**** A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC AND FAITH OF THOMAS CHISHOLM

(A Tribute to the music and faith of Thomas Chisholm)

Thomas Obadiah Chisholm was a poor, simple man.

He was born in a log cabin in Kentucky in 1866 and educated in a little, one-room country schoolhouse where, at the age of 16, he became the teacher.

At the age of 36 years, with no formal college education or seminary training, he was ordained as a Methodist pastor but had to resign after only one year because of his fragile health.

There were many, extended periods of time when he was confined to his bed but, whenever he was able, he pushed himself to work extra long hours at various odd jobs just to make ends meet.

About his meager and difficult life, Thomas Chisholm said, “God has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care which have filled me with astonishing gratefulness.”

Thomas loved to write and during his lifetime, he wrote hundreds of poems and songs. One of them was inspired by Lamentations 3:22-23, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning:  GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS.”

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul, the apostle, said, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Eph. 5:1-2).

That was the inspiration for Thomas Chisholm’s hymn, O TO BE LIKE THEE. He also wrote another hymn with a similar theme; I WANT TO BE LIKE JESUS.

The apostle, Paul, wrote to the church at Corinth, that they (and we) should desire “...that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body” (2 Cor. 4:10).

And to the church in Galatia, he said, “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (2:20)

He encouraged the Colossian church to “...walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Col. 1:10)

Thomas Chisholm must have had those verses, and probably many others, in mind when he wrote LIVING FOR JESUS, which is a call to live, willingly and joyfully, in submission and obedience to the Lord.

****GOD LEADS HIS DEAR CHILDREN ALONG

Haldor Lillenas, the founder of the music-publishing company that bears his name, immigrated to the United States from Scandinavia as a young man.  A kind Christian lady befriended him and taught him the English language.  She also taught him about Jesus and, she introduced him to the world of Christian hymns.  One of her favorites, which she sang often, was GOD LEADS HIS DEAR CHILDREN ALONG. 

 

Years later Haldor began to research the origin of that hymn.  What he found was that there is not much information or any reliable records about the author, George A. Young.  He was a poor preacher who worked hard as a carpenter to provide for his wife and family.

 

After years of sacrifice, George was able to build a small house for his family.  But soon after they occupied it, while he was preaching in another community, some gospel-hating young punks set fire to their home.  It was completely destroyed.

In 1903, George Young published his hymn for which he wrote both the lyrics and the score.

   

And that’s about all we would know if Haldor had not dug a little deeper.  Without the modern convenience of Google Search, he discovered that the writer, George Young, had passed away, but that his widow was living in a nearby town.  So, he found an address and he drove out to meet her. 

When he stopped at a gas station to ask for directions, the attendant said, “Sir, that’s the County Poor House, up the road about three miles.  And mister, when I say poor house, I really mean poor house!”

When he arrived, he found a poor, elderly woman, in simple surroundings. But she was rich in spirit; she radiated with joy, and she spoke of how the Lord had guided her and her husband over many years.

She said, “My husband and I were married while we were very young. God gave us a wonderful life together; he led us from day to day. We had so much of Jesus. But then God took him.”

Then she told him, “I am so thankful that God has led me here!  You know, every month, people come into this place to spend the rest of their days.  Many of them are so sad and in such great need of help and comfort.  And so many of them don’t know my Savior.  I have been able to cheer them and introducing them to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Isn’t it wonderful how God leads His children?”

GOD LEADS HIS DEAR CHILDREN ALONG is presumed to be George Young’s personal testimony of his unwavering faith in God, through times of great trials and difficulties.

****PRECIOUS LORD, TAKE MY HAND

The great American trombonist and bandleader, Tommy Dorsey, has often been credited for writing the classic gospel song, PRECIOUS LORD, TAKE MY HAND.  But that is not true; it was written by a different man with the same name.  The real composer was a jazz pianist, named Thomas Andrew Dorsey.

Dorsey was born in Georgia in 1899. His father was a Baptist preacher, and his mother, a piano teacher.

After a successful, early career as a blues musician, at the age of 29, Dorsey was converted and switched to gospel music, and for more than 40 years, he served as the choir director at Chicago’s Pilgrim Baptist Church.  He was known as the father of black gospel music.

In an account he wrote for Guideposts Magazine, Dorsey said, “I was 32 years old and a fairly new husband.  My wife, Nettie, and I were living in a little apartment in Chicago.  I was scheduled to sing for a revival in St. Louis.  I really didn’t want to go because Nettie was in the ninth month of her pregnancy.  But a lot of people were expecting me so I started the trip.   On the way, I realized that I had forgotten my music case, so I returned home to get it and found Nettie asleep.

“As I stood next to her, I felt a sense of uneasiness about leaving.   Nevertheless, I headed back to the car for the drive to the meetings.

“The next night, after I had finished singing, a messenger boy handed me a telegram with the message, ‘YOUR WIFE JUST DIED.’

“When I returned home I learned that Nettie had given birth to a baby boy.  My emotions swung between grief and joy.  Yet, before the night was over, my son had died as well.

“I fell apart.  I felt that God had done me an injustice.  I didn’t want to serve Him anymore.  I just wanted to go back to the world of jazz that I once knew.”

Some of the thoughts that haunted him were that his reluctance to leave his pregnant wife had been a leading from God, and he wondered if he had been disobedient by ignoring it.

But God's Word is our comfort; "For I, the Lord your God will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you.'" (Is. 41:13)

It was during a subsequent visit with a Christian friend that he sat down at a piano and found himself at peace while playing an old melody that he remembered from his Sunday School days; “Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone?”

As he played through that hymn he began to tweak the melody and write some new lyrics.  When he had finished, he gave the song to his friend who introduced it the next Sunday, to the choir at Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Sr. was the Pastor.

Dorsey wrote, "As the Lord gave me these words and melody, He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest and when we are most open to His restoring power. And so, I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comes when He will take me and gently lead me home."

These lyrics have offered comfort to many who have suffered significant grief and losses. “Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the Light; take my hand Precious Lord, lead me home.”

****MORE ABOUT JESUS

Eliza Hewitt was born in 1851. She graduated valedictorian of her class at the Girl’s Normal School of Philadelphia and became a school teacher. But her teaching career ended early. 

An angry student struck her in the back with a heavy slate causing a serious and painful spinal injury. She was laid up in a full-body cast for six months and remained bedridden for quite a while after that.

During that time, Eliza developed a love for God’s Word, and a desire to share His love. So, she began to sing and write. She wrote children’s poems, Sunday School literature, and children’s songs. 

She never fully recovered but, eventually, her condition improved enough that she was able to serve in Christian ministry where she remained committed to reaching children with the message of the gospel through Sunday School songs and hymns. She attended Methodist Camp meetings in New Jersey where she worked on the hymn, “When We All Get to Heaven.” 

She was the superintendent of the Sunday school at the Northern Home for Friendless Children and an active member of the Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia.

She developed a close friendship with Fanny Crosby, and they often met to share ideas about their hymn writing. 

When she moved to another section of Philadelphia, she joined the Calvin Presbyterian Church and was the primary department Sunday School superintendent until she died in 1920, at the age of 68.

One of her songs, MORE ABOUT JESUS, came to the attention of John Sweeney who set it to music.

There are critics who complain that this song is too repetitious. But these are not vain repetitions.  Eliza's use of repetition makes an important distinction between materialistic people and spiritually minded people.  

The world clamors for more.  They are gluttons for more fun, more food, more money, more attention, and more stuff.   In contrast, the spiritual person hungers for more of God and all that pertains to the spiritual and eternal world.

Paul, the apostle, wrote, “...what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and... that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings...”  (Phil. 3:7-10)


In her hymn, MORE ABOUT JESUS, Eliza Hewitt expresses that same kind of spiritual longing:

To know MORE about the Lord Jesus.

To show MORE of His grace to others.

To experience MORE of His saving fullness.

To understand MORE of His love.

To discern MORE of His will.

To hear MORE of His Word.

To enjoy MORE of His communion.

And to anticipate MORE of His future glory.

****NO ONE EVER CARED FOR ME LIKE JESUS

(1 Peter 5:6)  “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you.”

There isn’t much background information available about this song but, almost every resource relates this same sad and disturbing story. 

 

Charles Frederick Weigle, a friend of Billy Sunday’s, was a poor itinerant evangelist.  He was often on the road preaching wherever he had an opportunity but his wife was not a willing accomplice.  She did not share his enthusiasm for the ministry.

 

During one of his preaching missions, his wife left him.  She took their young daughter and moved to a distant city where she thought she might find a more glamorous and exciting life.  When he returned home, he found this heartbreaking note:

“Charlie, I’ve been a fool. I’ve done without a lot of things long enough. From here on out, I’m getting all I can of what the world owes me. I know you’ll continue to be a fool for Jesus, but for me it’s goodbye!”

It was the worst time of his life; he was alone and suicidal.  He thought his work was finished and no one would care whether he was dead or alive.

In his desperation, his thoughts turned to God and he began to pray.  He begged God to forgive him and to assure him of his faith.  Then, after a long retreat, he returned to the work of the ministry.  About his heartbreaking experience he said, “A mantel of grief covered me, but God’s grace sustained me.”

About five years later, his wife was dying.  She said to someone who was at her bedside, “I wish I had my life to live over.”   She asked her daughter to look for her father and ask him to pray for her.  But it was too late.  She died before Charles could be found.

Once again, Charles sought the comfort of the Lord.  And that’s when he wrote NO ONE EVER CARED FOR ME LIKE JESUS.

The hymn is not especially deep or scholarly.  It is just the personal testimony of a man who seemed to have lost everything and had no other place to turn except to his Lord. 

****NEAR TO THE HEART OF GOD

Park University in Parkview, Missouri, was originally founded as Park College, a Presbyterian school in the late nineteenth century.  Its founder and first President was John Armstrong McAfee. He had five sons and a daughter who were eventually all involved in the work of the college.

When John died in 1890, his son Lowell served as president for 23 years. 

During that time, one of Lowell’s brothers, Dr. Cleland Boyd McAfee, served as the college chaplain and music director.  He often preached and directed the choir in the school’s weekly church services.

It was his custom to write an original hymn based on the theme of his message for every Communion Sunday.  That was an ambitious undertaking that must have produced many songs but MacAfee is known for only one published hymn.

In 1903, just one week before a Communion service, tragedy struck his family.  Two of his infant nieces succumbed to diphtheria. They died within 24 hours of each other.

Their home was quarantined to prevent the spread of the terrifying disease.   Relatives and friends from the school and church were unable to go inside to express their condolences, and the family was not permitted to leave the house to attend the funeral services.

Cleland MacAfee’s daughter recorded, “My father often told us how he sat long and late, (that week) thinking of what could be said in word and song on the coming Sunday.... So, he wrote (this) little song. The choir learned it at their regular Saturday night rehearsal, and afterward, they went to Howard McAfee’s home and sang it as they stood under the sky outside the darkened, quarantined house.  (NEAR TO THE HEART OF GOD) was sung again on Sunday morning at the communion service.”   

****STAND UP AND BLESS THE LORD

The reformation was responsible for many Christians fleeing Europe to relocate where they could exercise their faith without persecution.  And the result was the spreading of the Gospel throughout the world.

The Hussite movement that became the Moravian Church, was started by John Huss in the early 15th century in what is today, the Czech Republic.   Hus protested some of the unbiblical doctrines and the political persecutions executed by the Roman Catholic Church.  Since the movement predated the Protestant Reformation by a century, some historians claim the Moravian Church was the first Protestant church.

About 400 years later, James Montgomery, a Moravian orphan grew up to become a prominent British journalist and one of England’s greatest hymn writers.

   

As a newspaper editor in Sheffield, England, he developed a reputation for his radical editorials which he used to advocate for social reforms and humanitarian causes.  He was passionately critical of slavery, he promoted democracy in government, and the end of the exploitation of child chimney sweeps.  Other causes, he championed, included hymn singing in the Anglican church services, foreign missions, and the British Bible Society.

In Europe, in the late 18^th century, Christians who spoke against governments or the Church, were often punished or persecuted.   And so was James Montgomery. He was imprisoned, twice, in the Castle of York, for his editorial activism. The first time was for printing a poem that celebrated the fall of the Bastille which, ironically, was a French prison for political critics who wrote things that displeased the royal government.

A year after his release, he was incarcerated, again, for criticizing a judge who forcefully dispersed a political protest in Sheffield.

So, from his cell, James used his writing ability to profit from his imprisonment.  In 1797, he published a pamphlet of poems written during his captivity, that he titled, Prison Amusements, with a subtitle, Words with Wagtails (wagtails are birds that would frequently visit him on his prison window sill).

In a long poem titled, The Pleasure of Imprisonment, An Epistle to A Friend, he details every moment of his daily routine as a prisoner.   I was amused at this verse where he figuratively thumbs his nose at his captors:

Fanatic dreams amuse my brain, 

And waft my spirit home again:

Though captive all day long, ‘tis true, 

At night, I am as free as you;

Not ramparts high, nor dungeons deep,

Can hold me – when I’m fast asleep!

James Montgomery wrote over 400 hymns including the Christmas carol, “Angels We Have Heard on High” and the communion hymn, “I Will Remember Thee.”   About him, the writer Alfred H. Miles wrote, “His Christian songs are vigorous in thought and feeling, simple and direct in action, broad in Christian charity, and lofty in spiritual aspiration.”

In 1824, he wrote a children’s hymn for the Red Hill Wesleyan Sunday School anniversary celebration in Sheffield.  The song began, “Stand up and bless the Lord, ye children of His choice.”  A short time later, the word “children” was changed to “people.” 

The text was based on Neh. 9:5: “Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.”

This hymn uses simple and clear language to proclaim the glory of God.  It’s a call for God’s people to stand up with courage and praise God and to boldly speak up and proclaim their faith regardless of the political climate.    

STAND UP AND BLESS THE LORD.  

****WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE

I was nine years old in 1956 when I spent the summer on my uncle Anton's farm in South Dakota.

  

Early one morning my older cousin, Lloyd, hitched the horses to the wagon and we headed to the hay fields. The horses must have sensed, probably from past experiences, the hard day that was in front of them because, no matter how hard Lloyd tried to drive them, they only had one speed; SLOW.  We probably only drove two or three miles but it seemed to take forever.

Once we arrived, Lloyd hitched the horses to the hay rake. The team sluggishly dragged the rake over forty acres of freshly mowed hay and we pitched it into huge haystacks.

It was a long, hot, and humid Summer day.  The insects were annoying and the work was hard for all of us, especially the horses.  By the end of the day, we were all parched and weary but our work was done and we were going home.  We hitched the horses to the wagon, loaded our gear, and headed for the barn.

The return trip was different.  Lloyd didn’t have to drive the team home.  Instead, he wrapped the reins tightly around his powerful hands and stood with both feet firmly braced against the wagon’s bulkhead. With all his massive weight and strength, he struggled to maintain some control over the powerful force of those horses thundering down the road at breakneck speeds.  But as hard as he pulled, and as loud as he yelled, he couldn’t slow them down.

We all hung on tightly as the wagon jumped and bounced over the rutted dirt road.  It was a rough and thrilling ride.   

But it was short.  Those horses knew their work was done and they were going home.  They knew the way and they were anxious to get there.

Matt. 5:12 says, “Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven.”

Sometimes life is hard and our difficulties seem unbearable. It seemed that way for Jim Hill.  When he was a new Christian, his 50-year-old mother-in-law suddenly suffered a severe, debilitating stroke.  She was a fine, godly woman and Jim had a difficult time understanding why God would allow that kind of hardship to come on her.

As he was driving home one afternoon he recalled these words from Rev. 21:4, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

He thought, “WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE,” and the idea for this song began to form in his mind.  As soon as he got out of his car, he found a piece of cardboard on the ground and began to scrawl out the lyrics.

 

As Christians, we labor and suffer in this life, more joyously than others, knowing that our way leads to heaven.  We are on the trip home and we anxiously anticipate our rest in our Father's house.  

Can you imagine?  “There’ll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear, No more sickness, no pain, no more parting over there.  And forever I will be with the One who died for me.  What a day, glorious day that will be.”  

****JESUS CALLS US

Miss Cecil Humphreys was just 21 years old when she published her first book entitled "Verses for Holy Seasons." It was a children’s book that contained a hymn or poem for each Sunday of the year.

In her Sunday School classes, her students were often confused about the meaning of some of the statements in the Apostle’s Creed. So, she began to write easy-to-memorize verses in the children’s terminology. Many of those verses were developed into hymns, some of which are familiar to us.

For example, the first phrase of the Apostle’s Creed is, "I believe in God the Father Almighty." The song she wrote to explain that phrase was, All Things Bright and Beautiful. For "Born of the Virgin Mary" she wrote, Once in Royal David's City. And to explain the meaning of the death of Jesus who was crucified and buried, she wrote, There is a Green Hill far Away.

In 1848, she married the Rev. Mr. William Alexander and in that same year, she published her second book titled, "Hymns for Little Children," which included the songs that were inspired by the Creed. 

In total, she wrote over four hundred hymns and poems but, of all her works, JESUS CALLS US is the most often sung and best-loved.  

It has been said that prayer is like having a direct telephone line to God.  We can call Him anytime.  But have you ever thought about the fact that the phone line goes in two directions? Do you realize that JESUS CALLS US? 

In our prayers, we tend to call out to God as if we think He should serve us or that He should do what we ask of Him. We expect Him to fix our messed-up situations, patch up our bad relationships, bail us out of financial difficulties, or heal our diseases. And sometimes maybe that is His will, but usually, that’s not the case. Our place is not to make demands or impose our wills on Him but rather to yield to His will for us.

JESUS CALLS US to serve Him regardless of our circumstances.  Paul’s words, in his letter to the Church at Philippi, are helpful.  “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:11-13)

I think our best example, though, is Christ, Himself, when He was tempted in the wilderness. He was weak, hungry, lonely, and despised. Satan tempted Him with great promises of wealth, political power, and physical comfort.

Yet Jesus didn’t grasp for those things. He loved and trusted His Father more than His own life. And just as He had instructed His disciples when He taught them to pray, “Thy will be done,” He obediently did what He was sent to do. It was His Father’s will that He should suffer and die for our sins.

And that’s the way God works in our lives too; He doesn’t normally just make us comfortable or give us lots of stuff. He molds us in the presses and tests us in the fires because He wants to make us Holy.

The hymn starts with a note of encouragement; when our lives are full of hardship and turmoil, JESUS CALLS US, not to remove our difficulties but to follow Him in and through them.

Our God is a jealous god and He wants first place. If people or hobbies or wealth or other vain idols dominate or control our lives, JESUS CALLS US to “dump the junk” and love Him more.

Whether we are happy or sad, whether life is easy or tough, whatever conditions or circumstances we are in, JESUS CALLS US to love Him more than anyone or anything else.

The final verse begins with a subtle reminder; the very fact that JESUS CALLS US is evidence of His love and mercy toward us. The hymn concludes with a prayer, that, by His Spirit, we may hear Him, and that He would soften our hearts to serve Him and love Him best of all.

****HE GIVETH MORE GRACE

Her mother died when she was only six years old and shortly after that, she lost her father. She was then adopted by a childless Christian couple and the Lord saved her at the age of eight.  

She loved composing music and playing the piano but after she graduated from college, she contracted rheumatoid arthritis in one of its most aggressive and crippling forms and playing the piano became difficult.  

So she began writing poetry, much of which was later set to music.  As she grew older and her hands became even more crippled, she found that she could type with her knuckles on an old typewriter.

As a result of the disease, she lost control of her internal organs and had to live with severe incontinence.  She was bound to her bed for decades, she began to lose her eyesight, and she developed cancer.   According to an acquaintance, she had to use seven pillows to cushion her body just to ease the agonizing pain from her sores.

In the midst of all that, Annie Johnson Flint wrote the poem, “He Giveth More Grace,” based on 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. 

In that passage, the apostle Paul said, “…a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.   Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.”   

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’

“Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.   Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I don’t know what Paul’s thorn was but I think it was much more than just poor eyesight.  He called it a “messenger of Satan” sent to buffet him.  Nevertheless, he was certainly familiar with afflictions.

Just a few chapters earlier, in Second Corinthians 4:8-11, as he was defending his ministry, he wrote:

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

So what, then, if God is not inclined to heal your disease or deliver you out of persecution?  What if it is His plan for you to suffer for His glory?  Will you be content with His grace?  

In this hymn, Annie presents the inexhaustible and boundless grace of God that He gives His children for any hardship or difficulty He brings them through.  His all-sufficient grace exceeds all our needs.

HE GIVETH MORE GRACE

He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;

To added afflictions, He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials, He multiplies peace

.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources

Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,

Our God ever yearns His resources to share;

Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;

The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.

*HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION (Reformation Day)

(Reformation Day is one of the most important days on the church calendar, so for our worship service, I chose some hymns appropriate for the day.)  

It was on Oct. 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral and exposed the errors and unbiblical practices of the Roman Catholic Church.  That incident is widely recognized as the initial catalyst for the Protestant Reformation.

As it happened, my pastor's sermon for the day would continue his series, “Confronting the Culture,” in which we have been learning that our faith will often bring us to a point where we must make hard decisions or take difficult stands that will cause us trouble.

As I was thinking about his sermon outline, I couldn’t help making the connection between it and the Reformation.

The Gospel is both attractive and repulsive.  It is attractive to those whom God is saving; it is repulsive to the lost.  Whenever or wherever real, Biblical Christianity collides with Government, the culture, or even an apostate church, the result is tribulation or persecution.  There is going to be trouble; that is just the way it is.

In the hymn, HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION, verse 3 says,

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.

That reminded me of this interesting analogy:

As they were studying chapter three in the book of Malachi, a group of women came across the verse that says, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." They wondered what that statement meant about the character and nature of God.

Later that week, one of the women made an appointment to observe a silversmith at work.  He held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that, in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she thought again about the verse, that He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was necessary to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The smith answered yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire because if the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

Then she asked him, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"  He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's the easy part – it’s when I see my image reflected in it."

There is no question that troubles and trials are both fiery and painful but we can rest assured that God is holding us over the fire to remove the impurities and He is watching until He can see His own image in us.

(Click here for more commentary on this hymn)


7/19/2015