BLESSINGS

          In this blog I usually share old hymns of the faith, many of which were written several decades or even centuries ago.  But sometimes my heart is touched by one of the newer songs.  This week I've chosen to share one of these which was written just a few years ago.  Laura Story came on the gospel music scene around 2004 when she wrote "Indescribable" which was recorded by Chris Tomlin.  In 2008 she won a Dove Award for inspirational album and she earned two consecutive nominations for Female Vocalist of the Year.  But amidst this success a brain tumor hospitalized her husband in 2006 and the faith she had written and sung about was tested through the unexpected fires of fear and loneliness.  She watched him being kept alive by breathing machines and and going through significant postoperative vision and memory loss.  But this experience is what led her to pen the beautiful, meaningful words of "Blessings".  Here is what she said about the message behind this song.  "The song shows that we still have more questions than answers. But there's a decision that I find God is asking us to make. Are we going to judge God based on our circumstances, or are we going to choose to interpret our circumstances based on what we hold to be true about God?   Our circumstances have magnified the blessing of marriage. As high school sweethearts, we faced the strong chance that our long-awaited marriage bond might last just two years. Once you've rallied through a life-threatening illness together, the rest of it is like a surprise; every day is a new gift that might not have been there. It's not as big a deal now if he leaves his socks on the floor.  The words of James 1:2 "Consider it a great joy … whenever you experience various trials" - ring especially true and duly influence the joyful, wisdom-loving tone throughout "Blessings."    Don't get the wrong idea. It hasn't been easy. Everyone wants to be a mature and equipped follower, but would I have signed up had I known what it would take? God has grown us up, deepened our faith, our awareness of our great need for Him as a Savior, daily. We knew it before, but we didn't see it."  She goes on to add, "This is a good place to be. Life is filled with things you don't expect, but the Bible tells us to respond by trusting God and continuing to worship Him. Martin hasn't received complete healing, and that can be hard when we view God as all-powerful and all-loving. But here we are now saying, "Yes, this is how faith works. God has proven to be faithful."   We have been truly blessed out of a circumstance that at first didn't seem like much of a blessing at all. God is love. He tells us so repeatedly in the Bible. Yet sometimes it doesn't feel like He loves us. What if we pray for our loved ones to make it through, but they pass away before we even say goodbye? What if we pray for our children to grow up healthy but instead we watch them suffer a life-threatening illness? What if we pray for that little extra money to make ends meet, but we end up losing our home?   It's devastating when we don't see God's answers to our prayers. "We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near." What if the very thing that is best for us isn't the same as what we're praying for? All the while, God hears each spoken need. He loves us way too much to give us lesser things. God is watching over always, directing every moment we experience. So if He isn't answering our prayers how we think He should, does that mean He isn't answering? Or could it be something else? Could it possibly be that He's really blessing us?"  What a powerful testimony and song.  There is nothing I can add to what she has shared.  So let me encourage you to meditate upon these words this week as you thank God for His dealings in your life.

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep

We pray for healing, for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

And all the while, You hear each spoken need

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear

And we cry in anger when we cannot feel you near

We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love

As if each promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while, You hear each desperate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win, we know

That pain reminds this hearts,

That this is not, this is not our home…

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

What if my greatest disappointments,

Or the aching of this life,

Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy.

What if trials of this life,

The rain, the storms, the hardest nights

Are your mercies in disguise?

Listen to it here.    LISTEN

HE'S LISTENING TO YOU

          "Look on my right hand and see, for there is no one who acknowledges me; refuge has failed me; no one cares for my soul."  (Psalm 142:2)  David appears to be in a cave, possibly the Cave of Adullam, when he makes this sad plea. He is most likely in a period of great stress and depression.  He is being chased by Saul and his men and his life is in great danger.  He apparently felt isolated, worthless, useless, and in deep despair. He had hit rock bottom. And at that time he felt that nobody really cared.  Have you ever felt the same?  Maybe you do right now.  But if you continue reading Psalm 142 you will notice that David then cries out, O Lord, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.  Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low."  And God did listen to His child and delivered Him.  We need to be reminded that even in times of great personal despair, God will listen to our pleas. He understands what our sad heart feels and He knows the heartbreaks that we may be going through.  Recently I heard a gospel song with that message that I probably hadn't heard in about four decades.  But I was frustrated when I searched for information about it.  Often I can't find information about why a song was written, but in this case I couldn't even find the words, the author, or anything at all about it.  But then I did discover one old recording (linked below) and I was able to copy the words shown below.  I have a feeling that the Lord wanted me to share this song because one of my readers really needs this assurance this week.  And if not one of my readers, then me.  The words remind us that indeed He is listening to us, no matter what we may be going through.  He wants us to express our needs to Him, even though He already knows them. He loves you and cares for you.  Be encouraged this week as you consider this song which you probably have never heard before.  And if you, like David, happen to be stuck in a cave of despair, just remember that our omnipotent Heavenly Father is listening to you.

1.    No one know what a smile can conceal

But God understands what a sad heart feels

Your problem is never too great or too small

For He sees the tiniest sparrow fall.

He's listening to you

He's listening to you

He knows every heartbreak that your going through

So tell him today that your lonely and blue

Cause He's listening, He's listening to you

2.     When you have pain and your courage is low

The future seems dark and there's nowhere to go

Remember that Jesus is touched with your woe

And He loves you, He  cares and He wants you to know that

He's listening to you

He's listening to you

He knows every heartbreak that your going through

So tell him today that your lonely and blue

Cause he's listening this moment , He's listening

Yes He's listening

He's listening this moment to you.

Listen to it here.   LISTEN

THE MERCIES OF GOD

          "The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness;  His mercies begin afresh each morning. (Lamentations 3:22,23)  What a joy to experience His mercies which are new every morning.  These mercies stirred Thomas Obediah Chisholm (1866-1960) to pen the words of this beautiful, but not well known hymn. His aim in writing was to incorporate as much of Scripture as possible and to avoid "sentimental" themes.  Al Smith's book, Hymn Histories, gives us interesting information about the writing of this hymn.  Smith wrote, "The old man (Thomas Chisholm) awoke to face another weary day. His wife had been seriously ill for a long time, and it was time to give her her medicine. But the bottle was empty, and he had no money for more. Thinking perhaps a little breakfast would lift her spirits, he returned to the kitchen. But the ice box was almost as empty as the pill bottle, and even buying groceries seemed beyond their means. Not only that, their rent was due that day.  A pretty bleak picture. But God knew the need even before they did. Nothing takes the Lord by surprise. He says, "I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done" (Isa. 46:9-10). And "known to God from eternity are all His works" (Acts 15:18).  That is why He is able to work through our circumstances, providing in advance for our needs to be met when the time comes. ... Romans 8:28, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, and to those who are called according to His purpose."  Tom certainly believed that. He and his wife had come through many difficult times, though on this day in 1935 things seemed worse than usual. But see how the Lord was working!  Two days before, two men were attending to some necessary record-keeping for the Gideons Bible distribution ministry. They were going over the membership list for New Jersey. The policy was to remove anyone who had been contacted twice, but failed to send in the registration fee - five dollars in those days.  But just as Mr. Stam was about to cross off T. O. Chisholm, his friend said, "Jake, don't you know who that man is? Why, he's the fellow that wrote Great Is Thy Faithfulness." Saying that was his favorite hymn, Stam responded, "That sure is worth five dollars – I'll pay the brother's dues." However that was not to be the end of it. That night Stam had trouble sleeping. Tom Chisholm kept coming to his mind. Believing there might be a need there, he decided to send him a gift in the morning. Then the ringing of the phone at six roused him. It was his friend from the evening before. He had had the same experience in the night. Seeing this as the leading of the Lord, both men wrote checks, mailing them off with a note.   The next day – the day the burden of the Chisholm's meager finances struck with full force, he got that letter. At first, his heart sank to see the return address on the envelope, Jacob Stam, Attorney at Law! He thought, "All the trouble I'm in, and now an attorney is after me!"   But when he tore open the envelope he read, "Dear Brother, we have never met you, but we love you in the Lord. Thank you so much for Great Is Thy Faithfulness. Enclosed is a little something the Lord told us to send you." Mr. Chisholm was astonished to see that the "little something" covered not only the month's rent, and the cost of his wife's medicine, but provided enough to restock the pantry. It was at the suggestion of his wife that the hymn writer penned The Mercies of God, in celebration of God's amazing provision. Truly, "Great are Your tender mercies, O Lord!" (Ps. 119:156)."  Using Chisholm's words this week, remember the gift of God's daily mercies to you and thank Him for His faithfulness.

1.     The mercies of God! What a theme for my song,

Oh! I never could number them o'er;

They're more than the stars in the heavenly dome,

Or the sands of the wave beaten shore.

For mercies so great, what return can I make

For mercies so constant and sure?

I'll love Him, I'll serve Him with all that I have

As long as my life shall endure.

2.     They greet me at morn when I waken from sleep 

And they gladden my heart at the noon 

They follow me on into shades of the night 

when the day with its labor is done 

For mercies so great, what return can I make

For mercies so constant and sure?

I'll love Him, I'll serve Him with all that I have

As long as my life shall endure.

3.      His angels of mercy encompass me 'round,

Wheresoever my pathway may lead;

Each turn of the road some new token reveals

Oh! For me life is blessed indeed.

For mercies so great, what return can I make

For mercies so constant and sure?

I'll love Him, I'll serve Him with all that I have

As long as my life shall endure.

Listen to this hymn here.    

LISTEN1
LISTEN 2

UNDER HIS WINGS (TH#19)

 TIMELESS HYMN #19 - Another revised and repeated blog of one of the great hymns of the faith - UNDER HIS WINGS  - originally shared on January 11, 2009.

          The story is told of a fire in the Midwest that swept over dry fields destroying everything in its path.  When the fire was finally extinguished, someone noticed the body of a chicken that was burnt to a crisp.  However, when they heard some noise they pushed aside the body and under its wings found several small chicks alive.  They had been protected from the fire by the wings of their mother.  David shared a similar thought in Psalm 91:4, "He will cover you with his feathers,  and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart." (NIV).  He mentions a similar thought in Psalm 63:7, " Because you are my help,  I sing in the shadow of your wings."  Have you found this to be true in your life?  Has he protected you "under His wings" from the storms of life?  Has He given you a song in the midst of the strife?   How often in my life I have found His protection, when nothing else could help.   Safe and secure, sheltered and protected, under His wings of care.  The words of this hymn were written by William Orcott Cushing (1823-1902) in 1896.  Cushing faced many trials in his life.  After the death of his wife he developed a physical problem which took his voice and as a result his position as a preacher.  But the Lord gave him the gift of writing and he went on to pen the words for many great hymns, such as this one.  This hymn may have even been his personal testimony.  The music was added by Ira Sankey (1840-1908) who shared this hymn in many evangelistic crusades.  The truth of this hymn has been a source of comfort for many over the years.  Rejoice in the truth of His protection and refuge as you face the challenges of your daily walk with Christ.  May your prayer be, Psalm 17:8, "Hide me under the shadow of your wings."

(1)  Under His wings I am safely abiding;

Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,

Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me;

He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Under His wings, under His wings,

Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings, my soul shall abide,

Safely abide forever.

(2)  Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!

How the heart yearningly turns to its rest!

Often when earth has no balm for my healing,

Under His wings, under His wings,

Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings, my soul shall abide,

Safely abide forever.

(3)   Under His wings, O what precious enjoyment!

There will I hide till life's trials are over;

Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me;

Resting in Jesus I'm safe evermore.

Under His wings, under His wings,

Who from His love can sever?

Under His wings, my soul shall abide,

Safely abide forever. 

You can listen to the melody here.    LISTEN