We're entering another week of "sheltering-in-place" as we dwell in the shelter of the Most High and rest in the shadow of the Almighty! He is our refuge and fortress, our God in whom we trust (Psalm 91:1-2).
Today is a wonderful day to glorify God in song! As famed 19th-century British preacher Charles Spurgeon stated,
Do we sing as much as the birds do? Yet what have birds to sing about, compared with us? Do we sing as much as the angels do? Yet they were never redeemed by the blood of Christ. Birds of the air, shall you excel me? Angels, shall you exceed me? You have done so, but I intend to emulate you, and day by day, and night by night, pour forth my soul in sacred song.
So warm up those vocal cords and enjoy singing hymns of praise and assurance in the comfort of your own home. Also, enjoy learning a "new" old hymn written 101 years ago with a message that resonates just as much now as then. Included in this post's offerings are prelude and postlude piano solos intended to lift your spirit and help you to turn your eyes to Jesus, the hope of the world.
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PRELUDE
(prepare your heart for worship)
Morning Prayer
This short piano work by composer Richard Blake features a peaceful, calming melody. I've shared it previously as a prelude at our church and always feel comforted after playing it: I pray you are blessed by hearing it.
Psalm 30:5
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.Psalm 5:3
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
HYMNS FOR YOU TO SING AT HOME
(lift your voice with gladness and gusto!)
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Words by Walters Chalmer Smith, Music is "St. Denio" hymn tune, a traditional Welsh melody
Scripture reference: 1 Timothy 1:17
To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
A devotional based on this classic hymn and its history can be found here.
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes.
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious--Thy great Name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all, life Thou givest - to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest - the true life of all.
Thy wisdom so boundless, Thy mercy so free,
Eternal Thy goodness for naught changeth Thee.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All praise we would render--O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee!
Words by Joseph H. Gilmore, Music by William B. Bradbury
You can read more about this hymn here. If this hymn is new to you, you can hear a recording with singing here.
He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where'er I be,
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.
Refrain:
He leadeth me, he leadeth me,
by his own hand he leadeth me;
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.
Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom,
by waters still, o'er troubled sea,
still 'tis his hand that leadeth me. [Refrain]
Lord, I would place my hand in thine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since 'tis my God that leadeth me. [Refrain]
And when my task on earth is done,
when by thy grace the victory's won,
e'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
since God through Jordan leadeth me. [Refrain]
My Faith Has Found a Resting Place
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes.
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious--Thy great Name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice, like mountains, high soaring above
Thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
To all, life Thou givest - to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest - the true life of all.
Thy wisdom so boundless, Thy mercy so free,
Eternal Thy goodness for naught changeth Thee.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All praise we would render--O help us to see
'Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee!
He Leadeth Me
Words by Joseph H. Gilmore, Music by William B. Bradbury
Scripture Reference: Psalm 23: 1-3
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Joseph Gilmore was a pastor during the dark days of the Civil War. He later recalled the creation of what would become his best-known hymn lyric:
As a young man recently graduated . . . ., I was supplying for a couple of Sundays the pulpit of the First Baptist Church in Philadelphia. At the midweek service on the 26th of March, 1862, I set out to give the people an exposition of the Twenty-third Psalm, which I had given before on three or four occasions, but this time I did not get further than the words, “He leadeth me.” Those words took hold of me as they have never done before, and I saw in them a significance . . . of which I had never dreamed."Several years later, "He Leadeth Me" was set to music by William Bradbury, who wrote the tunes for many famous hymns, including "Jesus Loves Me," "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less" and "Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Me."
You can read more about this hymn here. If this hymn is new to you, you can hear a recording with singing here.
He leadeth me: O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
Whate'er I do, where'er I be,
still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.
Refrain:
He leadeth me, he leadeth me,
by his own hand he leadeth me;
his faithful follower I would be,
for by his hand he leadeth me.
Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom,
by waters still, o'er troubled sea,
still 'tis his hand that leadeth me. [Refrain]
Lord, I would place my hand in thine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since 'tis my God that leadeth me. [Refrain]
And when my task on earth is done,
when by thy grace the victory's won,
e'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
since God through Jordan leadeth me. [Refrain]
My Faith Has Found a Resting Place
Words by Elizabeth Edmunds Hewitt (pseudonymn: Lidie H. Edmunds), music attributed to André Grétry
Scripture reference: Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Elizabeth Edmunds Hewitt, like many other hymn writers, was well-acquainted with pain and suffering She trained to be a teacher but suffered a severe spinal injury just as her promising career was dawning. Nevertheless, this brilliant and creative woman went on to pen many hymns still in use today, including "Sunshine in My Soul" and "When We All Get to Heaven." She eventually became a beloved Sunday school teacher in spite of recurring health issues.
You can read more about this hymn here, and more about Elizabeth Edmunds Hewitt here. Here is a short devotional post on this hymn.
If this hymn is new to you, you can hear a recording of it with singing here.
My faith has found a resting place,
from guilt my soul is freed;
I trust the ever-living One,
his wounds for me shall plead.
Refrain:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
it is enough that Jesus died,
and that He died for me.
Enough for me that Jesus saves,
this ends my fear and doubt;
a sinful soul, I come to him,
he’ll never cast me out. [Refrain]
My heart is leaning on the Word,
the written Word of God,
salvation by my Savior’s name,
salvation thro' his blood. [Refrain]
My great Physician heals the sick,
the lost he came to save;
for me his precious blood he shed,
for me his life he gave. [Refrain]
BONUS: Let's Learn a New (Old) Hymn Together!
What God Has Promised
Hymnwriter Annie Johnson Flint, like Elizabeth Edmunds (author of the previous hymn, "My Faith Has Found a Resting Place"), studied to be a teacher, one of the few socially acceptable occupations for women in the 1800s. Flint had been orphaned as a young girl, and was adopted by a family who introduced her to Christianity. Also, like Elizabeth Edmunds, Annie Johnson Flint was just starting her teaching career when she faced physical problems which curtailed her work: in Flint's case, she developed crippling arthritis which later caused her to be confined to a wheelchair. The death of her adoptive parents left her nearly penniless, with a younger sister (also twice-orphaned) to care for. Annie Flint began to write spiritual poems and hymns which were eventually published and recognized for their depth and creativity. (One of her best-loved hymns is "He Giveth More Grace (As Our Burdens Grow Greater)."
We hear often in Covid-19 news reports that we are in "uncharted waters" during this time of uncertainty. This is true in many ways, but it should not be a complete surprise that trials and tribulations are and always will be part of our earthly experience. In John 16:23 Christ unambiguously states, "in this world you will have trouble." Nevertheless, He also immediately reassures us, "take heart! I have overcome the world.” And in Matthew 28:20, Jesus promises "surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." His presence, especially in the midst of trials and tribulations, is what gives us assurance and peace.
Annie Johnson Flint's hymn, "What God Has Promised" speaks first of what God has not promised (a picture-perfect life in every way, with no trials, temptations, or struggles), then juxtaposes that with what God has indeed promised: "strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way, grace for the trails, help from above, unfailing kindness, undying love."
In this hymn, written in 1919 near the end of the last worldwide pandemic (influenza), we hear a compelling message for this challenging season . . . and every season.
This hymn is most likely new to you! I'll play it all the way through once on the recording so that you can listen and get to know the tune, then please join in on the first verse (you'll know when to start singing as you'll hear the volume come up a bit on the piano accompaniment).
I have also transposed this hymn to a more comfortable key for modern singing, so do give it a go! If you'd like to hear a recording of this with singing, here's George Beverly Shea's version. Feel free to substitute "has" for "hath" if desired!
I have also transposed this hymn to a more comfortable key for modern singing, so do give it a go! If you'd like to hear a recording of this with singing, here's George Beverly Shea's version. Feel free to substitute "has" for "hath" if desired!
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| Public Domain. Courtesy of the Cyber Hymnal |
God has not promised skies always blue,
Flower-strewn pathways all our lives through;
God has not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
Refrain:
But God has promised strength for the day,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing kindness, undying love.
God has not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;
He has not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care.
(Refrain)
God has not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;
Never a mountain rocky and steep,
Never a river turbid and deep.
(Refrain)
POSTLUDE
(go out in joy and be led forth in peace!)
Glory Be to the Father (The Gloria Patri)
I grew up in a church that sang the Gloria Patri nearly every week. The Gloria Patri is a very short hymn of praise (sometimes known "the lesser doxology") which dates back to the early days of the Christian church. It is still sung by many denominations and is Trinitarian in nature as it praises God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Words: Anonymous (2nd century). Music by Henry W. Greatorex. Arranged for solo piano by Jason Krug.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son:and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:
world without end. Amen.
