GodStops

Part of each day’s homework assignment in an online Bible study I took years ago involved writing what Beth Moore calls “GodStops.” As instructed, I reflected on the day that was ending and listed the ways I sensed the observable presence of God that day.

Writing the GodStops was a real eye-opener! Although I know God is always near, as He has promised to be, I don't always sense His presence. But as I reflected on each day, I saw He was intimately involved in my life, and I felt the nearness of the One who loves me most. That delighted me and made me yearn to experience more of His nearness every day.

To further remind me of God's nearness, I often listen to one of my favorite songs: He Is Near, Hallelujah! I encourage you to click this link and then sing along:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvPHU5xZons

Rekindle!

When the trail ran cold, I wondered, What happened to her? 

I'd discovered her while searching YouTube for what has quickly become one of my favorite songs: O to Be Like Thee. I'd listened to several renditions, including this one, before I found hers..I liked how her sweet and sincere voice expressed so beautifully the "prayer" written by Thomas O. Chisholm (1897). 

After finding only three more of her videos on YouTube, I searched other Internet sites but found no recent posts. I wondered, Why did she stop producing and posting? Had something tragic happened? Did she simply give up? If so, why? Because she assumed few people truly enjoyed and/or benefitted from her work? 

I've felt that way about my work, as you may have about yours. If so, we know how much we need people to say to us what the apostle Paul said to Timothy, a young Christian who was struggling with the ministry assigned to him. "...use the gift God gave you...let it grow, as a small flame grows into a fire...fulfill your ministry...keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God's servant..." (See various translations of 2 Timothy 1:6 and 4:5).

Since we need such encouragement, let's faithfully encourage others. Our words will rekindle their resolve and, possibly, prevent them from giving up!

Farther Along

When someone is going through a difficult situation, it's hard to know what to say to them, isn't it? While we want desperately to encourage them, we don't want to glibly spout words of wisdom, unintentionally implying that if we were in their situation we'd know how to handle our suffering far better than they are handling theirs. 

However, suffering people find it easier to accept wise counsel from someone who has also suffered deeply and, in the process, found wisdom he or she can pass along to others. For example, while William Buel Stevens, who wrote the song Farther Along, was in his late teens, he suffered two great losses. His uncle died suddenly of heart disease at age 48. A couple of years later, the uncle's 17-year-old son died the same way. Perhaps those experiences prompted Stevens to write the song that shows he understands our grief when the death of loved ones leaves our homes so lonely and drear. 

He understands when we wonder why we suffer while others seem to prosper, when we wonder why we're tempted and tested "all the day long," and when we wonder why we must endure great discomforts. Although it's natural to think such thoughts, Stevens shares a lesson he learned: Cheer up! Live in the sunshine of God's love. 

It's a rocky and steep climb
to the top of Mount Washburn
in Yellowstone National Park.
Elevation: over 10,000 feet

I take that to mean: Let God be the light you need for the journey. Let His light push away the darkness and doubt you feel. Walk steadily onward on the path marked out for you. Know full well that farther along you will gain a better perspective about your path. You will understand more and more that God walks that difficult road with you, that God loves you, and that God never leaves you nor forsakes you. Rejoice in His presence with you and His power to sustain you.

To hear Johnny Cash sing Farther Along, click here. 

Lessons Little Flowers Have Learned

While drifting in and out of sleep as I listened to BBN radio early one morning, I heard  a beautiful song entitled Little Flowers. I immediately sat up in bed so that I could search the Internet for it. Thankfully, I found several links, including this one: https://youtu.be/Du6I_WgrwUY. Thus, I was able to listen to it again and again, as I hope you will, for it reminds us to learn the lessons the little flowers know, including these two: “rain” is necessary for us to grow; the sun will shine again.

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus tell us to consider the flowers. They do not toil and spin, yet the Father clothes them in such splendor. Will He not do even more for us? Yes! 

Look up!

As I woke up one morning, I heard a beautiful song via the BBN Radio app on my cell phone. I loved the message it contained, so I got right out of bed and began to search the Internet for the lyrics (see below). 

John Bieri may have written them in the 1930s and 40s. Perhaps after reading what God said to Noah in Genesis 6:16 (“Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks."), Bieri then included in his song other words God might have spoken to Noah.

I want to share the lyrics with you because I believe they will encourage you, too. Although the wording varies slightly from source to source and from vocalist to vocalist, the meaning remains the same: When in difficult circumstances, look up and see God standing by—watching over you, ready to help you.

THE UPPER WINDOW

When God spoke unto Noah, and told him to build the ark,
The Lord knew well the vessel would be cheerless and dark,
So God said build a window with outlook toward the sky,
That's when it's dark and lonesome, you'll see Me standing by.

Refrain:
The storms will come, but fear not; oh, children, I am nigh,
And through the upper window, you'll see Me standing by.

It may be that affliction will rack and rend your frame
Until your mortal body is seared with fevered flame.
But do not be discouraged; just lift your tear-dimmed eye,
And through the upper window, you'll see Me standing by.

Perhaps you'll suffer losses, like houses, lands, and gold,
And you will feel you're homeless, and penniless, and old;
But sweetest peace and comfort will life your painful sigh,
When through the upper window, you'll see Me standing by.

It may be that bereavement will take a loved one dear,
A soul that brought you gladness, real happiness and cheer;
But it will cheer your sad heart, when loved ones from you fly,
When through the upper window, you'll see Me standing by.

If you'd like to listen to the song, please click here:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6wMhoUd0Vxscyberhymnal.org

(Note: This is not the same rendition I heard over BBN Radio.)

Where Do I Get Them?

As I became sleepily aware of a new day dawning, I activated the BBN Radio app on my cell phone. I smiled as I listened to an upbeat, happy, easy-to-remember song my children and I sang many years ago. It’s been given various titles such as I’ve Got Love Like a River In My Soul and I’ve Got Peace Like a River. Later that day, I listened to several renditions of it on YouTube. Here’s the link to my favorite: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1NlZO57W0eE

The song mentions having peace like a river, love like an ocean, and joy like a fountain in our souls. I love the imagery, don’t you? And who doesn’t want to have abundant peace, love, and joy within? 

The writer of the song (John O. Schroeder) doesn’t tell us where to get them. But the Bible does. For example:

• In John 14:27 (KJV), Jesus says to His troubled disciples, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
• Jesus also said to them (and to you and me!), "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love"(John 15:9, KJV). The apostle Paul says (in Romans 8) that nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from God's love.
• In John 15:11 (KJV), Jesus also said to His followers, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." 

Now we know where we get peace, love, and joy like a river in our souls! From Jesus! And He never fails to keep us well supplied. 

Aren't we glad our supply depends on Him rather than people or circumstances?

A Song of Praise

I made this collage while learning how to use new (FREE!) software I downloaded. As I worked, I thought about the words in Folliott S. Pierpoint's song For the Beauty of the Earth, which was published in 1864. 

For the beauty of the earth, 

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth, 

Over and around us lies:

Christ our God to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

Amen.

Since those ancient words express the thoughts of MY heart whenever I see beauty all around me, I often personalize them in this way and use them as a prayer:

For the beauty of the earth, 

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from my birth, 

Over and around me lies:

Christ my God to thee I raise

This my hymn of grateful praise. 

Amen.

The Father’s Love

While attending a Good Friday service, I joined the congregation in the singing of How Deep the Father’s Love for Us (copyrighted by Stuart Townend in 1995). Although the words were unfamiliar to me, they resonated with me. Upon returning home, I checked YouTube and found several videos that featured it, including this one: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SKDujmtyAVk

I've listened to it again and again, as I hope you will. May the words increase your deep gratitude and joy, as they have mine. May the words prompt us to continue to celebrate His death and resurrection long after Easter has passed.

 Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.

~David (in Psalm 36:10)

Praying and Singing!

Sometimes when I’m driving alone in my car, I pray for those who live in the houses I’m passing by. Since I rarely know anything about what’s going on with them, I sing the old spiritual song, Kum Ba Ya, which means Come By Here. I make up verses as I go along and offer them as a prayer to God on behalf of the people.

For example, I sing:

Someone needs You, Lord!

Kum ba ya!

Someone needs You, Lord!

Kum ba ya!

Someone needs You, Lord!

O Lord, come by here!

I change the wording in each verse in order to describe various situations in which those persons may find themselves. Sometimes I express my cries for help with the original words (Kum ba ya!); sometimes I say, “Come by here!” 

Either way, the prayers ascend heavenward and are answered. The Lord does come by the homes and hearts of those who are suffering, of those who are grieving, of those who are seeking, of those who are crying, of those who are praying, and so forth. And He knows exactly what’s going on and what He needs to do in order to help them. 

My job, then, is to implore Him to come by, not to tell Him what to do. 

And I pray that when He comes by, the people will open the door and let Him come in.

Sing along here and make “Come by here, Lord,” the cry of your heart—for yourself, as well as for others.

Still Strangely Drawn

In a previous post, I mentioned the song, Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart. Now, almost two years later, I’m still strangely drawn to its words. They continue to be among the many prayers of my heart, as I hope they are in yours.

To listen to the song, please click here. 

Please, God!

The Sunday prior to July 4^th, our congregation sang the poem-turned-song, America the Beautiful. I noticed that the writer (Katharine Lee Bates) had included in it several prayers for America that are just as fitting today as when she wrote them in 1893. For example:

America! America! 

God shed his grace on thee.

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea.

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law.

America! America!

May God thy gold refine,

Till all success be nobleness,

And every gain divine.

Will you join me in asking God to do these things for America and to enable her to once again become a nation filled with people who love the Lord God and seek to honor and please Him in all we do and in all we say? Only with His help will America be beautiful in every way—from sea to shining sea.

Seemingly Small

I enjoy reading about how God uses seemingly small acts of obedience to accomplish far more than we ever dreamed would happen. The “back story” to the hymn, I’m a Child of the King, proves that.

Harriet Buell wrote the words one Sunday while she was walking home from church. She submitted the song for publication. It was printed in the February 1, 1877, issue of the Northern Christian Advocate.

Six years later, when Peter Bilhorn was doing evangelistic work among the cowboys in the West, he and his traveling companions were traveling up the Missouri River on their way to Bismarck. When they stopped at Blunt one Sunday morning to unload freight, a crowd of men and boys came down to the wharf. Mr. Bilhorn took his little organ and went on the wharf-boat to sing a few songs, including I’m a Child of the King.  

He thought nothing more of it, but that was not the end of the story, as Mr. Bilhorn discovered the day he sang that same song in Rev. Moody’s church in Chicago. Afterward, a man in the back of the house stood up and talked about having heard that same song in Blunt, Dakota, two years ago. Although he was then an unsaved man, the song set him to thinking. He decided to accept Christ and was studying for the ministry.

As I reflected on that back story, I felt amazed at the wonderful ways God had used each person’s obedience. The woman, whose heart was filled with gratitude over being a “child of the King,” felt compelled to express her thoughts and to submit them to an editor who chose to publish them. Mr. Bilhorn somehow discovered the song and chose to sing it to the crowd of men and boys. At least one of them chose to believe the Good News that was shared in the simple, yet profound, words penned by Ms. Buell, words  that had finally reached him after having been passed along from person to person.

Dear Reader, since we never know how God will use us to help spread the Good News to those who do not yet know there is a God who loves them and wants to forgive them of their sins and to bring them into His family, may we eagerly do everything, even the seemingly small things, that the Holy Spirit of God prompts us to do. God will take our little and make it much!

Pleas from the Heart

One Sunday morning, our congregation sang, “Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart,” a wonderful hymn written by George Croly in London in 1854. I didn’t recall ever having heard it before, but I sang along as best I could. Later, I searched the Internet and found not only the words but also audio recordings of it on several sites, including this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymKxTkrRNBA

The words of that hymn form a beautiful prayer. For example, the writer asks:

• Wean my heart from earth…
• Make me love Thee as I ought to love…
• Take away the dimness of my soul…

My heart cries out for them, too. It also echoes the pleas found in verse 4:

Teach me to feel that Thou are always nigh;

Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,

[Teach me] to check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;

Teach me the patience of unceasing prayer.

Dear Reader, do you feel a need to ask God for these things, too? 

Guido Gardens in Metter, Georgia

God Is My Salvation

Timeless Truths

I enjoy browsing in hymnals. Often, I’ll stop and sing the songs I know and love. But if I come to one I don’t know, I don’t let my inability to read music (and, thus, figure out the tune) keep me from enjoying the hymn’s message. I simply read the hymn as if it were a poem.  

One recent morning, I came across a hymn I’d never heard before: God Is Love, His Mercy Brightens, which was written by John Bowring, 1825.  After I’d read all the words, I summarized (using my own words) the timeless truths Mr. Bowring had expressed so poetically centuries ago.

• God is love and, therefore, loving--always!!!
• God's mercy brightens every path.
• God kindles happiness within us.
• God lightens our loads of care.
• Changes are ever-present: man decays; ages move. Yet God’s mercy never diminishes.
• Even the times that seem the darkest verify God’s changeless goodness.
• Through the gloom, God’s brightness streams.
• God interlaces hope and comfort into our earthly cares.
• God’s glory shines everywhere! (Oh, may we have the vision to see it.)

What an awesome God we have!

The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is [His] faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22, 23, NASB

Got a Problem?

As I sing the old, old hymns, which I love to do, I’m often struck by how the “human condition” hasn’t changed very much through the centuries. For example, in the song Tell It to Jesus, which was written by Edmund S. Lorenz in 1876, the writer asks questions that are still relevant to you and me today:

• Are you weary?Are you heavy-hearted?
• Are you grieving over joys departed?
• Do the tears flow down your cheeks unbidden?
• Have you sins that to men’s eyes are hidden?
• Do you fear the gath’ring clouds of sorrow?
• Are you anxious what shall be tomorrow?
• Are you troubled at the thought of dying?
• For Christ’s coming kingdom are you sighing?

Amazing, isn’t it, how current those questions are? Amazing, too, that the solution is also the same: Tell it to Jesus. In other words, talk to Him about whatever is heavy upon your heart and mind. He will understand. He will help you with whatever issues you’re facing.

~~~~~~~~

I sought the LORD,

and he answered me

and delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant,

And their faces shall never be ashamed.

~David (Psalm 34:4-5, ESV)

Searcher of Hearts

Yesterday at church, the congregation sang a song I’d never heard before. As I haltingly sang along, most of the time off key, I realized that the words were “keepers” even if I couldn’t sing them well. So, today, I did a Google search for the hymn (Searcher of Hearts, From Mine Erase) and found the lyrics and the music here: http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/h/shfmeras.htm

 I’ve printed myself a copy of the words so that I can sing along as I listen to the music. Whether or not my singing improves, I’m going to memorize the words, much like I would a poem, and use them as a prayer.

I’ve learned several songs/prayers this way: As I walk (one to three miles daily) round and round inside my house (because it’s too hot and humid for me to do that many miles outside), I hold in my hand the copy of whatever I’m trying to memorize. As I make my laps, I repeat one phrase at a time until I get it right, without looking at the sheet in my hand, and then I learn the next one. Once I feel comfortable with the second one, I say out loud the first one and the second one over and over until I can do both correctly. Then, I follow that pattern with the rest of the phrases until I’ve learned the whole thing. 

Each day, I review my recent memorizations. Then, if I have a new one, as I will have today, I begin on it. I’m never concerned with the speed with which I learn a new message. But I do focus on learning to practice, to “live by,” the words I’ve stored in my inner being. Otherwise, the memorization is only an exercise for my brain rather than a “life changer.”

I’ve always had a hard time memorizing “word for word” poems, Bible verses, and so forth. Thus, I’m excited that my new routine is helping me to exercise my mind, as well as my body, while also enabling me to store good thoughts in my mind and heart. It’s a win-win activity! I encourage you, Dear Reader, to try my new habit and see if it works for you.

(c) 2014 by Johnnie Ann Gaskill