IT WILL BE WORTH IT ALL (TH)

TIMELESS HYMNS - A feature in which I choose a former blog, revise and edit it, and post it once again.  This particular hymn received more comments than any that I have shared here.  It was posted on January 18, 2009 and September 27, 2009

          Recently one of my grandchildren said to me that kids should be paid for going to school.  I heard that comment many times over 39 years of teaching and I gave the same answer I always have given. Your do get paid.  What you do now provides you with income the rest of your life and the better you prepare now, the greater will be your return throughout life.  Now most don't want to hear that since it is hard to labor for what appears to be nothing when the real reward may be many years away. 

           But isn't it the same in ministry?   So often God's children appear to work so hard, often without any thanks and without any apparent reward.  Ministry can at times be hard and lonely with long hours and many frustrations. Often there is criticism of what you do.   We often want to quit - and many do.  

          But a time is coming when faithful servants will be rewarded beyond comprehension.  So we need to faithfully move on with the final goal in sight.  Then it will be worth all the toil and effort - then the sun will shine through the clouds once again. As my grandfather used to say, we just need to "keep looking up!", For there will be a time, hopefully very soon, when we shall understand fully and then we will testify, as Esther Kerr Rusthoi (1909-1962), the writer of this week's hymn, has, "It will be worth it all when we see Jesus". 

          So believer, if you find yourself today in one of those impossible situations of life, look to Jesus, knowing that He is with you and in control and one day soon your trials will seem so small when you are finally with Him.   

          Meditate on the words of this great hymn and be challenged to renew your service for the Lord and "keep on going on".

(1)   Oft' times the day seems long,

Our trials hard to bear;

We're tempted to complain,

To murmur and despair;

But Christ will soon appear,

To catch His Bridge away,

All tears forever over

In God's eternal day.

It will be worth it all

When we see Jesus;

Life trials will seem so small

When we see Christ.

One glimpse of His dear face,

All sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race

'Til we see Christ.

(2)   Sometimes the sky looks dark

With not a ray of light

We're tossed and driven on

No human help in sight

But there is One in Heaven

Who knows our deepest care

Let Jesus solve your problem

Just go to Him in prayer

It will be worth it all

When we see Jesus;

Life trials will seem so small

When we see Christ.

One glimpse of His dear face,

All sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race

'Til we see Christ.

(3).     Life's day will soon be o're,

all storms forever past;

We'll cross the great divide

to Glory, safe at last!

We'll share the joys of heaven:

a harp, a home, a crown;

The tempter will be banished,

We'll lay our burdens down.

https://lyricstranslate.com

It will be worth it all

When we see Jesus;

Life trials will seem so small

When we see Christ.

One glimpse of His dear face,

All sorrow will erase,

So bravely run the race

'Til we see Christ.

You can hear the words and music at this site.    WORTH

ALL FOR JESUS

          "And so, dear brothers and sisters,  I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him."   Romans 12:1  NLT

          I'm sure that we've all read this verse often, probably in different translations.  Many of us have even memorized it.  But while we know what it says and want to obey it, unfortunately in the pressures of everyday living we often fall short.  Our finances, our wants, our vocation, our vacations, our relationships, our reactions, our daily experiences, our conversations often fall so short of being living and holy sacrifices.  But because of all He has done for us, all of our days and hours should be pleasing to Him.

          So what do our checkbooks and calendars say about our yielding "all" to him.  They are often good indicators.

          Mary Dagworthy James (1810-1883) wrote "All For Jesus" as a New Year's resolution. As she wrote her New Year's letter for 1871, she rejoiced in the effectiveness of her work for Jesus the previous year. She wrote that "I have written more, talked more, prayed more, and thought more for Jesus than in any previous year, and have had more peace of mind, resulting from a stronger and more simple faith in Him." She saw how her increased commitment to God gave her a stronger ministry. "All For Jesus" was a personal expression of her devotion to God; that all that she was going do in the coming year would be for His glory.

          When James was 13 years old, she began teaching Sunday school in the Methodist Episcopal church. She became a prominent figure in the Wesleyan Holiness movement, assisting Phoebe Palmer, and often leading meetings at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, and elsewhere. She wrote about 50 hymns, and articles by her appeared in the Guide to Holiness, the New York Christian Advocate, The Contributor, The Christian Witness, The Christian Woman, The Christian Standard, and the Ocean Grove Record.

          She opens this week's hymn choice hymn by committing herself to serving this unique Christ.  Then she commits her hands, feet, eyes and lips to perform his bidding and speak forth His praise.  Next she shares that she will not boast of wealth, fame and pleasure but will trust only Jesus.  She testifies that since she fixed her eyes on Jesus, the Crucified, she has lost sight of all beside.

          I love her concluding testimony, "Oh, what wonder! how amazing! Jesus, glorious King of kings, Deigns to call me His beloved, Lets me rest beneath His wings."  That is our  reward - a relationship with Christ who, despite our sins, despite our imperfections, redeemed us and calls us "beloved by the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 2:13). 

          May this song become our prayer, our practice and our testimony.  All for Jesus!

1     All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

All my being's ransomed pow'rs;

All my thoughts and words and doings,

All my days and all my hours.

  All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

  All my days and all my hours.

  All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

  All my days and all my hours.

2     Let my hands perform His bidding;

Let my feet run in His ways;

Let mine eyes see Jesus only;

Let my lips speak forth His praise.

  All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

  Let my lips speak forth His praise.

  All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

  Let my lips speak forth His praise.

3.     Worldlings prize their gems of beauty,

Cling to gilded toys of dust;

Boast of wealth, and fame, and pleasure;

Only Jesus will I trust.

  All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

  Only Jesus will I trust.

  All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

  Only Jesus will I trust.

4     Since mine eyes were fixed on Jesus,

I've lost sight of all beside—

So enchained my spirit's vision,

Looking at the Crucified.

  All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

  Looking at the Crucified.

  All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

  Looking at the Crucified.

5     Oh, what wonder! how amazing!

Jesus, glorious King of kings,

Deigns to call me His beloved,

Lets me rest beneath His wings.

  All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

  Resting now beneath His wings.

  All for Jesus! All for Jesus!

  Resting now beneath His wings.

Listen to it here.      ALL

SHOUT TO THE LORD

           "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart."  Psalm 32:11  "O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph."  Psalm 47:1. 

          "Shout to the Lord" is a praise and worship song written by Christian worship leader Darlene Zschech in 1993.  It was written during a time when Zschech was struggling with money worries and the stresses of raising a young family.

          One day, when she was feeling particularly discouraged she slipped into the toy room where they kept their piano.  She put into song some biblical truths to which the stressed young mother was holding onto, in particular drawing from the Psalms. Zschech explained to Today's Christian Woman: "I wrote it when I was feeling discouraged. I felt I could either scream and pull my hair out, or praise God." She added: "The line "Nothing compares to the promise I have in you" was something I clung to when our circumstances seemed so bleak. I think that rings true with anyone going through tough times."

          The song quickly spread around the world and it was sung by many recording artists. It is estimated that the song has been sung by congregations worldwide by an estimated 25-30 million churchgoers every Sunday.  According to Zschech  I" can't take any credit for its impact. God decided to put his blessing on this song."

          On April 9,  2008, "Shout to the Lord" was the closing song on Idol Gives Back, sung by the remaining eight contestants of American Idol and a gospel choir. The lyrics of the song were altered, changing the word "Jesus" to "Shepherd" in the first line, without the approval of Zschech or Hillsong Church. At the request of the song's publishers, the song was performed again at the opening of the next show the following night, this time using the original lyrics. The studio version of the performance charted at number 43 in the Billboard Hot 100, based on digital download sales alone.

          Let this song also be your testimony this week.  Sing for joy at the work of the Lord's hands.  Praise Him for his power and majesty and love.  May He always be your comfort and shelter and tower of refuge and strength.

          Yes, there is none like our Lord!

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

Let us sing

Power and majesty, praise to the King;

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar

At the sound of Your name.

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,

Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,

Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

My Jesus, My Savior,

Lord, there is none like You;

All of my days

I want to praise

The wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,

Tower of refuge and strength;

Let every breath, all that I am

Never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

Let us sing

Power and majesty, praise to the King;

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar

At the sound of Your name.

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,

Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,

Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth,

Let us sing

Power and majesty, praise to the King;

Mountains bow down and the seas will roar

At the sound of Your name.

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands,

Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,

Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

Nothing compares to the promise I have

Nothing compares to the promise I have in you

Listen to it here.   SHOUT

KEEP ON BELIEVING

          Are you facing struggles as a Christian?  Do you feel weak, do dangers abound?  Do you face temptations and troubles of various kind?  Is your life full of despair and do you constantly feel sad?  If so, keep believing, Jesus is near, there's nothing to fear.

          This was the thought expressed by Lucy Milward Booth (1868-1953), the daughter of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army. In her teens, Lucy developed some kind of serious lung infection. Those were the days before drugs to treat such things, and it was a great worry, especially to her mother. The doctor had been summoned to their home. It was an anxious time, but Lucy was determined to keep trusting in God.

          While the doctor was speaking to her mother, Lucy went to the piano and apparently created the tune for this hymn. She also worked on the writing of the words. It was the first song she had ever written. Later, Commissioner Mildred Duff helped her with the rhyming of the words but, Lucy Booth says, "The thoughts contained in them were quite my own, and sprung from the incident ."

          Her song is honest about the struggles Christians go through in life. But there are some certainties the believer can cling to in times of trial? One is that God answers prayer (Heb. 4:15-16), and we can trust Him either to deliver us from the trouble, or give us the grace needed to sustain us through it (II Cor. 12:9).  A second confidence is that God will bring good from our difficulty in some way. The Lord is the supreme master of turning seeming disasters into blessing (Rom. 8:28). Third, we can be assured that no trial we face will last forever. There is no pain or death in the heavenly kingdom (Rev. 21:4), and with the dawning of eternity we'll also see our troubles in a clearer light (II Cor. 4:17), and praise the Lord for what He did through them.  Finally, God is God. "A God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He" (Deut 32:4; Jn. 17:17)

           Booth's hymn reminds us that God is ever near.  He is your wisdom, your might and your guide.  He understands you and knows all you need.  So don't get discouraged.  Keep on believing, this is the way.

1     When you feel weakest, dangers surround,

Subtle temptations, troubles abound,

Nothing seems hopeful, nothing seems glad,

All is despairing, everything sad:

Refrain:

Keep on believing, Jesus is near;

Keep on believing, there's nothing to fear;

Keep on believing, this is the way;

Faith in the night as well as the day.

2     If all were easy, if all were bright,

Where would the cross be, and where the fight?

But in the hardness, God gives to you

Chances of proving that you are true.

Keep on believing, Jesus is near;

Keep on believing, there's nothing to fear;

Keep on believing, this is the way;

Faith in the night as well as the day.

3     God is your wisdom, God is your might,

God's ever near you, guiding aright;

He understands you, knows all you need;

Trusting in him you'll surely succeed.

Keep on believing, Jesus is near;

Keep on believing, there's nothing to fear;

Keep on believing, this is the way;

Faith in the night as well as the day.

4     Let us press on then, never despair,

Live above feeling, victory's there;

Jesus can keep us so near to him

That nevermore our faith shall grow dim

Keep on believing, Jesus is near;

Keep on believing, there's nothing to fear;

Keep on believing, this is the way;

Faith in the night as well as the day.

Listen to it here.   KEEP ON.