MASTER THE TEMPEST IS RAGING

The last few months have produced a number of storms around the country, but especially here in this part of Pennsylvania. Since August we have had severe storms, tornados, an earthquake, a tropical storm, a hurricane, flooding and an early snow storm in October. However, while those storms have produced much damage, they have come and gone quickly. But sometimes the storms of life that we face don't end that quickly and they often leave permanent scars and damage. None of us are exempt from today's economy, from serious health problems, from family troubles, and from other woes. For that reason I entitled our November hymn sing at Pinebrook as "Facing The Storms of Life". Following that sing I received an e-mail devotional from a friend concerning this week's hymn. It is a song that I haven't heard sung for many years but it was a favorite when I was growing up. The song is based on the story in Mark of Jesus and his disciples caught in a fierce storm on the Sea of Galilee. But in the midst of the terror, "He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."The author, Mary Ann Baker. and her only brother suffered from the same respiratory disease that had taken their parents' lives He left their home in Chicago to find a warmer climate in the southern part of the United States. For a time he seemed to be improving, but then a sudden turn in his health came and he died almost immediately. Mary Ann and her sister were heartbroken. It only added to their deep grief that neither their own health nor their personal finances allowed them to claim their brother's body or to finance its return to Chicago for burial. Mary's trust in a loving God broke under the strain of her brother's death and her own diminished circumstances. "God does not care for me or mine," said Mary Ann. "This particular manifestation of what they call 'divine providence' is unworthy of a God of love." Have you ever thought the same thing? "I have always tried to believe on Christ and give the Master a consecrated life," she said, "but this is more than I can bear. What have I done to deserve this? What have I left undone that God should wreak His vengeance upon me in this way?" But as the days and the weeks went by, the God of life and love began to calm the winds and the waves of what this young woman called "her unsanctified heart." Her faith not only returned but it flourished, and she learned new things, things "too wonderful" to have known before her despair. Later, in 1874, as something of a personal testimonial and caring very much for the faith of others who would also be tried by personal despair, she wrote the words of the hymn we have all sung, "Master, the Tempest Is Raging." As you face your storms of life, remember that God does care about you and He alone can give you a peace that passeth understanding. I have experienced that, have you?

(1) Master, the tempest is raging! The billows are tossing high!

The sky is o'ershadow with blackness, no shelter or help is nigh;

Carest Thou not that we perish? How canst Thou lie asleep,

When each moment so madly is threatening a grave in the angry deep?

The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will, Peace, be still!

Whether the wrath of the storm tossed sea,

Or demons or men, or whatever it be

No waters can swallow the ship where lies

The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies;

They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,

Peace, be still! Peace, be still!

They all shall sweetly obey Thy will, Peace, peace, be still!

(2) Master, with anguish of spirit, I bow in my grief today;

The depths of my sad heart are troubled, oh, waken and save, I pray!

Torrents of sin and of anguish sweep o'er my sinking soul;

And I perish! I perish! dear Master

Oh, hasten, and take control.

The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will, Peace, be still!

Whether the wrath of the storm tossed sea,

Or demons or men, or whatever it be

No waters can swallow the ship where lies

The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies;

They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,

Peace, be still! Peace, be still!

They all shall sweetly obey Thy will, Peace, peace, be still!

(3) Master, the terror is over, the elements sweetly rest;

Earth's sun in the calm lake is mirrored,

And heaven's within my breast;

Linger, O blessed Redeemer! Leave me alone no more;

And with joy I shall make the blest harbor,

And rest on the blissful shore.

The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will, Peace, be still!

Whether the wrath of the storm tossed sea,

Or demons or men, or whatever it be

No waters can swallow the ship where lies

The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies;

They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,

Peace, be still! Peace, be still!

They all shall sweetly obey Thy will, Peace, peace, be still!

Listen to it here. LISTEN

GIVE THANKS

"I will thank you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High" (Psalm 9:1-2, New Living Translation). While this season draws our attention to giving thanks, our hearts should always be filled with praises and thanksgiving to the one who loves us and provides all that we need. I decided to go a slightly different direction this week and I have chosen a contemporary song which shares the message of this season. This praise chorus was made popular by Don Moen. However, it was really written by Henry Smith in 1978. Following the introduction of the song during a worship service at a church in Virginia, a military couple reintroduced it to a congregation in Germany. The song eventually caught the attention of executives at Integrity Music who copyrighted it in 1986. After being released, the song was brought to the attention of Smith, who contacted Integrity with authorship information. As of 2010, the song has been recorded by over 50 companies and published in songbooks around the world, having been translated into various other languages, including Russian, Afrikaans, and Swedish. I Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I am amazed to see how much of the scripture reminds us to give thanks. Maybe that is because the Lord knows that praise and thanksgiving don't normally flow easily from us. So often we just get bogged down with the cares of life and fail to see the many blessings that we have. It is often easier to complain and be critical. So this season be sure that your heart and voice are filled with thanksgiving. First make sure that you thank God for his Son and the blessings bestowed upon you. Then maybe you could make it a point to write a note to some people who have blessed you. Thank some folks who work behind the scenes and never get thanked publicly. Write a note to your children or your parents thanking them for what they mean to you. Send a gift anonymously to someone who has touched your life or is alone or is going through difficult times. And make sure that your actions sincerely demonstrate the thanks in your heart even as you work so hard to prepare the Thanksgiving meal, or entertain guests, or travel to visit others on Thursday. Make sure that you have a grateful heart. God is so good - all the time!

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks unto the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, "I am strong"

Let the poor say, "I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us"

(Repeat)

Give thanks, give thanks!

Listen to Don Moen sing it here.

LISTEN

HOW GREAT THOU ART

Over the years of writing this blog I have featured over 160 different hymns. I was surprised to realize that I have not yet chosen this one. It certainly is a favorite of so many people and was even once voted as America's favorite hymn. The writing of the hymn and its verses was actually influenced by two thunderstorms. A young minister's two-mile walk in the rain provided the original inspiration for "How Great Thou Art." The Reverend Carl Boberg of Monsteras, on the southeast coast of Sweden, was 25 years old when he wrote the lyrics of this song after trekking through a thunderstorm from a church meeting two miles away. It was first published in 1886, under the title "O Store Gud". Boberg wrote a poem, not meaning to write a hymn, but later heard it being sung to an old Swedish tune. More than forty years later, an English missionary, Stuart Hine, first heard the song in Russia. He and his young wife were missionaries to the Carpathian area of Russia, then a part of Czechoslovakia. There, they heard a very meaningful hymn that was a Russian translation of Carl Boberg's "O Store Gud" (O Great God). While ministering in the Carpathian Mountains, Hine found himself in the midst of a threatening storm. The thunder, as it rolled through the mountain range, was so awesome that it reminded Hine of the beautiful Russian hymn that had already become so dear to him. English verses began to form in his mind, verses that were suggested by portions of the Russian translation. He actually added the final verse. Although the hymn had its origin in Europe, in 1954 song leader Cliff Barrows was given a copy of the words and in 1955 he introduced the "new" hymn to an appreciative audience at Billy Graham's Toronto Crusade. There soloist Bev Shea, assisted by a large volunteer choir, first sang the stirring words. It still was not widely known until 1957, when the Billy Graham Crusade in New York City, with the singing of George Beverly Shea, launched it around the world. It was performed nearly a hundred times during those meetings and countless times ever since. I love the references in it to creation, to salvation and especially to the coming of Christ. What a triumphant final verse. One cannot sing this majestic hymn of praise and adoration without realizing anew the omnipotence of the Creator who did it all. Our heart must cry out, "How Great Thou Art"!

(1) O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,

Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

(2) When through the woords, and forest glades I wander,

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.

When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur

And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

(3) And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

(4) When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,

And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

You can listen to it sung by George Beverly Shea right here. LISTEN

GOD HATH NOT PROMISED

After the death of my father, I claimed several of his pictures. One was a picture of Jesus knocking at the door. That one had hung in our living room most of my life. Another was a pciture of Jesus with little children. I gave that one to him after he had served for many years as Sunday School superintendent. A third consisted of the words to this week's hymn choice. A note on the back of the picture explains that it had hung on the wall of the parsonage in Spring City about 1920, shortly after the poem was put to music in 1919.. I've hung this next to my bed where I can see the words each morning and again at night. It is a great reminder that God has not promised us an easy path. We will be subject to the storms of life, whether it be with our health, our job, our finances, our family members, or even our ministry. But God has promised us strength for the day and grace for the trials of life. This was the experience of the hymn writer, Annie Flint. She was adopted as a young girl and attended school in Trenton, New Jersey. She became a teacher but had to quit after only a few years when severe arthritis made her unable to walk. She was moved to the Clifton Springs Sanitarium and began writing poetry. Many of her verses were published on cards and in magazines. William M. Runyan put this poem to music. As you read the words and listen to the music you can't help but realize that the words were the personal experience of the writer. Have you found the same to be true in your life? Are you troubed today with a path that is so hard? Remember that God will provide strength, wisdom and peace as you trust Him. Just a personal comment - today is the 18th anniversary of my mother's death in a car accident. Our path was not strewn with flowers at that time. The path was hard. But God was there to provide the wisdom, strength and peace that we desperately needed. He will do the same for you. Trust Him!

(1) God hath not promised skies always blue,

Flower strewn pathways all our lives through;

God hath not promised sun without rain,

Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.

Refrain

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

(2) God hath not promised we shall not know

Toil and temptation, trouble and woe;

He hath not told us we shall not bear

Many a burden, many a care.

Refrain

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

(3) God hath not promised smooth road and wide,

Swift, easy travel, needing no guide;

Never a mountain rocky and steep,

Never a river turbid and deep.

Refrain

But God hath promised strength for the day,

Rest for the labor, light for the way,

Grace for the trials, help from above,

Unfailing sympathy, undying love.

Listen to it being sung. LISTEN