GOD IS SO GOOD

          "God is so good, He's so good to me!"  A profound truth that is shared in a classic chorus sung all over the world.

          It was many decades ago that the Greiner Family of Family Christian Inspiration shared this chorus with us in a series of meetings in our church.  And since then we've sung it and used it in our ministry, both with children and adults.  In Awana we used it when we went to prayer and also as a lead into our award time.

          When I decided to share it in this blog I was surprised, not that I couldn't find the author, but that there were so many different claims of its authorship.

          Some books claim that the song is an "African Melody" or that it was written by an anonymous person. Or they make no claim at all.  Along the same line some attribute it to Paul Makaia, a leader in the Evangelical Church of Zambia since 1978 and the Dean of Students at Namibia Evangelical Theological Seminary in Windhoek, Namibia. He has wrote and composed numerous songs, most of which have been credited as "Anonymous" or "African Traditional."  It could be him.

          Other sources claim a Velna A. Ledin wrote it in 1933.  They say she wrote it to help pass the time on a long road trip.  She or her companions wrote the first verse and many others were added later.  I guess that is possible.

          But another source is Child Evangelism Fellowship.  They claim that in 1961 a young Burundian diplomat knew that God was calling him to work with children. He and his wife and three children lived comfortably in Bujumbura, the capital city. After a serious accident that left Stephen Rutuna on his back in a hospital, unsure if he'd ever walk again, he finally submitted to God's call.

          Shortly after making his commitment to the Lord, the king of Burundi told Stephen that he wanted him to serve as the Prime Minister. Stephen told the king that he would serve for one year to give the king time to find a replacement, but that God had called him to work with children, and he had to obey God. The king agreed to this arrangement. After serving a year, Stephen reminded the king of their agreement. The king told Stephen that he had two choices: Work for him or work for no one and be put to death. Stephen told the king that he had to obey God. As a result, Stephen was imprisoned.

          Stephen was in a cell with others who were to be executed for various "crimes." The day arrived for the execution and one by one the men were removed from their cells and executed. By the time it was Stephen's turn, evening had set and the king decided to wait until the next morning to kill Stephen.

          That evening, all alone in his cell, Stephen began to reflect upon his life. As he reflected on these things, he could only say, "God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, He's so good to me." God placed this simple song into Stephen's heart, and he sang it over and over that evening.

          The next morning, the soldiers came to take Stephen to the place of execution.  However, just as they got to the place where the execution would take place, a violent storm erupted, and lighting struck the ground very near where Stephen stood, knocking him unconscious.

          When the soldiers came to their senses, they refused to kill Stephen. They told the king, "We cannot kill this man! His God has done this and He is more powerful. We are afraid to touch him!" The king agreed and set Stephen free. The king warned that if anyone helped Stephen, they would be put to death.

           Stephen returned to his home to check on his family. When he arrived, he found his home had been burned to the ground. He sought out the CEF missionaries and found his family hiding in their home.

          When the soldiers came to torch the missionaries' house and kill everyone, including Stephen's family, Stephen's youngest son had defiantly looked at the soldiers and exclaimed, "You can kill us, but God will remember." The soldiers were afraid and let the family go before torching the house.

          For several months, the Rutuna family hid with the CEF missionaries until they were all able to escape to Uganda. They settled in Uganda and began the CEF work there. Later, under the reign of Idi Amin, the Rutuna's again had to flee for their lives.  His son's need for surgery allowed the family to escape into Kenya where Stephen served with CEF, first as the National Director and later as the Regional Director for East and Central Africa.

          Now I still don't know who actually wrote the chorus and it really doesn't matter.  Over the years many additional verses have been added and sung in various places.

         The truth is, God is so good as we've all experienced.  He cares for us.  He answers our prayers.  And we should sing this chorus daily and praise His name.

 

1.     God is so good,

      God is so good,

           God is so good,

      He's so good to me!

 

     2.   God answers prayer,

     God answers prayer,

     God answers prayer,

     He's so good to me!

 

      3.   He cares for me,

      He cares for me,

      He cares for me,

      He's so good to me!

 

4.    I love Him so,

I love Him so,

I love Him so,

He's so good to me!

 

5.    I'll do His will,

I'll do His will,

I'll do His will,

He's so good to me!

 

6.    I praise His name,

I praise His name,

I praise His name,

He's so good to me!

 

Listen to it being sung here.   GOOD

 

 

JESUS THOU JOY OF LOVING HEARTS

            This beautiful old hymn speaks so eloquently of who our Lord is experientially - joy of loving hearts, fount of life, light of men, truth unchanged, living bread, the fountain-head, our strength and stay.

          This hymn, generally attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, was translated from the Latin in 1858. It was a loose paraphrase rather than a strict translation done by Dr. Ray Palmer, a Congregational pastor from Albany, New York.  Some say that the hymn as we know it was written by both Bernard of Clairvaux and Palmer.  Dr. Palmer also wrote several hymns on his own, probably the best known being "My Faith Looks Up to Thee."
          Bernard of Clairvaux was born to well-to-do parents in central France, in what is known as burgundy wine country, near Dijon.  A nobleman by birth, he didn't grow up as a spoiled rich kid.  Actually, his parents, especially his mother, Aleth, taught him the virtues of justice, mercy, and affection for others.
          His mother's death, when he was seventeen, affected Bernard profoundly.  He began to experience a more profound conversion and a call to study theology.  He entered a Benedictine monastery in 1112 A.D.  His talent was soon recognized, and three years later he was asked to establish a monastery at Clairvaux.  That was a successful venture, and a number of other monasteries were established throughout France under his leadership. 
            The monastic life was often one of withdrawal. Monks had their own communities, which were largely self-sufficient. There they could work and pray in relative solitude. But Bernard broke out of that system and became an unusually public figure for a monk. He challenged popes and political leaders to live righteously. He urged professors to teach truth. He launched evangelistic campaigns. He became a confidant of Popes and a preacher to the King of France. 

         In spite of these remarkable achievements, the focus of his life remained twofold, knowing God and serving the needy.

            Even though this hymn was written almost 900 years ago and translated about 150 years ago, we can appreciate the writer's and translator's yearning and appreciation of the Lord.

           "Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts," like many hymns, is a prayer, in this case, a prayer to Jesus.  It celebrates the joy that we have in Jesus, the peace that his love imparts, and the filling of our souls.  It concludes with a prayer for Christ's continuing presence:
"O Jesus, ever with us stay; make all our moments calm and bright; oh, chase the night of sin away, shed o'er the world thy holy light.
          Is Jesus the joy of your heart?  Do you find Him good?  Is He your all in all?

1     O Jesus, joy of loving hearts,

thou fount of life, thou light of men,

from fullest bliss that earth imparts

we turn unfilled to thee again,

we turn unfilled to thee again.

2     Thy truth unchanged has ever stood,

thou savest those that on thee call;

to them that seek thee, thou art good,

to them that find thee, all in all,

to them that find thee, all in all.

3     We taste thee, O thou living bread,

and long to feast upon thee still;

we drink of thee, the fountainhead,

and thirst our souls from thee to fill,

and thirst our souls from thee to fill.

4     Our restless spirits yearn for thee,

where'er our changeful lot is cast,

glad that thy gracious smile we see,

blest that our faith can hold thee fast,

blest that our faith can hold thee fast.

5     O Jesus, ever with us stay,

make all our moments calm and bright;

chase the dark night of sin away,

shed o'er the world thy holy light,

shed o'er the world thy holy light.

Listen to it here:  JOY

HE LEADETH ME (TH)

TIMELESS HYMNS - A regular feature in which I choose a previous hymn blog, revise it and post it again.  This one was first posted June 24, 2012. 

          We all need good leadership to help us navigate the many challenges we face on our journey through this life here on earth.   We can't do it alone.   This week's hymn choice is one which reminds us of the faithful leadership that God gives believers. 

           The writer, Joseph H. Gilmore (1834-1918), shared how he came to write the words. "As a young man who recently had been graduated from Brown University and Newton Theological Institution, I was supplying for a couple of Sundays the pulpit of the First Baptist Church in Philadelphia. At the midweek service, on the 26th of March, 1862, I set out to give the people an exposition of the Twenty-third Psalm, which I had given before on three or four occasions, but this time I did not get further than the words "He Leadeth Me." Those words took hold of me as they had never done before, and I saw them in a significance and wondrous beauty of which I had never dreamed."  

          "It was the darkest hour of the Civil War. I did not refer to that fact — that is, I don't think I did — but it may subconsciously have led me to realize that God's leadership is the one significant fact in human experience, that it makes no difference how we are led, or whither we are led, so long as we are sure God is leading us. At the close of the meeting a few of us in the parlor of my host, good Deacon Wattson, kept on talking about the thought which I had emphasized; and then and there, on a blank page of the brief from which I had intended to speak, I penciled the hymn, talking and writing at the same time, then handed it to my wife and thought no more about it."

          "She sent it to The Watchman and Reflector, a paper published in Boston, where it was first printed. I did not know until 1865 that my hymn had been set to music by William B. Bradbury. I went to Rochester [New York] to preach as a candidate before the Second Baptist Church. Going into their chapel on arrival in the city, I picked up a hymnal to see what they were singing, and opened it at my own hymn, "He Leadeth Me."  

           And now, for over 150 years, this hymn has been the testimony of many believers.  We can share how He leads us no matter where we may be and no matter how difficult the storm we face.  And He will continue to lead us as we make our journey to our heavenly home.  And in that knowledge and experience we should be content.

          I pray that this hymn may also be your testimony and experience as it is mine.

(1)  He leadeth me, O blessed thought!

O words with heav'nly comfort fraught!

Whate'er I do, where'er I be

Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me;

His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

(2)  Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,

Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom,

By waters still, over troubled sea,

Still 'tis His hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me;

His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

(3)   Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,

Nor ever murmur nor repine;

Content, whatever lot I see,

Since 'tis my God that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me;

His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

(4)   And when my task on earth is done,

When by Thy grace the vict'ry's won,

E'en death's cold wave I will not flee,

Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,

By His own hand He leadeth me;

His faithful follower I would be,

For by His hand He leadeth me.

Listen to it being sung here.    LEADETH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGSSj4uIPU

THERE'LL BE NO DARK VALLEY

          At times we probably all wonder how we will die.  Will it be instant or will we suffer for a length of time.  Will we be alone or with our loved ones?  Many fear it could be a trip through a long, dark valley.

          But the Psalmist reassures us that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we need not fear.  For God is with us and His rod and staff will be our comfort and protection.  And so many believers have found this true.

          For believers, absent from this life means present with the Lord.  And we will live in the house of the Lord forever.

          Not all believers will die but those who don't will be called home to be with the Lord at the rapture.   So don't fear.  There will be no dark valley when Jesus comes to gather his loved ones home.  And we will not face sorrow again. Nor will there be more weeping.  Instead it will be a glorious time and a time of celebration.

          William Orcutt Cushing (1823-1903) was, for a couple of decades, a successful pastor. A kindly man, he once gave a thousand dollars - all he had, and a huge sum in those days - to a blind girl, so she could get an education. But after the death of his wife in 1870, when he was 47 years old, his health began to fail.  He developed a creeping paralysis that caused him to lose his voice. and he retired from active pastoral ministry.

          By the grace of God, a new kind of ministry opened up, leading to the blessing of countless lives Mr. Cushing could never have touched in person. He turned his attention to writing hymns, and during the latter part of the nineteenth century he wrote over 300 of them. 
          Most hymnbooks give Cushing credit for writing this hymn.  However, it might have actually been written by Ira David Sankey (1840-1908).  Cushimg may have only provided the idea for the theme and Sankey may have added the words and music.
          We do not know what the future will bring to our lives here upon this earth. But by faith we can know what the future will bring to the righteous when this life is over. We may have our days of darkness, sorrow, weeping, and sadness in this world, but when Jesus comes again, we are assured that "There'll Be No Dark Valley."
          Rejoice in this truth this week.

1    There'll be no dark valley when Jesus comes,

There'll be no dark valley when Jesus comes;

There'll be no dark valley when Jesus comes

To gather His loved ones home.

Refrain:

To gather His loved ones home,

To gather His loved ones home;

There'll be no dark valley when Jesus comes

To gather His loved ones home.

2    There'll be no more sorrow when Jesus comes,

There'll be no more sorrow when Jesus comes;

But a glorious morrow when Jesus comes

To gather His loved ones home. [Refrain]

3    There'll be no more weeping when Jesus comes,

There'll be no more weeping when Jesus comes;

But a blessed reaping when Jesus comes

To gather His loved ones home. [Refrain]

4    There'll be songs of greeting when Jesus comes,

There'll be songs of greeting when Jesus comes;

And a joyful meeting when Jesus comes

To gather His loved ones home. [Refrain]

Listen to this hymn here.   VALLEY