TRUST AND OBEY

Every Friday and Saturday night our local Christian radio station plays hymns throughout the night. I really enjoy this special time, especially when I am having trouble sleeping. Early this morning I heard them play this week's hymn and it immediately brought back to my mind many baptismal services which I've attended over the years. This used to be a traditional hymn sung as we watched new believer's publicly testify of their death to sin and their new life in Christ. And their key to living their new life was trusting and obeying their Lord. Those two words are so simple but often so hard to put into practice. So often we trust our own decisions and our own ways, especially when things are going well for us. And as humans we often resist obeying. We want our own ways. We want to decide how we use our time and money and possessions. And so we may miss the full joy that the Lord wants us to experience in our Christian walk. For there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. In 1886, Daniel Towner, was leading the music during one of Moody's preaching campaigns in Massachusetts. During the service a young man stood up to give a testimony. "I am not quite sure -- but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey." Towner jotted down the words and sent them to his friend, John Sammis, who was a Presbyterian pastor. Sammis using the words of this short testimony wrote the hymn we know as "Trust and Obey." As he wrote the hymn he considered the different areas of our life what we need to trust God about: Verse one - our daily walk in life; Verse two - during the difficult times in life; Verse three - our total submission; Verse four - following God's call for our life.

(1) When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

(2) Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

(3) Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

(4) But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

(5) Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.

Or we'll walk by His side in the way.

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there's no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Listen to this hymn here. LISTEN

WONDERFUL PEACE

I received an e-mail today which said that "Stress is more than a five letter word". There is some truth in that humorous thought. We live in a time when everyone seems to be living in stress. Some of it is from the economic times that we live in. Some might be from the media which reminds us every day how bad things are. Some might be our unexpected material expectations - we need everything and we need it now. And some of it relates to real physical problems that we encounter. Right now we have two friends who are in the last days of their lives, a friend's granddaughter who has swine flu, several friends who are in the hospital, several friends and relatives who've had to relocate because of physical problems, and several who probably should relocate to receive adequate care. All around us folks are facing real problems. And yet, while we can't avoid these stressful situations, we can have a friend who can give us a lasting, perfect peace in such times. As we cast our cares on Jesus, He is faithful to give us peace and walk with us through these fiery trials. I hope that you can testify to such times in your life. I assume that Warren Cornell must have experienced that when in 1889 he penned the words to this week's hymn. The music was also written that year by W. George Cooper. Maybe times were stressful then, as well.

(1) Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight

Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;

In celestial strains it unceasingly falls

O'er my soul like an infinite calm.

Peace, peace, wonderful peace,

Coming down from the Father above!

Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray

In fathomless billows of love!

(2) What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,

Buried deep in the heart of my soul,

So secure that no power can mine it away,

While the years of eternity roll!

Peace, peace, wonderful peace,

Coming down from the Father above!

Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray

In fathomless billows of love!

(3) I am resting tonight in this wonderful peace,

Resting sweetly in Jesus' control;

For I'm kept from all danger by night and by day,

And His glory is flooding my soul!

Peace, peace, wonderful peace,

Coming down from the Father above!

Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray

In fathomless billows of love!

(4) And I think when I rise to that city of peace,

Where the Anchor of peace I shall see,

That one strain of the song which the ransomed will sing

In that heavenly kingdom will be:

Peace, peace, wonderful peace,

Coming down from the Father above!

Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray

In fathomless billows of love!

(5) Ah, soul! are you here without comfort and rest,

Marching down the rough pathway of time?

Make Jesus your Friend ere the shadows grow dark;

O accept of this peace so sublime!

Peace, peace, wonderful peace,

Coming down from the Father above!

Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray

In fathomless billows of love!

Listen to it here. LISTEN

I HAVE A HOME

Usually the hymns that I feature are hymns that are favorites of mine. This week is an exception, because I've never heard this one before. Why would I then choose it? If you read my blog (Barry's Blog) for Friday, you will know that my week has revolved around settlement of the sale of my parents' home. Since they lived there for almost 60 years, this process has been one of very mixed feelings. But, as I noted in my blog, it is only a house. It was a temporary location used on our journey to our new home in heaven. So homes and heaven have been on my mind and I spent time searching for hymns that shared about our new home in heaven. In doing this search I came upon this hymn which was written in 1897 by Barney E. Warren. The more I read it, the more I thought it really represented my feelings and anticipation this week. Sometimes we get so involved in taking care of our earthly abodes that we forget about the perfect homes that are being prepared for God's family in heaven. And then our prayer should really be, Lord come quickly.

1. I have a home prepared for me,

A mansion bright across the sea;

And when I pass to yon bright shore,

I'll dwell with Christ forevermore.

• Refrain:

I'll live for Him till life shall end,

Then on my pinions I'll ascend

To that bright home, where all is fair,

And take my starry crown to wear.

2. I have a home in heav'n above,

Where all is pure and perfect love;

A home where sin can never be,

Where all is perfect purity.

• Refrain:

I'll live for Him till life shall end,

Then on my pinions I'll ascend

To that bright home, where all is fair,

And take my starry crown to wear.

3. I have a home, forever free

From toil, and care, and misery,

Where stormy seas can never roll,

Where bliss eternal crowns the soul.

• Refrain:

I'll live for Him till life shall end,

Then on my pinions I'll ascend

To that bright home, where all is fair,

And take my starry crown to wear.

4. I have a home — how sweet to know

'Tis well secured from every foe—

Where peace and joy do reign supreme,

Where love shall be my only theme

• Refrain:

I'll live for Him till life shall end,

Then on my pinions I'll ascend

To that bright home, where all is fair,

And take my starry crown to wear.

Listen to it here. LISTEN

THE SANDS OF TIME ARE SINKING

I love hymns that have beautiful harmony and I love hymns that have beautiful words. Some have both and this is one of them. This much-loved poem was composed by Mrs. Anne Ross Cousin, wife of a minister of the Free Church of Scotland. The poem is as remarkable as it is beautiful in that Mrs. Cousin extracted from the letters of Samuel Rutherford many of his most memorable sayings and wove them into a hymn of 19 stanzas, maintaining throughout high poetic excellence and great faithfulness to the language and spirit of the letters. Several of these stanzas remain as part of this wonderful hymn. This is the most famous of 107 hymn poems which she wrote. I love the pictures that are painted to help us visualize Emmanuel's Land - the dawn, the ocean's fullness, and the bride gazing at the Bridegroom. But I think my favorite line is "I stand upon His merit - I know no other stand!" How true - our future dwelling in Emmanuel's land is only possible because of what Christ has done for us. That is mercy and grace.

1. The sands of time are sinking,

The dawn of heaven breaks;

The summer morn I've sighed for -

The fair, sweet morn awakes:

Dark, dark had been the midnight

But dayspring is at hand,

And glory, glory dwelleth

In Emmanuel's land.

2. O Christ, He is the fountain,

The deep, sweet well of love!

The streams on earth I've tasted

More deep I'll drink above:

There to an ocean fullness

His mercy doth expand,

And glory, glory dwelleth

In Emmanuel's land.

3. The bride eyes not her garment,

But her dear Bridegroom's face;

I will not gaze at glory

But on my King of grace.

Not at the crown He giveth

But on His pierced hand;

The Lamb is all the glory

Of Emmanuel's land.

4. O I am my Beloved's

And my Beloved is mine!

He brings a poor vile sinner

Into His house of wine

I stand upon His merit -

I know no other stand,

Not e'en where glory dwelleth

In Emmanuel's land.

Listen to it here. LISTEN