(This is a rather long blog post – but one that has been on my heart a long time. God just now provided the words. Feel free to share if you feel the same.)
Why I Need to Hear Hymns
The phone rang early one morning and one of our sons had some disturbing news. My first reaction was, “I must tell Jesus!” So, I fell to my knees and began:
I must tell Jesus!
I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone.
I must tell Jesus!
I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
I must tell Jesus all of my trials;
I cannot bear these burdens alone;
In my distress He kindly will help me
He ever loves and cares for His own.
I must tell Jesus!
I must tell Jesus!
I cannot bear my burdens alone.
I must tell Jesus!
I must tell Jesus!
Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.
At the time of this writing, I am in my early 60’s. Hymns have been a part of my life for – well – more than 60 years! From “Jesus loves me, this I know” to the Bible school favorites, “Deep and Wide” and “Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man”:
Zacchaeus was a wee, little man,
And a wee, little man was he.
He climbed up in a sycamore tree
For the Lord he wanted to see.
And as the Savior came that way,
He looked up in the tree,
And He said,
“Zacchaeus! You come down from there!
For I’m going to your house today.
For I’m going to your house today.”
When I was going through a difficult season in my life with caring for ailing parents and in-laws; teenage sons in school and trying to keep my business running as well as food on the table and clean clothes in the drawer – it was one special hymn that encouraged me every day. I made two copies of the hymn on yellow legal pad paper. One went on the refrigerator (where it stayed for years – despite stains and discoloring!) And the other I kept folded in my billfold. There have been many nights that I sat in a hospital room, reading these words over and over.
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say, than to you He has said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled.
“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee overflow
For I will be with thee, thy trouble to bless
And sanctify to thee, thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design.
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus still leans for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes.
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!”
Actually, it hasn’t been that long since I removed the faded, tear-stained, and worn sheet of paper from my billfold – but I know the words by heart now.
Another that sustained me during those years was, “When the Storms of Life are Raging”
When the storms of life are raging – stand by me.
When the storms of life are raging – stand by me.
When the world is tossing me,
Like a ship upon the sea,
Thou who rulest wind and water – stand by me…
In the midst of tribulation – stand by me.
In the midst of tribulation – stand by me.
When the hosts of hell assail
And my strength begins to fail
Thou Who never lost a battle – stand by me.
In the midst of faults and failures – stand by me.
In the midst of faults and failures – stand by me.
When I do the best I can
And my friends misunderstand
Thou Who knowest all about me – stand by me.
When I’m growing old and feeble – stand by me.
When I’m growing old and feeble – stand by me.
When my life becomes a burden
And I’m nearing chilly Jordan
O Thou Lily of the Valley – stand by me…
(My favorite version of this song is from the album “The Trouble Maker” by Willie Nelson – believe it or not!)
When I had my first experience with hospice, in the weeks before losing my mother, these words kept me going.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know, He holds the future
And life is worth the living – just because He lives.
And then one day, I’ll cross the river
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
Because I know, He holds the future
And life is worth the living – just because He lives.
In the days after my Mother died, as my Daddy’s health was failing, and with a heart still breaking, I reluctantly attended a county-wide high school honors’ band concert in which our younger son was playing. One song on the program was titled, “An Unknown Hymn”… As O sat in that auditorium, barely listening to the music, I suddenly heard a tune that caused a flood of tears to my eyes, as my mind automatically added the words.
When peace like a river, attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot
Thou has taught me to say
It is well… it is well… with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet
Though trials should come
Let this blest assurance control
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate
And hath shed His own blood for my soul
My sin (oh the bliss of this glorious thought!)
My sin – not in part – but in whole
Is nailed to the cross,
And I bear it no more
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend
Even so, it is well with my soul!
(Even writing these words, I feel tears fill my eyes once again…)
That night I cried out to God – “Oh God! It is well with my soul – but it still hurts!” And I “heard” in my spirit – “I didn’t say it would be easy… I said I would be with you…”
One of our sons suffered from nightmares for years. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve comforted him with:
Be not dismayed, what ere betide
God will take care of you.
Beneath His wings of love abide
God will take care of you.
Refrain:
God will take care of you
Through every day – o’er all the way
He will take care of you
God will take care of you…
Through days of toil when heart doth fail
God will take care of you.
When dangers fierce your path assail
God will take care of you.
Refrain:
No matter what may be the test
God will take care of you.
Lean, weary one, upon His breast
God will take care of you.
Refrain:
God will take care of you
Through every day – o’er all the way
He will take care of you
God will take care of you…
Later, when that same son lay in the hospital – in intensive care – the words “Whispering Hope” calmed me day after day after day through his recovery. (Again – Willie Nelson’s nasally version 🙂 )
Soft, as the voice of an angel
Breathing a lesson unheard
Hope, with her gentle persuasion
Whispers her comforting word:
“Wait, till the darkness is over,
Wait, till the tempest is done
Hope for the sunshine tomorrow
After the shower is gone”.
Refrain:
Whispering hope, oh how welcome thy voice
Making my heart in its sorrow, rejoice…
If, in the dusk of the twilight
Dim be the region afar.
Will not the deepening darkness
Brighten the glimmering star?
Then, when the night is upon us,
Why should the heart sink away?
When the dark midnight is over
Watch for the breaking of day.
Refrain:
Hope, as an anchor so steadfast
Rends the dark veil for the soul
Whither the Master has entered
Robbing the grave of its goal.
Come then, oh come, glad fruition
Come to my sad weary heart.
Come, O Thou blest hope of glory
Never, oh, never depart!
Refrain:
Whispering hope, oh, how welcome thy voice.
Making my heart, in its sorrow, rejoice.
It’s a proven fact that we remember songs easier than prose. (Think of the number of jingles from commercials that you remember – even though the commercials may be years and years old!) Scripture chronicles many instances when events were recorded in song to help the people remember (Exodus 15; Numbers 21; Deuteronomy 31 and 32; Judges 5 and 2 Samuel 22 – just to name a few). And although we read out of many translations today – most people (at least people my age) can still recall scriptures memorized from the King James Version – particularly because of the poetical flow to the words.
The powerful words of hymns have sustained my faith through many difficult times in my life. I don’t know how I would have survived without them. Today, however, we seldom hear the hymns of the faith in our worship services. Most services are filed with “praise choruses”. And while it’s important to spend time in praise to God – still – there is little in those choruses to uphold us when times are really hard. But sadly, at other times, when hymns are incorporated into the service, it is often just the chorus or perhaps one verse. What great theological truth is missed for the sake of saving time.
We bemoan the fact that much of society (as well as many church members) are Biblically illiterate. May I suggest that we augment our teaching and preaching with the rich message that the hymns of the faith provide? Add drums and guitars to the arrangement if you feel it necessary – but please don’t neglect the teaching of those precious words. We can still sing praise choruses – but as for me – I really need to hear hymns… I need it for my soul.
