Quotables

Thanks to moleskine.com and the generosity of my children, I carry a tiny notebook in my purse. It helps me remember all sorts of things—the email I need to send, the extra item that belongs on my grocery list, and, perhaps most importantly, the wise words I read or hear and hope to share. It’s time for me to move my latest collection of quotes from the pages of my notebook to the pages of this blog. I’ve identified their source by initials alone. If, however, you are the one that shared these wonderful words and would like full credit, just grab it via the comments section below.

•          We must not allow the ugliness of this world to take away our joy. (From the film “United Kingdom”)

•          “The best plan for us is to not be overly confident of our plans!” (S. N.)

•          “Don’t get chased off your post.” (Author Unknown)

•          “God has the right to interrupt your life.” (Church Billboard, Austin)

•          “It is never a good time to grumble, ever.” (D. H.)

•          “Ask the Helper for help.” (T.V.)

•          “Develop the disciplines of resting and digesting. Digest the Word of God and then rest in his promises.” (J.D.)

Do these resonate with you? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments box below.

If you are in the midst of post-hurricane reconstruction, please know that Steve and I are among the countless thousands who continue to pray for you. A disaster can never be understood. May you be encouraged by the only One that can provide peace that is beyond understanding.

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A Hymn by Any Other Name…

“Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise!” How true! Those words are from “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing” and describe so eloquently our need for psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Certainly hymns are not our only option when it comes to singing loudest praise. However, copyrights make recounting the lyrics of contemporary works a bit “sketchy,” as my kids would say. And so, let me simply nod to the more modern works you readers listed and say with you, “Well done!”

• “Here I Am Lord” by James Kilbane
• “In Christ Alone” by Keith and Kristyn Getty
• “Because He Lives” by Bill and Gloria Gaither
• “Holy Spirit You Are Welcome Here” by Jesus Culture with Martin Smith
• “This Little Light of Mine” (author disputed)

That last one, recommended by one of you with reserve, is actually published in at least 38 hymnals. Its simplicity mirrors the simplicity of our calling as Christians. Let it shine!

Loudest praise. Joyful noises. Making music in our hearts to the Lord. Worship tunes. The Book of Psalms. Historic Hymns. Scriptural Chants. We have a wealth of ways to lift our voices in adoration to the Lord who loves us.

When? As often as possible.

How? In whatever way we are inclined.

Why? Because all that is within us is meant to bless his holy name!

Was your favorite song of worship included in this blog series? I hope so! If not, tell me about it in the comments box. I’d love to read the ones I missed!

Powerful Poetry [1]

Many of Thomas Chisolm’s 1200 plus poems were set to music. One became the beloved hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” So many times this year, in both joy and pain, I have sung these words within my soul: All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!”

The power of hymns! Charlotte Elliott wrote “Just As I Am.” Her brother, after many years of his own ministry, wondered if the fruit of his labors equaled the impact of the single hymn that included these words: “Yea, all I need in Thee to find.”

“’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus,” written by Louisa Stead after great personal tragedy, leads me back to a place of peace every time I sing it. “Yes, ‘tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease; just from Jesus simply taking life and rest and joy and peace.” 

Eric Liddell of Chariots of Fire fame was much more than a runner. He was also a missionary and a martyr. His favorite hymn was reportedly “Be Still My Soul.” I can imagine these words comforting him as he sat imprisoned in China: “Be still my soul: the Lord is on thy side.”  I wonder, did he also fortify himself while praising the Lord with some of these lines?

• “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea.”
• “Lord of all, to Thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.”
• “And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am his own.”
• Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my Vision, o Ruler of all.

Perhaps he drew strength from Martin Luther’s words: “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,” also translated to read “With might of ours naught can be done.” How very true! We do indeed need him every hour. He meets our needs. He gives us peace. He delights in our praise.

[1] Many thanks to cyberhymnal.org, my chief resource in this blog series.

When Lightning Doesn’t Strike

 

Why am I in Austin? Just one month ago I owned a house in Houston. The pool there is under water now. As I write I am not certain about the house. Meanwhile, I spent yesterday playing with my grandson in a home that is high and dry. We moved here under unusual circumstances that played out very fast. It’s only by the grace of God that we are here instead of wondering whether or not to evacuate a house that was home for nearly three decades.

The grace of God left others in a place where floodwaters are rising. My heart hurts, and I do not understand why many have lost so much and are in the midst of such hardship while I am here. When I told Steve that I needed to replace the blog set to post today, he said, “Use that verse about seeing through a glass darkly.” Here it is in the KJV:

^“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity” (1 Corinthians 13: 12-13).

A glass darkly. So, truth be told, God never promised that we would understand this side of heaven. It’s sometimes hard to trust in the dark, but that’s what we are called to do. Sometimes it’s harder still to trust through another’s hardships than through our own, but that’s still what we are called to do. One of these days, so says the verse, we’ll know what we do not know yet. But not now. Hard words, but truth.

This passage comes from what is widely known as the love chapter. So, when we are called to trust, we are also called to love. Love means prayer. It also, quite often, means action. I don’t know what my tasks will be when the Harvey waters recede. I don’t know what God may call you to do either. But He does call, and equip, praise God. So, as he shows us glimmers of understanding, may we have the courage and selflessness to love in whatever way he directs.

To God be the glory, even in this.

Troubled Tunes

A neighbor of mine, when asked her favorite hymn, told me it depends on the day. Me too! Isn’t that one of the wonderful things about having so many hymns from which to choose? If you have an archive of lyrics in your heart and mind, you may discover wisdom, challenge, and encouragement beginning to play in the background of your day just when you need it most.

We so often sing only the first verse or two of a hymn, missing the wealth of wisdom in later verses. “How Great Thou Art” ranked second, after “Amazing Grace,” in a survey conducted by Christianity Today in 2001. It’s an old folk tune, translated by Stuart Hine. Its final verse, added by Hine midway through the last century, reads

“When burdens press, and seem beyond endurance, bowed down with grief, to Him I lift my face. And then in love, He brings me sweet assurance. ‘My child, for thee, sufficient is my grace.’” *

You’ve probably heard the story of Horatio Spafford, who penned “It Is Well with My Soul” after losing his precious children to a shipwreck, but have you sung these words, found at the end of the hymn?

“But Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait. The sky, not the grave is our goal. Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!”

Backstories add such richness to the songs we sing. The words of “Amazing Grace” meant more to me once I understood that its author, John Newton, was once a slave trader.

“The Lord has promised good to me. His Word my hope secures. He will my Shield and Portion be as long as life endures.” How’s that for words to carry us through a troubled time?

Fanny Crosby wrote “All the Way My Savior Leads Me” and another 8000+ hymns, topping even Charles Wesley, and she was blind from infancy! Her deep trust in the sovereign wisdom of our Lord led her to pen these words,

“For I know whate’er befalls me, Jesus doeth all things well.”

She said of her blindness, “I might not have written so many hymns to praise our God, had I been distracted by the visual beauty around me.” Fanny also penned “Blessed Assurance” and “Christ, the Lord Is Risen Today.” My, how I am thankful for the way God used Fanny Crosby!

I hope you are in the middle of an easy week. If not, I hope the quotes above, drawn from works by those who certainly knew the weight of difficulty, will lift your spirits, change your focus, and help bring you through whatever you are facing.

 

*Words: Stuart K. Hine Music: Swedish folk melody/adapt. and arr. Stuart K. Hine
© 1949, 1953 by The Stuart Hine Trust CIO. All rights in the USA its territories and possessions, except print rights, administered by Capitol CMG Publishing. USA, North and Central American print rights and all Canadian and South American rights administered by Hope Publishing Company. All other North and Central American rights administered by the Stuart Hine Trust CIO. Rest of the world rights administered by Integrity Music Europe. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Nutshell Sermons

The power of a good hymn amazes me. It becomes a nutshell sermon, a few short lines running through my mind a dozen times in a day, teaching and re-teaching important truths from God’s Word. Consider for example “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” written by Charles Wesley to celebrate the first anniversary of his conversion to Christianity. (He described that day as the one on which his real, living life began.^[1]) One of my favorite lines says,

“Jesus! The name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease.”

Those twelve words, now nearly 300 years old, still answer the question of what to do with fear and sadness. Cry out to Jesus! He is always the answer.

I asked my Facebook friends to list their favorite hymns. They chose works by Charles Wesley more often than hymns by any other author. (No surprise, perhaps, since he wrote over 6000 pieces!) Let me share a few more lines from his works.

• “My chains fell off, my heart was free. I rose, went forth, and followed thee.” Those words from “And Can It Be That I Should Gain” are a wonderful description of conversion.
• “My name is written on His hands.” In “Arise, My Soul Arise” Wesley reminds us of one of life’s greatest comforts.

While Charles Wesley did not write “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”—it was penned by Isaac Watts—he is credited with giving it this high compliment: “I would give up all my other hymns to have written this one.” That’s high praise from such a prolific songwriter. Here’s just a snippet from Watts’ beautiful piece.

“Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small. Love so amazing, so Devine, demands my soul, my life my all.”

My soul, my life, my all—are we giving that? The quotes from those four hymns are plenty to think about for this week. If time allows, please let me know how they change the way you go about this day. To God be the glory!

 

 

[1] Many thanks to cyberhymnal.org for providing the backstory information in this blog series.