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Third Verse Devotion: Joy to the World

Joy to the World is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Yet it isn’t really about the birth of the baby in the manger. Advent points in celebration to the birth of the Messiah but also to the promise of the second coming of Jesus. We celebrate both comings of Jesus during this season. The first in celebration and the second in hopeful anticipation. This is what makes Joy to the World appropriate for the Christmas season.  

No more let sins and sorrows grow, 
Nor thorns infest the ground; 
He comes to make his blessings flow 
Far as the curse is found. 
 

Our focus is on the third verse and specifically on the curse brought on by Adam and Eve in the Garden. We go to the beginning of Creation to celebrate the end of all things. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. He created a wonderful garden and placed man and woman there and gave them the job to tend the garden. When we come to chapter three of Genesis, the serpent shows up and tempts Eve. Eve falls for the temptation and Adam with her. Judgment soon follows, and all receive punishment. To Adam, God tells him this in chapter 3: 17-19 

Cursed is the ground because of you; 
With hard labor you shall eat from it 
All the days of your life. 
Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; 
Yet you shall eat the plants of the field; 
By the sweat of your face 
You shall eat bread, 
Until you return to the ground, 
Because from it you were taken; 
For you are dust, 
And to dust you shall return. 

Since that time, man has lived in sin and condemned to death. Isaac Watts, the writer of Joy to the World, reflected this in the third verse of our carol today.  Watts based his song on Psalm 98, the last verse of that psalm points to the coming Judge who will “judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with fairness.” (v9)  

Where are you this Christmas? Are you still gazing at the baby in the manger? Do you see the blood stained man on the cross who died for you? Are your eyes fixed on the return of that man who rose from the dead and is coming again?  

This Christmas season, let us sing joyfully this song of the Savior’s coming. The first and the second. Let us look back at the Child in the manger in awe and wonder that the God of all creation would humble himself to live among us as one of us to take our place on a cross for our sins. Let us also look ahead to the second coming of the Christ, no longer a child, but the King of Kings and Lord of Lords coming to rule and judge in power and glory. We have much to celebrate this Christmas. Whatever our circumstances are this year, we can joyfully look ahead with peace and hope because he is coming again. Let us put our trust in Him and sing Joy to the World the Lord is Come. 

All for One 

Angela 

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Third Verse Devotion: O Come, O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Immanuel, 
and ransom captive Israel 
that mourns in lonely exile here 
until the Son of God appear. 

The people of Israel seemed to stay in captivity. First in Egypt, then in Babylon. In modern times, they have been scattered around the globe. Now they have a country, though unsettled and divided. Yet they are in the land God gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob millennia ago. They know what it means to mourn in exile. At the same time, they know what it means to hope. Through all of Israel’s captivity and exile, they remained full of hope. They believed in the promise God gave Abraham that they would be settled in the land God gave to them.  

What many of them do not understand or yet realize is that the Son of God has appeared. Immanuel has come to ransom captive Israel. Israel is still captive in many ways. They may be moving back in the land God promised them through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but they fail to recognize their Messiah.  

Isaiah 7:14 tells us, 

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will name Him Immanuel. 

I imagine only those close to Mary and her family knew of the scandal surrounding her and Joseph. They knew she was discovered pregnant before they were married. They knew the disgrace that was on them all. What they didn’t know, despite what Mary might have told them, was that Mary was chosen for a special purpose that no other woman could have matched. Of all the young women in Israel at that time, God chose Mary. This Child was prophesied about more than any other in history. Isaiah 9: 6 tells us, 

For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; 
And the government will rest on His shoulders; 
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, 
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 

And still Israel missed it.  

I don’t know what you are going through right now. As we journey through this advent season, you may find yourself in your own form of captivity. Maybe you are trying to break free, but you just can’t. Let me encourage you to seek Immanuel. Seek the Prince of Peace. He came to deliver you. He came to ransom you. Whatever entangles you today, you can find release through Him. I will not tell you that everything will be instantly better. That would be a lie. We still must walk through the muck and mire of life. And sometimes captivity is our own doing. Israel had been warned time and again to turn back to their God and they would not. So, they endured captivity at the hands of the Babylonians. For seventy years. But God promised them restoration. There is a limit. God will bring you through it. But He wants your attention. He wants you. Are you mourning in lonely exile? Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you as well.  

All for One  

Angela 

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Third Verse Devotion: Onward Christian Soldiers

I remember this hymn from when I was a kid in Vacation Bible School, back before the big production it is today. The song following the pledge to the Christian flag was almost always this hymn, Onward Christian Soldiers. We sang it from a small booklet that had all the pledges and the songs and a little about each of the missionaries for all five days. After, we marched out by classes, youngest to oldest for four hours of fun and crafts and lemon cookies and weak Kool-Aid. 

The first verse was all that was sung at that time. If you have ever tried to keep 75 to 100 or more kids contained during Onward Christian Soldiers played on an upright piano, then you understand why. So, I am the most familiar with the first verse. There have been times as an adult when we have sung the other verses but not often. I don’t know if it falls on many people’s list of favorite hymns. However, it is a good anthem to get the blood pumping and remind us that we are in a spiritual battle.   

Paul reminds us time and again that we are in a spiritual conflict. He tells Timothy to “fight the good fight.” I have been in churches where the fight became very verbal and very painful. It is easy to forget that our fight is not against flesh and blood. What we see is tangible. What we are fighting against is not. We cannot see it or touch it. We only see the effect of where it lingers or where it has been. We must remember that we are unified in the blood of Christ. Unity is the theme of the third stanza of our hymn.  

Like a might army moves the church of God 

Brothers we are treading where the saints have trod; 

We are not divided; all one body are we; 

One in hope and doctrine, one in charity. 

This verse reminds us that we are one body in Christ.  

There are examples of churches coming together for the good of the community. Working together for the needs of the people they serve. This is the church united. We are separated by denomination and doctrine and practice, so sometimes it is difficult to see what brings us together.  

Psalm 133:1 says, 

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity! 

My husband and I had the privilege many years ago to be part of some prayer walks. I was the prayer coordinator at our church at the time and thought it would be a good idea to go to the other churches in our area and just stand in the parking lot and pray for the church. I wanted to be unobtrusive and not draw attention to what we were doing. So, we began to gather on Saturday mornings. Soon though a Methodist minister close to us caught wind of what we were doing and joined us every time we gathered. Our unobtrusive gatherings  culminated in a community wide prayer walk from the local convenience store to the school, about a two-and-a-half-mile walk praying for our community, our churches, our school, our state and our nation. It was a wonderful time of a community of churches. 

Let me encourage you today not to let anything distract you from the common faith we have. The apostles and writers of the New Testament faced this as much as we do today. Two thousand years have not solved the things that divide us. Believers still squabble over doctrine and Jesus’s words. Yet unity for believers is the very thing Jesus prayed for in John 17. 

I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me. John 17:23 

Jesus prayed for us to be unified not divided. It is Christ that unifies us and in heaven we are all one in Him. We are reminded by Paul that we are one in Christ when he writes in Ephesians, 

Ephesians 4:4-6 

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. 

Brothers and sisters, we are one in Christ. So let us pray for our world, our individual nation, our community, our church, our family. We are soldiers in battle. If you have opportunity in the coming weeks to join with other Bible believing, Christ redeemed churches take advantage of the opportunity. Let us fight the good fight as soldiers and remain united to the end.  

Onward Christian Soldiers! 

Angela 

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Third Verse Devotion: He Leadeth Me

This song was written by a Baptist minister on the back of his sermon notes following an evening service. You can find the story on www.hymnary.org as usual, but he had been speaking on Psalm 23 and got caught on the phrase “he leads me.” This was the genesis of the hymn.

The third stanza is one of contentment. Contentment is something that is lacking in society. We are always looking for the next big thing. We have a hard time separating need from want. I think we can take away three ways to be content from this stanza of “He Leadeth Me”: put our trust in Him, be content with what we have, and starting with the basics.

Lord, I would clasp thy hand in mine,
nor ever murmur nor repine;
content, whatever lot I see,
since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

First, the best way to find contentment is to put our hand in the hand of the Lord. This means to put our trust in Him. It is not focusing on our circumstances but focusing on God. We can do this in three ways: regular bible reading, prayer, and church attendance. There may be other ways to help focus our attention on God, but I believe these are the three biggest things we can do to keep our attention on him and not on our circumstances.

We need to be daily engaged with the Word of God. There are plenty of systematic readings you can choose from and several bible apps that can assist. Bible Gateway, Bible, Blue Letter Bible, Bible Hub, are a few online apps that you may find useful. Following daily bible reading is prayer and is a natural flow from reading the bible. Keep your focus on God through prayer and adoration. Be sure to carve time alone with God. These two, bible reading and prayer lead naturally to church attendance. We need the fellowship of other believers. We have the opportunity each week to celebrate and worship with other Christians.

The second way to find contentment is to be content with what we have. I must confess I was not familiar with the word repine, so I looked it up. The online Mirriam-Webster dictionary defined it this way:” to feel or express dejection or discontent – complain.” Websters 1928 had three explanations:

“1. To fret one’s self; to be discontented; to feel inward discontent which preys on the spirits; with at or against. It is our duty never to repine at the allotments of Providence.

2. To complain discontentedly; to murmur.

Multitudes repine at the want of that which nothing, but idleness hinders them from enjoying.

3. To envy.”

There is a line from a song I heard years ago. I am not sure of the artist or the song title, but the line has stayed with me since. It was something like “have what you want but want what you have.” Can you look at your life and your things and say honestly that you have what you want and want what you have?  Paul found this place. If anyone had reason to complain, it would have been Paul. He had been jailed, beaten, shipwrecked, bitten by a snake, stoned, left for dead, abandoned by those he called friends, unjustly accused and on it goes. Yet in Philippians 4: 11-13 he says this,

“Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

It is only by holding to the hand of Christ we find our contentment and we find our strength. When we are holding on to him and better yet, when he is holding on to us, our complaints and murmurs just seem to fade away. Our envies, discontentment, and complaining have no place when we are looking at him.

The third way to find contentment is to start with the basics. All we really need is food, clothing and shelter.  What that looks like and anything beyond that is where discontentment come into play. A bigger house, better clothes, a well-stocked pantry, these are what we look for as basics. They are nice, I will not lie. It is nice to not have to wonder where your next meal is coming from or worry about the holes in your shoes or the holes in your clothes, or if your roof leaks. However, for many people in the world this is their lot in life. Remember what Paul said earlier? He found himself in both situations. Neither gave him reason to complain. He could find contentment in both. He writes to Timothy:

1 Timothy 6:8

If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

You may argue that this is easier said that done. We need money to get by in this world even if we are content with our situation. We still have bills to pay, you argue. Yes, we do. I agree. We have a responsibility to take care of ourselves to the fullest of our ability. We were not made to be idle. We were made to work. So certainly, find a job and work at it with all your heart as to the Lord. We all have something to contribute to humanity through our job. It may be serving food in a restaurant, gathering trash at a the end of a driveway, digging a ditch for a roadcrew, assisting a doctor in an office, preparing for surgery, filing in an office, teaching children to read and write, the list goes on. There are millions of jobs available. If you need one, you can find one to help provide for your basic needs. Beyond that the writer of Hebrews said,

Hebrews 13:5

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,”

We don’t have to be wealthy to be content. Neither do we have to be poor to be content. We just need to find contentment in whatever situation we find ourselves. I think that is the point the writer of our song today is trying to make. Whatever lot we are in we find contentment knowing “‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.”

I encourage you to search your life and see where you are most discontent. Is there an area God has been calling you to give to him and you have been reluctant? Will you give it over to him today? Put your hand in his and be content with what you have and be content with the basics of food, clothing and shelter. He will not leave you or forsake you. Have you found your contentment in Him? Today is a good day to begin.  

Angela

Posted on by Angela

Third Verse Devotion: Be Thou My Vision

This has long been my husband’s favorite hymn. The song has an Irish tune, and the Irish notes are heard in the melody still. The hymn was written with five verses though four are only ever published in most hymnals. I want to look at the rare third verse. The song is in the public domain, and you can find the song at www.hymnary.org.

As I read over verse three, there is so much packed into the four-lined stanza. I could go into spiritual warfare, delighting in the Lord, the Lord is our refuge our strong tower, and he is our power who will take us to be with him either in death or at the end of all things.  Here is the verse that is left out of most hymnals.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight.
Thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tow’r;
Raise thou me Heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

The writer prays “Be thou my breastplate.” Ephesians 6 speaks of the armor of a Christian. Part of this armor is the breastplate which protects a soldier’s heart. A soldier cannot survive long on a battlefield if his chest and heart are exposed. As Christian soldiers, we are the same. We need to protect our heart. Many things are shot at us throughout a day aimed at taking out our heart.

Proverbs 4:23

Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.

In other words, what we fill our heart with is what will pour from our life. The bible has much to say about protecting our heart and how what we put in our heart comes out in our life.  Jesus in speaking to temple leaders put it this way,

Matthew 12:34

You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, express any good things? For the mouth speaks from that which fills the heart.

So, the question is, how can I protect my heart? I think there are three areas of our life in which we can guard our hearts: what we watch, what we listen to and what we dwell on.

I am not here to tell you to stop watching television or stop listening to music you like or to only read a certain kind of book. You must work that out with the Lord. However, you remember the old adage, “garbage in, garbage out,” well it is true. What we watch on television or the movies we choose to go see fills our hearts with violence, perversity, and other sins that make it easy for us to accept and turn a blind eye to in society. There are things on television now that would have been shocking only a few years ago. Yet we have become accustomed to these things as common place. They should still be shocking.

We also guard our hearts by what we listen to. Music is a powerful medium. We listen to music for many reasons. When we need some background noise to enhance study, when we are celebrating, when we are sorrowful, when we want to relax. Some people will say they listen for the words. While others say it is about the beat. Either way music gets into our heart. Will it not be better for it to be music that uplifts rather than songs about cheating, stealing, murder, abuse of all kinds? Again, it is about choices. I am not going to tell you what kind of music to listen to, but I will say that what we put in our ears and eyes affects our hearts.

This is also true with what we read. I am a reader. I would surround myself with books if I could. My family toured a home the other day which had a library which at one time contained 50,000 books. It was a dream for me. I could imagine the books I would place in such a space. I don’t read my Bible all day. I have favorite genres I go back to and some I don’t come near to touch. Even within the genres I enjoy there are still some I stay away from. Books, more specifically, words have a way of getting deep into our hearts and minds. The psalmist perhaps understood this when he wrote this verse:

Psalm 119:11

11 I have treasured Your word in my heart,
So that I may not sin against You.

It is so important that we have a regular plan for putting God’s word in our heart. One way is to memorize a verse each week. As we work through memorizing the verse we meditate on the verse and spend time on the meaning. The process strengthens our breastplate and in turn guards our heart.

Our stanza of study become even more beautiful when we consider how connected it is. We move from breastplate to sword. God’s word is our sword. As we learn to spend more time in His word, our bible becomes a sword against the things we see on television, in movies, what we listen to in music, and what we read and ultimately what we dwell on. He is our refuge and strong tower. The more time we spend in his word the more he becomes our dignity and delight.  He is our hiding place when the world is too much, and our soul needs a break from the craziness that is the world.

We cannot do this on our own. We need him to be our breastplate. We need him to be our dignity. We need him to be our sword and our strong tower. If you are struggling today with your breastplate and realize your heart is unguarded in any of these areas I have mentioned, take it to him and let him be your vision and your power.

Angela

Posted on by Angela

Third Verse Devotion: Are You Washed

The greatest anticipation of Christians is the return of Jesus. We have been expecting his return since his ascension 2, 000 years ago. I know some might say he is slow in his return, yet Peter already had an answer for that very argument.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

His delay is for those who have yet to believe. The Lord will keep all his promises, including his promise to return. He doesn’t want any to perish in an eternity away from him, so he waits. He gives ample opportunity for unbelievers to come to him in repentance for salvation. One day the clock will run out and he will return. As sure as I type these words, he will return. Our hymn today asks the question, Are you ready?

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
and be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

When he comes have you done what you needed to in preparation? Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25 of the second coming in relation to ten virgins five had extra oil and five did not. When the bridegroom came the hour was late and five virgins trimmed their lamps with their extra oil and went out to meet him. The remainder did not have enough oil. They tried to borrow some from the other five but there would not have been enough for all of them. They were told to go to the market and purchase more. While they were out, the bridegroom came, and the party went in and shut and locked the door. Finally, they came and knocked on the door begging to be let in but were refused. They weren’t prepared, they weren’t ready in advance of his coming.

The second part of the line is “will your robes be white” and harkens to Revelation and perhaps Isaiah. In Revelation chapter 7, John looked and saw a great multitude. Look at Revelation 7:9

…I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands…

John was asked by one of the elders with him if he knew who they were, he answered he did not. The elder responded with,

“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:14)

There is a time coming when a great tribulation will fall on the earth. A man of lawlessness will reign for a short time. Any who profess to believe in Jesus during that time will suffer for their belief like never before. These martyrs for the name of Jesus are the ones who are referred to here. Earlier in chapter 6, John had witnessed those who had been martyred crying for justice. At this time, they were also given a white robe. (Revelation 6:11)

This idea can also be found in Isaiah 1:18,

Though your sins are as scarlet,
They shall become as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be like wool.


When we are covered in the blood of Jesus, we are made new again and made white as snow. Our sins are no more. We will be ready for the bridegroom and our robes will be white. Then we will be ready for the mansion bright. Jesus talks about that mansion in John chapter 14. He has been talking to his disciples about going away to prepare a place for them and he says this,

John 14:2

In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you.

The many rooms translated in the New American Standard is often translated mansions in other versions. It means he is preparing a place for us. Whether it is a room or a mansion, he has us in mind, and it will be magnificent. It will be a place beyond our wildest dreams. So, if he has gone to prepare a place for his believers, doesn’t it stand to reason he will come back for them? Yes, he will.

 I don’t know when but someday Jesus will come back for his church until then let me encourage you to be ready. Be washed in the blood of the Lamb. Let your robe be white and be ready for the mansions bright. O be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

Angela

Posted on by Angela

Third Verse Devotion: How Great Thou Art

Many of us grew up to George Beverly Shea singing this beloved hymn on the Billy Graham Crusades that used to air on television. For some this may have been our introduction to this hymn and even to Christianity itself. The hymn is a blending of Creator and Savior. It begins with the power of the universe and ends with the power of Christ’s return.

We will be looking at the second verse this time rather than verse three. When I led singing in the small church we attended, sadly this was the verse I omitted

When through the woods and forest glades I wander,
and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
when I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze; [Refrain]

There are times we are struck by the beauty of the earth and the wonder of God’s creation. As we have traveled the highways of America, or any other country, we cannot miss the stunning beauty that is all around us. Of course, it is better to get off the highways to really see the sights. I have stood on the shores of lakes and the Gulf of Mexico and listened to the waves and the water. There is a difference of course in the power of the two. I have seen the tragic power of the aftermath of a hurricane before me and looked at the water behind me calm and peaceful. He lets us know something beyond ourselves exists, something greater.

There is strength in mountains. I enjoy visiting state parks and taking their hiking trails. I am not a backpacker mountain climber. So, I content myself by taking the trail I can and tell myself I will work up to the more challenging ones. Still, I have viewed some beautiful sites. There are almost always vistas to look out over. Maybe wildlife to spot. A hushed moment of peace if you take the time to observe it. Again in these wooded areas we know there is something greater than ourselves in the strength and solidity of the trees and the abundance of life.

Paul in the book of Romans touches this in chapter one when he writes,

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20 NASB)

You see when we look at nature, we are without excuse for not believing in the God of Creation. He proves his existence by what we see in the natural world. The fact that this is the only planet in our solar system that can sustain life is enough to give us pause of a greater design. Not just life but thriving life. Science will try to tell us that these things happened by accident. Really. I don’t think so. From deep within the Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench on earth to the top of Mt Everest, the highest point on earth, life can be found.

Not convinced by the natural order of creation and an earth teeming with life? Ok then let’s look just a little beyond our planet. Look at sunrises or sun sets. They are spectacular and stunning. Have you ever seen the Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis? I’ve heard it’s a breathtaking sight. Just a few years ago we had a total solar eclipse, and the best viewing was to be where I live. Schools dismissed, the place where I work shut down and we all prepared to what the show. We were not disappointed. If you ever have the chance to watch a total solar eclipse don’t miss it. It is a profound experience. There are the long moments of waiting for the total moment when the special glasses can come off and morning and night are beheld side by side. The temperature drops and a special twilight falls over the land. It is spellbinding and unforgettable. It leaves no doubt there is a Creator who does all things well.

Whether you are looking from a mountain top over valleys below or standing by the seaside you realize how small you are and how great God is. In each of these instances, our soul wells up with something beyond ourselves. Something we can’t quite put into words. But someone did many years ago. He put words to that feeling and we still sing them today.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee, How Great thou art….

Angela

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Third Verse Devotion: Amazing Grace

John Newton, the writer of Amazing Grace, was at one time a slave trader in the Atlantic and then after his conversion at sea became an abolitionist and minister. He never forgot the depths of his former depravity or the depths of God’s grace that covered his sin. He wrote the words to this beloved hymn that most of us know at least the first stanza of by heart. It stands as a testament that when God entered his life, everything changed for him, and he wrote one of the most recognizable Christian hymns of all time.

Amazing Grace is typically found with five stanzas. All five are powerhouses and I cannot see how it can be justified to leave any out. I am going to display all five verses even though we will only discuss one. For more background on the hymn or the author you can always check out www.hymnary.org which is where I always go for hymns, aside from my Baptist Hymnal, of course. Certainly, you can do an internet search for John Newton and Amazing Grace and find more information.

Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!

Thro’ many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
‘Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.


The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

We could spend weeks mining the depths of treasure in this hymn and I hope you will spend some time in the next few moments and days meditating and singing on the hope, grace and truth found within its lines. The fourth stanza is where I want to bring our focus.

God’s promises are forever. As we read scripture and find a promise, we will find some of them are specific to Israel, some are specific to individuals, like Abraham or David, but there are a lot that are for all time for all people. His promise to never flood the earth again is one example. There have been tragic places where there have been floods, regional occurrences, but never again the entire earth as in the time of Noah. The rainbow in the sky is a reminder of this promise, however else it may be used and twisted. The promise that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life is for everyone. You and I and whoever has lived before and whoever will come after. This is a promise he will not break. He has promised good to us.

His word my hope secures. We can read the word of God and find hope for the situation we are in. That does not mean of course, we can just let our Bible fall open and randomly drop our finger in and find the answer we need. No, I mean daily reading. Abiding in His word. Spending time systematically reading through His word. There are a ton of different ways. If you are new to reading the bible, I suggest you start with the gospel of John. The theme of John is “that you may know.” John wrote his gospel that you may know that Jesus is who he says he is and is a great place to begin your journey. Of course, you can always go old school and begin with Genesis and read straight through. Watch out for those Old Testament names but go for it. However you do it, just get into God’s word and stay there. There is hope secure in the pages.

The next line is taken right out of scripture. He will my shield and portion be. See the two verses below:

Psalm 3:3

But You, Lord, are a shield around me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

Psalm 73:26

My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

He is our strength, shield, portion. He is our all in all. When we simply cannot take another step, he is our strength. He is the lifter of our head. Notice Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail.” My goodness. Haven’t we been there? The burden becomes too much, and we don’t know what else to do or where else to turn. There is a God we can turn to who is our shield, our glory, the One who lifts our head. He is not a magician who waves a wand, and everything is magically better. No. We still have to walk through the trial. But. He is the strength of our heart giving us the strength we need to take that next step.

Wow. We just looked at one verse of Amazing Grace and what an Amazing God we have found! I want to issue a challenge to us. Let’s memorize not Amazing Grace but the two verses I have posted above. I have them posted in the New American Standard Version but use whatever version with which you are comfortable. The New International Version and the New Living Translation are good versions for reading and memorizing.  Write them out on an index card and begin to commit them to memory. I wonder, can you sing them to the tune of Amazing Grace?

Angela

Posted on by Angela

Third Verse Devotion: How Firm a Foundation

How Firm a Foundation is another of my favorite hymns. It rather snuck up on me though. I mean I heard it and sang it many times and gradually I realized I loved this hymn. I cannot tell you what I love about the hymn. Whether it is the words themselves or the meter of the music. Maybe it is a combination of the two. Either way this has become a beloved hymn of mine.

When thro’ fiery trials thy pathway 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.

I have a confession. When I was younger, I had no idea what “dross” meant. The word wasn’t in my vocabulary. Maybe it wasn’t in my music directors either as this was the verse that was skipped most often. I would read the verse as we were singing the other verses. Of course, this was when we still had hymnals in the pew racks before COVID- 19 and modern projectors.

So, as I read this verse today, I understand a little better the process described here. I think that if you breathe then your path lies through fiery trials. It is just part of the process of life. There will be hard times. We live in a fallen world filled with sin, trials and temptations. Those who would tell you that life in Jesus is all sunshine and roses are liars. The difference is that life in Jesus brings peace that brings us through the fiery trials. We know we can get through because his grace is all sufficient. Paul mentioned having had to learn this lesson. He had a “thorn in the flesh” he called it. Here is what he said,

Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me.And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in (persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12: 8-10 NASB)

Sometimes God lets us go through the fire to refine us to strengthen us. The impurities need to be removed.  I mentioned earlier my lack of understanding where dross is concerned. Now I understand. When metal is melted down, like gold or silver, the impurities rise to the surface. The ick that isn’t supposed to be in the metal that make the metal less valuable. This comes to the surface and can then be skimmed off. The trials we go through are like that for us. God allows them for us to bring to the surface the impurities to then remove them to make us pure, refined.  We come out stronger on the other side.

I need to add a caveat here, however, the problems we cause ourselves and the results are not God’s fault. Those fires were built by our own hands and are the consequences of our own actions. There is a difference. In other words, don’t say it’s a fiery trial from God when you are the one that lit the fire. I do believe God will see you through if you ask him, but you might get singed in the process and the scars remain for a lot longer. God’s trials remove the impurity and leave you stronger. Like Paul, you still might bear what you wish removed, but now your heart is changed, and you bear it better. There is an attitude change. A heart change. Dross removed. To be honest, I would much rather have God’s trials than the one’s I have created for myself. God is gracious. Unfortunately, when I am building my own fiery trials, I don’t build in grace.

Are you going through a trial right now? Is it one of God’s making or of your own? Are you a believer in Christ? If you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, chances are you created it yourself. Turn to Jesus for rescue. If you have accepted Jesus, let him refine you. He wants to pull the impurities out. What is he doing in your life? What is he wanting to address in you that you are holding on to? Where has he told you my grace if sufficient?

We as believers in Christ have a Firm Foundation. Jesus does not want to leave us as we are, and he daily wants to remake us into his image. He desires to make us more like him. Let him consume the dross and refine the gold in you. Walk on friend, walk on.

Angela

Posted on by Angela

Third Verse Devotion: The Haven of Rest

This is one of my favorite hymns. I could not find the background for the song only the name and life of the author. As always, you can learn about the author, H. L. Gilmour, as well as the full text of the hymn at www.hymnary.org. Here is the third verse as found in the 1975 Baptist Hymnal.

The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,
Has been the old story so blessed,
Of Jesus who’ll save whosoever will have
A home in the haven of rest.

In what way has the Lord made you whole? Has there been a habit you have stopped? An addition you have been set free from? Has your language been cleaned up? Have your relationships changed? See, when he makes us whole, things change. He delivers us from the muck and mire of our sin and shame and gives us a safe place to stand. When we find we are safe and whole the old temptations may be there but now we are not alone

Maybe you need to be made whole.  Your life is a mess, and you can see no way to fix it. You have done things you are not proud of. You may be cut off from friends and family and you don’t know how to restore the relationships. Maybe you are in a bad relationship and don’t know how to get out. Maybe you are in the grip of drugs or alcohol, and you have tried on your own to break free and it doesn’t work. Whatever the situation, He stands ready to make us all whole in large and small ways.

I can’t help thinking of Peter. Jesus wanted to be alone to pray and he sent the disciples ahead across the sea of Galilee. A storm came on them suddenly so that the boat was taking on water. In the middle of this they saw someone walking on the water. They all thought it was a ghost. It was actually Jesus walking on the water to them. He calls to them to not be afraid. Peter called out “If it is really you, tell me to come to you.” Jesus tells him to come. Peter stepped into the water with the storm raging with wind and waves and he walks to Jesus. Soon though the storm catches his attention, and he looks around and realizes he is walking on the water and begins to sink. He calls out to Jesus to save him, and Jesus is right there to save him. Jesus is ready to save you and me just like he did Peter.  He is not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. Take a moment and really read those words. Jesus is ready to save. All you have to do is call to him. You can have that haven of rest today. Come and anchor your soul in him today.

Angela