Welcome!  Hymns have been and continue to be a real source of inspiration to me.  My desire in this blog is to share special hymns with my readers hoping that the words will minister to them, especially in times of great personal need.  If one of these hymns ministers to you, please take time to leave a comment so that I know that my blog is helping others as much as it helps me. Sometimes I will also provide a link where you can go to hear the hymn played.  So, please join me here each week and sing along as we praise God together.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

IT'S JUST LIKE HIS GREAT LOVE


Did you ever have an old song suddenly appear in your mind and then you keep singing it over and over and over again?  That happened to me a few days ago while I was cutting grass.  I was thinking about the great times I had many years ago at our camp meeting, Mizpah Grove, in Allentown, PA.  I remembered the days of singing in the big camp choir and one of our favorite numbers was "It's Just Like Jesus".  I recalled the stirring chorus "It's just like Jesus to roll the clouds away ... It's just like His great love."  When I was done cutting grass I went to my computer and found the words, but, as is often the case, I could find very little about the author or the circumstances behind its writing.  Edna Worrell was the author of the song, and Clarence Strouse wrote the music.  Very little is known about either of them other than the fact that they were probably both from Philadelphia and that this hymn was probably written in 1903.  However, the author must have also experienced the same challenges of life that we all face because she talks about the clouds of trouble, the clouds of sorrow, the despair and the grief which is common to man.  And she must have experienced His great love which not only rolls the clouds away but keeps us day by day, all along our way.  Such great love.  But I especially appreciate the way she begins the song by sharing how He rolls our sin clouds away when we come to Him.  And that is the greatest example of God's wondrous love.  Hopefully, you, too, have experienced the joy of sins forgiven.  Then you can also testify and sing of His great love to you - day by day, all along the way.  Rejoice in His love and presence this week.


(1)   A friend I have called Jesus, 
whose love is strong and true,
And never fails howe'er 'tis tried, 
no matter what I do;
I've sinned against this love of His, 
but when I knelt to pray,
Confessing all my guilt to Him, 
the sin clouds rolled away.
It's just like Jesus to roll the clouds away,
it's just like Jesus to keep me day by day,
it's just like Jesus all along the way,
It's just like His great love.

(2)   Sometimes the clouds of trouble 
bedim the sky above,
I cannot see my Savior's face, 
I doubt His wondrous love;
But He, from heaven's mercy seat, 
beholding my despair,
In pity bursts the clouds between, 
and shows me He is there.
It's just like Jesus to roll the clouds away,
it's just like Jesus to keep me day by day,
it's just like Jesus all along the way,
It's just like His great love.

(3)   When sorrow's clouds o'ertake me, 
and break upon my head,
When life seems worse than useless, 
and I were better dead;
I take my grief to Jesus then, 
nor do I go in vain,
For heavenly hope He gives that cheers 
like sunshine after rain.
It's just like Jesus to roll the clouds away,
it's just like Jesus to keep me day by day,
it's just like Jesus all along the way,
It's just like His great love.

(4)    O, I could sing forever 
of Jesus' love divine,
Of all His care and tenderness 
for this poor life of mine;
His love is in and over all, 
and wind and waves obey,
When Jesus whispers "Peace, be still!" 
and rolls the clouds away.
It's just like Jesus to roll the clouds away,
it's just like Jesus to keep me day by day,
it's just like Jesus all along the way,
It's just like His great love.

Now I wish that I could have found something like the choir that I used to sing in.  But there aren't many good videos available for this song.  But here is one that you can try.     LISTEN

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks Barry, Woke up to this old song on my heart. We sang it in Sunday School and in the car on family vacations. I just finished chemo in Aug and today was the fist day I havent had any muscle pain! It's just like Jesus to keep me day to day...and He has! Tammy

Anonymous said...

Brings back such wonderful memories of singing this song as a child. What a blessing to be reminded of the truth in the midst of life these days. Anonymous testimony puts it in words for me. I read a testimony of God providing in an amazing way at the exact moment and the chorus sang through my head. It's bubbling, it's bubbling in my soul. I looked it up on-line and this song was with it. What a combo they make and they have made my day so much brighter. I'm recovering from knee replacement surgery, which has been so painful, but after reading anonymous' testimony, it brings my pain down to size. God bless all of you including the song leader for your part in restoring my joy today.

GrammyH said...

It's actually called "It's Just Like His Great Love" not Just Like Jesus. You can get the music for free on google images now.