will come back again.

That became the theme of a gospel song that appears in several of our hymn books. Little is know of the author. Even her name is uncertain. She is listed as Lula W. Koch, and as Lulu W. Koch. She was born in 1892, but that is all we know. But here is a bit of her song.

Sooner or later the skies will be bright,
Tears will be all wiped away;
Sooner or later, then cometh the light,
Night will be turned into day.

Sooner or later cares will have flown,
Sunshine and gladness we’ll see;
Sooner or later God calleth His own,
With Him forever to be.

Sooner or later, our Lord knows the hour,
He’ll send His beloved Son;
Sooner or later, in His might and pow’r,
Our battles all will be won.

Today in 1594 – William Kethe Died

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Reformer John Calvin thought of the writing and singing of hymns as a dangerous liberty! In his opinion, it was like trying to add something to the Bible! For this reason, he promoted the singing of the Psalms of the Bible only, publishing poetic paraphrases of them in both French and English. One of these is a version of Psalm 100 called All People That on Earth Do Dwell.

The hymn is attributed to Scottish clergyman William Kethe. In a time of persecution, he was driven into exile in Geneva where Calvin was, along with John Knox, the Scottish reformer. There Kethe assisted in producing the Geneva Bible, a translation of the Scriptures. We have no absolute proof that he wrote the above hymn, but a number of early printings include his initials, W. Ke. The song says in part:

All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell;
Come ye before Him and rejoice.

The Lord, ye know, is God indeed;
Without our aid He did us make;
We are His folk, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take.

Some versions have “we are his flock” in the second stanza. Either fits Ps. 100:3. And it may in fact be a printer’s error that turned flock into “folck,” early on! The English language has changed somewhat in the 450 years since this hymn was written, but the priority of praising God remains. In the language of the original, “com ye before him and reioyce.”

(2) Today in 1840 – John Stainer Born

Knighted by Queen Victoria, Sir John Stainer was one of the preeminent church musicians of the Victorian era. An organist, a trainer of choirs, and a professor of music at Oxford, Stainer composed some 150 hymn tunes. He also produced the oratorio The Crucifixion in 1887, calling it “a meditation on the sacred passion of the holy Redeemer.” Its choral rendering of God So Loved the World is magnificent.

Note: I have a problem with the above rendition. Musically, it is well done, by a small  choir (12 voices). But it seems someone felt it would be a waste of time simply to sit and meditate on these sacred words. They called for the ushers to collect the offering while the song was sung! There is perhaps some latitude for the use of instrumental music at such times. But not vocal music. If we are in that much hurry to get the service over with, omit the offering, or place a plate at the door. But how can those assembled focus on the text while fumbling in purses and wallets and passing offering plates? Fortunately, the ushers are out of sight of the video camera after a few moments. But I believe there is a lack of due reverence in this practice.

If you have never done so, try singing Mary James’s hymn All for Jesus to Stainer’s superior tune Wycliff.

All for Jesus, all for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed powers:
All my thoughts and words and doings,
All my days and all my hours.

(3) Today in 1882 – O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go written

This hymn was written by a blind Scottish pastor named George Matheson. On the day of his sister’s wedding, he thought about a painful experience known only to himself, one that had caused him great distress. We do not know for certain what this was, but the wedding may give us a clue. Years before Matheson himself was engaged to be married. But, with his rapidly deteriorating eyesight, he feared he’d be too great a burden on a wife. He wrote to his fiancé, releasing her from the pledge to marry him. (Other accounts suggest it was she who refused to be married to a “blind preacher.”)

It may have been the recollection of that heartbreak that caused Matheson to meditate on the love of the Lord that would never let him go. The Apostle Paul describes it this way: “I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38-39). The words of God to the nation of Israel are appropriate for Christians today as well: “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3).

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go is a song that was written on a sudden inspiration on the day of the wedding of George Matheson’s sister. He says, “I had the impression rather of having it dictated to me by some inward voice than of working it out myself. I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes.” The hymn begins:

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

Here is a male chorus version that uses a tune other than the traditional one. The close harmonies, and the power of a massed choir are stirring.

Today in 1965 – Eleanor Farjeon Died

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A new hymnal was in preparation in 1931. The editors wanted to make use of an old Gaelic melody, but could find no suitable words to fit. They turned to Eleanor Farjeon, asking her to write a poem of thankfulness for the new day. The daughter of an English novelist, Farjeon became a highly acclaimed literary figure herself–a journalist, a playwright, a poet, and a novelist. Her children’s books won many awards, and she even wrote the lyrics for an opera.

The author pondered the words of Genesis 1:5, which describes the first day of creation: “God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.” Did you ever think of how exciting it would have been to be there for that? And, even now, did you ever go outside and relish the shear joy of the dawning of a beautiful new day?  Eleanor Farjeon may have done so, and she put the experience into words.

Both of the stanzas quoted below end with a recognition that the Lord (“the Word,” cf. Jn. 1:1) not only created the morning to begin with, but He sustains the orderly cycles of nature by His almighty power. The Bible says, “He is before all things, and in Him all things consist [they endure, or are held together]” (Col. 1:17). And He is “upholding [supporting, sustaining] all things by the word of His power” (Heb. 1:3). The hymn says in part:

Morning has broken like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird.
Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning!
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word!

Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning,
Born of the one light Eden saw play!
Praise with elation, praise ev’ry morning,
God’s recreation of the new day!

(2) Two from Fanny Crosby

Because of the huge output of a few of our hymnists, I wanted to include more of their songs than can be attached to one or two particular dates. Here are a couple of beloved gospel songs by Fanny Crosby.

For Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross, William H. Doane supplied a tune, and Fanny wrote words to fit it–and an excellent fit it is! The song reminds us that all the blessings Christians enjoy are rooted in the cross. With the songwriter we pray, “Keep its scenes before me!”

Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain
Free to all, a healing stream
Flows from Calvary’s mountain.

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadows o’er me.

One day in 1875, Fanny Crosby found herself with a bill to pay, and no funds to pay it. Only $5, but that was a large sum in those days. Fanny took the matter to the Lord in prayer, and shortly after, a knock came to the door. When she answered it, the gentleman before her handed her a piece of paper, which turned out to be $5.

The amazing providence of God got her thinking about how the Lord provided for Israel in the wilderness, and how He still provides for His own. That is what led her to write the song All the Way My Saviour Leads Me. In my view, it is one of her best.

All the way my Saviour leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

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.

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.

Lord’s Day Meditation – Antidote for Fear

He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Heb. 13:5-6

The word “never” translates the strong Greek negative ou me, meaning not under any circumstances, not under any conditions. (There are, in fact, five negatives in the Greek text, making the promise as ironclad as possible.) The Amplified Bible better conveys the absolute assurance in these words. It is well worth reading its rendering of the verses before we go on.

He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

Where is the Lord?

The first part of this verse provides an antidote for the fear described in the second part. God’s pledge to the believer is clear and unequivocal. He will never desert us. No, not under any circumstances. And we have, in addition, the words of the Lord Jesus, just before His ascension: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20).

What can man do to me?

On the surface, it would seem the answer to that question is: A great deal! But there are a couple of important qualifies, or boundaries.

  • First, others can do nothing to affect our eternal welfare, nothing to rob us of the blessings God has in store for us. The latter are already stored in the safety deposit box of heaven, and are there waiting for us (I Pet. 1:3-5).
  • Second, others can do nothing to us, even in a temporal sense, that the Lord does not permit. And He will only allow those things to touch our lives which will ultimately be for our good and His glory (Rom. 8:28).

A bold confidence is possible

In our life and service for Christ, we need not fear. God’s purposes will be fulfilled. Someone said to D. L. Moody that he had a favourite verse, Psalm 56:3, which says, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” Moody replied that he had an even better one: “I will trust and not be afraid” (Isa. 12:2). If the Lord is with us, and His protection is assured, we need not fear. God is present always, and He is always in control of the situation!

Pastor John Rippon published A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors in 1787. Among them was a song whose origins are uncertain, but whose message is not. How Firm a Foundation is a hymn that should be learned and sung often. The final stanza alludes to the promise of God in Hebrews, and the author has attempted to convey the meaning of God’s promise with a repeated negative. (When you have a congregation sing it, try repeating that last line three times, slowing it down the last time.)

Be assured, Christian brother or sister. God says:

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

Today in 1820 – Elvina Hall Born

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Sitting in the choir loft one August Sunday morning, Elvina Mabel Hall listened to Rev. George Schreck offering the pastoral prayer. As he prayed on, her mind began to wander (has that every happened to you?). She thought of the cross of Christ and its meaning to her. Then, taking her hymn book, she turned to a blank page at the beginning and jotted down the words of a simple poem. Later, it was discovered that those words exactly fit a tune written earlier by the church organist. And that is how the hymn Jesus Paid It All was born!

The song expresses a wonderful truth. That when the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary He took upon Himself the punishment for all sin. As the Bible puts it, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). “And He Himself is the propitiation [the full satisfaction of God’s justice] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (I Jn. 2:2).

But does that mean everyone is automatically saved? No, it doesn’t. The payment has to be accepted personally. If someone offers you a cheque, you don’t get the benefit of it until you take it and cash it. It has your name on it, but it’s not yours to benefit from until you accept it. We do that in spiritual terms by trusting in what Jesus did for us on the cross.

That is what John 3:16 is saying: “God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” And “you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26). In the words of Mrs. Hall’s hymn:

I hear the Saviour 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.

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

(2) There Is a Balm in Gilead (Data Missing)

This is another of those traditional Spirituals whose origins are lost in the mists of time. The inspiration for the text is taken from the words of the prophet Jeremiah: “Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there?” (Jer. 8:22).

Gilead was famous for a medicinal salve made from the gum of the storax tree. And it was available close by, just east of the Jordan River. The expression became proverbial. The balm (or ointment) is used as a symbol of God’s power to cleanse and restore His sinful people, if only they would reach out to Him.

The southern kingdom of Judah had backslidden, and they faced the painful chastisement of God (destruction and captivity at the hands of the Babylonians). But it was not as if there was no remedy available. They needed to turn to God in repentance and faith. The healing balm for sinners today is Christ and His saving work on the cross.

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin sick soul.

Some times I feel discouraged,
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.

If you can’t preach like Peter,
If you can’t pray like Paul,
Just tell the love of Jesus,
And say He died for all.

Here is the inimitable Paul Robeson, singing his version of the song. (Note that the refrain of the song comes first.)

Today in 1851 – Theodore Baker Born

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A skilled musical scholar, Mr. Baker wrote his doctoral dissertation on the music of the Seneca Indians of North America. He also served as an editor for music publisher G. Schirmer Incorporated. Baker has given us English translations of two carols: How Great Our Joy! and, Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming. He also translated the 1597 Dutch hymn of thanksgiving, We Gather Together. This was originally written to celebrate that country’s deliverance from Spain, but it’s often used today in Thanksgiving Sunday services.

The fitness of gratitude to God for all His blessings is a frequent theme of the Psalms (e.g. Ps. 30:4; 35:18; 50:14; 90:1-2). In contrast, thanklessness is described as one of the base sins of the unsaved (Rom. 1:21). Believers are exhorted, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thess. 5:18). And, “therefore by Him [Christ] 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).

Whether it is praising God for deliverance through a military victory, or for His abundant mercies day by day, bringing glory to God is always appropriate. Baker’s hymn begins:

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His name; He forgets not His own.

(2) Today in 1879 – Frances Havergal Died

Though she lived only into her early 40’s, English author Frances Ridley Havergal is considered one of our greatest hymn writers. The poetic beauty, warmth, and devotional power of her writing is outstanding.

Though they never met, Miss Havergal was an admirer of Fanny Crosby, and wrote a touching poem to her. It says in part:

Dear blind sister over the sea,
An English heart goes forth to thee.
We are linked by a cable of faith and song,
Flashing bright sympathy swift along;
One in the East and one in the West,
Singing for Him whom our souls love best,
Singing for Jesus, telling His love,
All the way to our home above.”

Frances Havergal wrote many hymns, and quite a few are still in use. Take My Life, and Let It Be; Like a River Glorious; I Gave My Life for Thee; and Who Is on the Lord’s Side? are several examples of her work. For Golden Harps Are Sounding, she wrote both words and music.

Frances Havergal was one of those authors who could write quickly, on a sudden inspiration. One day she walked to a boys’ school with a friend, waiting outside while he attended to some business. Weary from the walk, she leaned against the playground wall to rest. But returning to her ten minutes later, her friend found her busily penciling a hymn poem on an old envelope. It is a fine hymn about the ascension of Christ and His present ministry in heaven.

What is the Lord Jesus doing now? And how many sermons have you heard on this important subject? The Lord Himself said to His followers, “I go to prepare a place for you…[and] I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:2-3). And we are told, “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I Jn. 2:1)–One who “is also able to save to the uttermost [completely and forever] those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25).

Here, in part, is Havergal’s hymn on the subject:

Golden harps are sounding, angels voices sing,
Pearly gates are opened, opened for the King;
Jesus, King of glory, Jesus, King of love,
Is gone up in triumph, to His throne above.

Pleading for His children in that blessèd place,
Calling them to glory, sending them His grace;
His bright home preparing, faithful ones, for you;
Jesus ever liveth, ever loveth, too.

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