Insight from our Singing - part 2

The act of singing is inherently theological.  As we speak words to music, those words have a tendency to impact our lives far beyond our conscious understanding.  This past Sunday our church held a service at a nursing home.  It always amazes me to see people who it is near impossible to carry on a conversation with due to the level of mental decay who when "Amazing Grace" begins to play will sing out and remember every single word.  This kind of ingrained theology is impossible to produce in a sermon.  No one has ever sat up in the middle of the night remembering a sermon of mine, but they have awoken with a song inexplicably on their lips. 

This is why it is so crucial that when we sing together as a church we do so with proper theology as the foundation of our songs.  Our songs should not primarily be about what makes us feel good, or even what we can tap our feet to, but we should constantly be aware of what we are saying as we sing. 

This is why I love going back to songs that I may not be familiar with and learning the words.  Today I want to dwell upon the words of a song that is relatively new - written in 1982, but is so very true.  The song is called "O Father, You are Sovereign".

O Father, you are sovereign in all the worlds you made
Your mighty word was spoken and light and life obeyed
Your voice commands the seasons and bounds the ocean's shore
Sets start within their courses and stills the tempest's roar. 

O Father, you are sovereign in all affairs of man,

No powers of death or darkness can thwart your perfect plan.

All chance and change transcending, supreme in time and space

You hold your trusting children secure in Your embrace. 

O Father, you are sovereign the Lord of human pain,

Transmuting earthly sorrows to gold of heavenly gain.

All evil overruling as none but Conqueror could

Your love pursues its purpose, our souls' eternal good. 

O Father, you are sovereign!  We see dimply now,

But soon before your triumph earths every knee shall bow

With this glad hope before us, our faith springs up anew

Our sovereign Lord and Savior we trust and worship You.

Is your response to God today the same trust and worship as the song calls for?  Perhaps you need to be reminded this day that God is in control, even in the midst of your pain.  Praise God that he is in control. 

Insight From Our Singing - part 1

At the recent conference that I attended we received the gift of a free hymnal.  Now I know with all that I have learned that they give us such things in the hopes that we like them so much that we purchase them at our church, but I decided to use it for something else entirely. I have added it to my devotional routine and began to read some of the hymns both old and new (yes, there are new hymns) and hear what they really are saying.

Sometimes on any given Sunday morning we are singing songs that are so familiar to us that we can sing them while half asleep.  Rarely do we stop to consider that the fact that we are singing is not what makes something worship, but the way that we are ascribing worth to God above.  This is primarily accomplished, not through the style of music, but primarily through the text of the song and what they are saying about our great God.  And so I read through hymn book to see what those who have gone before have said about God in their worship and as they are biblical and God-honoring, for myself to say the same things!  I wish for the next few weeks to share a few of these with you. 

Today I bring to you the third verse of an older hymn called "Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above".

The Lord is never far away
But through all grief distressing
An ever present help and stay,
Our peace and joy and blessing.
As with a mother's tender hand
He leads His own, His chosen band
To God all praise and glory.

Hebrews 13:5 reminds us of the truth of the first line - God will never leave us or forsake us.  This is a truth that is particularly difficult to understand especially when we face difficulty - the grief distressing.  He is an ever present help to us.  At this point we pause to consider my natural response to difficulty.  We are so quick to assume that God has left us or forgotten about us that we forget the simple truth of Scripture that God does not leave us or forsake us.  Therefore His help is "ever present". 

But the song goes even further and transitions from the grief distressing to the peace and joy and blessing that we receive when we belong to Christ!  What a glory!  Christ takes our difficulties and turns them into blessings.  We just need the patience to see it happen. 

The last line however is critical.  It reminds us that we are not here for our own praise, our own glory, or even our own comfort.  What we endure this side of glory is for the sake of His glory now and in eternity future.  This gives purpose to our pain and helps us to see that He has the long-view in mind.  What are you going through this day that you need to be reminded is for His praise and glory?  Will you choose to live to honor Him in the midst of the grief distressing?  Will you remember the promise of His presence?  If you will, He promises peace and joy and blessing. 

Live from Together for the Gospel 2016

My Father and I are currently attending the "Together for the Gospel" Conference in Kentucky.   If you are interested, the sessions are broadcast live at live.t4g.org.  The sessions will also be posted on the t4g website at a later date for listening.
Today I was touched by the teaching of C.J. Maheny on Job and the mean of enduring suffering.  To summarize, the only means of surviving suffering is to become enamored with the vision of Himself that God gives us in His Word.
The session was concluded with a song I had only heard once before and I wish to share the words with you here.  The hymn is titled "He Will Hold Me Fast" and is written by Ada Habershon and revised by Matt Merker in 2013.

When I fear my faith will fail, 
                   Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail, 
                    He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold, through life's fearful path
For my love is often cold,
                    He must hold me fast.

Those He saves are His delight,
                      Christ will hold me fast.
Precious in His holy sight,
                      He will hold me fast.
He'll not let my soul be lost, His promises shall last.
Bought by Him at such a cost
                       He will hold me fast

For my life He bled and died,
                        Christ will hold me fast
Justice has been satisfied,
                        He will hold me fast.
Raised with Him to endless life, 
                         He will hold me fast.
Till our faith is turned to sight
                          When He comes at last!

Chorus:
He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so, He will hold my fast.  

What a great reminder that we are held securely by the love of Christ.  Rest in this.

The Fishing Lesson

I had the privilege this weekend of attending my grandma's church in Union Mills Indiana.  There, Matthew Campbell, their pastor preached on John 21 and the difference between trusting in self sufficiency or trusting in the life-changing power of God. 

The story in John 21 is a good one.  The short version is this - Peter and the other disciples are not sure how to proceed, even after Jesus has appeared to them, and so they go back to what is comfortable for them - fishing.  However in a twist of irony, they are apparently terrible at it as they fish all night and catch absolutely nothing. 

Jesus in his love for them calls to them from the shore and, without them knowing it is Jesus, he reminds them that they have no fish.  None.  0.  There is no results that have come from their natural efforts to do what they thought they were so gifted to do.  And so Jesus gives them a solution - just try again one more time and throw the nets on the right hand side of the boat. 

I am no fisherman.  I fished a little when I was growing up and enjoyed it, and from what I remember, the side of the boat off of which I cast my line had no influence over the number of fish that I caught.  It is not as if fish see a boat and go, "okay boys, everyone to one side."  This request seems a little silly, but for whatever reason, they cast the net.  And suddenly they had fish. 

I love the response that John gives.  He simply turns to Peter and says, "It is the Lord."   Of course it is the Lord.  No other one could provide such a miraculous catch of fish at the word of command to cast the nets. 

This is where it gets challenging.  How many times do I know what God wants me to do and I still argue with him.  I would ask, "why the right side, why not the left God?"  or "I am tired of fishing"  or "are you sure, I think I am feeling called to raise cattle."  When we listen to God it always works out better for us in the long run than when we listen to ourselves.  So, listen to God.  What is God saying to you today?  What does God want you to do today?  How does God want you to change today?  And then have the faith to simply do it.  And watch God multiply the catch you will have as you obey and follow Him.