Day by Day, and with Each Passing Moment

102 Day by Day, and with Each Passing Moment

1. Day by day, and with each passing moment,
   Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
   Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
   I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
   He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
   Gives unto each day what He deems best—
   Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
   Mingling toil with peace and rest.

2. Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
   With a special mercy for each hour;
   All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
   He Whose Name is Counselor and Pow’r.
   The protection of His child and treasure
   Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
   “As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
   This the pledge to me He made.

3. Help me then in every tribulation,
   So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
   That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation,
   Offered me within Thy holy Word.
   Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
   E’er to take as from a father’s hand,
   One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
   Till I reach the promised land.
                         Lina Sandell
                         Trans. by A. L. Skoog
                         Hymns for the Family of God

More on trust and obey

Trust is on one side of the coin, and obey is on the other. But the Church has taken a fine saw and split them, saying, “You don’t have to obey. Just believe.” Everything is “believe.” You cannot divide that coin. You cannot separate it; if you do, it is no good. It is not just trust; it is not just obey. It is trust and obey. Believe God and then go get obedience. You will find that it will become in your heart eternal salvation. Jesus Christ will become your all in all.—A.W. Tozer, Experiencing the Presence of God, 62

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

98 Great Is Thy Faithfulness

1. Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
   There is no shadow of turning with thee.
   Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
   As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
   Great is thy faithfulness,
   Great is thy faithfulness,
   Morning by morning new mercies I see.
   All I have needed thy hand hast provided;
   Great is thy faithfulness,
   Lord unto me.

2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
   Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
   Join with all nature in manifold witness
   To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]

3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
   Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
   Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
   Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. [Refrain]
                         Thomas O. Chisholm
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Trust — And Obey

I believe that “trust” and “obey” are two wings of a bird. A wise old writer once wrote, “Two wings of a dove don’t weigh her down.” She rises by means of them. “Trust” and “obey” are the two wings of the Christian. We trust and we obey. We obey because we trust. We trust in order that we might obey. If we try to obey without faith, we get nowhere. If we try to have faith without obedience, it ends in nothing.—A.W. Tozer, Experiencing the Presence of God, 61

Assurance (Solzhenitsyn)

97 Assurance

How easy for me to live with You, O Lord!
How easy for me to believe in You!
When my mind parts in bewilderment or falters,
then the most intelligent people see no further
than this day’s end
and do not know what must be done tomorrow,
You grant me the serene certitude
that You exist and that You will take care
that not all the paths of good be closed.
Atop the ridge of earthly fame,
I look back in wonder at the path
which I alone could never have found,
a wondrous path through despair to this point
from which I, too, could transmit to mankind
a reflection of Your rays.
And as much as I must still reflect
You will give me. But as much as I cannot take up
You will have already assigned to others.
—Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Hymns for the Family of God

Believe? Then Act!

Remember: You do not believe a thing rightly until you act in accordance with it. When you bring your life into line with your faith, you are a believer; But when your life is not in line with your faith, you are no true believer at all.—A.W. Tozer, Experiencing the Presence of God, 52

I don't know about tomorrow

96 I don't know about tomorrow

1 I don't know about tomorrow,
   I just live from day to day.
   I don't borrow from its sunshine,
   For its skies may turn to gray.
   I don't worry o'er the future,
   For I know what Jesus said,
   And today I'll walk beside Him,
   For He knows what is ahead.

Refrain:
   Many things about tomorrow,
   I don't seem to understand;
   But I know who holds tomorrow,
   And I know who holds my hand.

2 Every step is getting brighter,
   As the golden stairs I climb;
   Every burden's getting lighter;
   Every cloud is silver lined.
   There the sun is always shining,
   There no tear will dim the eye,
   At the ending of the rainbow,
   Where the mountains touch the sky. [Refrain]

3 I don't know about tomorrow,
   It may bring me poverty;
   But the one who feeds the sparrow,
   Is the one who stands by me.
   And the path that be my portion,
   May be through the flame or flood,
   But His presence goes before me,
   And I'm covered with His blood. [Refrain]
                         Ira F. Staphill
                         Hymns for the Family of God

The power of novels

Personally I believe that most people are influenced far more than they would care to admit by novels, serial stories, films and so forth, and that from this point of view the worst books are often the most important, because they are usually the ones that are read earliest in life. It is probable that many people who would consider themselves extremely sophisticated and “advanced” are actually carrying through life an imaginary background which they acquired in childhood…—George Orwell, A Collection of Essays, 305

<idle musing>
Well, that's the end of the book. When I picked it up at the library book sale a couple of years ago, I didn't think it would suddenly become so relevant. Would that it weren't! Anyway, not sure what book to tackle next. I'm in the middle of a cognitive linguistics book, but those don't lend themselves well to extracts. And, as with most linguistics books, it's long and slow-going (at least for me).

All that to say, there might be a bit of a pause in postings outside of the regular hymns and Tozer for Tuesday while I finish the linguistics book. Or, I might start something else and let the linguistics book rest for a bit while I digest it some. We'll see.
</idle musing>

I Am Not Skilled to Understand

94 I Am Not Skilled to Understand

1 I am not skilled to understand
   what God has willed, what God has planned;
   I only know that at his right hand
   is One who is my Savior!

2 I take him at his word indeed:
   “Christ died for sinners,” this I read;
   for in my heart I find a need
   of him to be my Savior!

3 That he should leave his place on high
   and come for sinful man to die,
   you count it strange? So once did I,
   before I knew my Savior!

4 And oh, that he fulfilled may see
   the travail of his soul in me,
   and with his work contented be,
   as I with my dear Savior!

5 Yes, living, dying, let me bring
   my strength, my solace from this spring;
   that he who lives to be my King
   once died to be my Savior.
                         Dora Greenwell
                         Hymns for the Family of God

My God Is There Controlling

93 My God Is There Controlling

We search the starlit Milky Way,
A million worlds in rhythmic sway,
Yet in our blindness some will say,
“There is no God controlling!”

But as I grope from sphere to sphere,
New wonders crowd the eye, the ear,
And faith grows firmer every year:
“My God is there, controlling!”

We probe the atoms for their cause,
Explore the earth for nature’s laws,
Yet seldom in our searching pause
To think of God controlling.

Each flash of fact from out the night,
Each burst of truth upon my sight
That quickens awe or adds delight,
Reveals my God controlling.
William H. Reid
Hymns for the Family of God

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

87 Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

1 What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
   leaning on the everlasting arms;
   what a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
   leaning on the everlasting arms.

Refrain:
   Leaning, leaning,
   safe and secure from all alarms;
   leaning, leaning,
   leaning on the everlasting arms.

2 O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
   leaning on the everlasting arms;
   O how bright the path grows from day to day,
   leaning on the everlasting arms. [Refrain]

3 What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
   leaning on the everlasting arms?
   I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
   leaning on the everlasting arms. [Refrain]
                         E. A. Hoffman
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Not interested!

But their patriotism has nothing whatever to do with power politics or “ideological” warfare. It is more akin to family loyalty, and actually it gives one a valuable clue to the attitude of ordinary people, especially the huge untouched block of the middle class and the better-off working class. These people are patriotic to the middle of their bones, but they do not feel that what happens in foreign countries is any of their business. When England is in danger they rally to its defense as a matter of course but in between times they are not interested.—George Orwell, A Collection of Essays, 294

<idle musing>
I know he's talking about the British of the 1930s–1940s, but I suspect it transfers to just about any country at anytime. I'm pretty sure it's true of the US right now—which explains why Dear Leader™ can get away with all this garbage right now...

Just an
</idle musing>

Victory in Jesus (hymn)

82 Victory in Jesus

I heard an old, old story how a Savior came from glory,
   How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me;
   I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning,
   Then I repented of my sins and won the victory

Chorus
   O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever!
   He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood;
   He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him.
   He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood

2 I heard about His healing, of His cleansing pow’r revealing
   How He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see;
   And then I cried, “Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit,”
   And some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of victory.

3 I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory,
   And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea;
   About the angels singing and the old redemption story,
   And some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of victory.
                         Eugene M. Barrett
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
This hymn, like so many gospel songs, never made it into the Methodist hymnal. But I grew up singing it. I probably learned it at vacation Bible school, which when I was a kid was a whole day affair for a week, later moving to mornings only for two weeks. By the time our kids were born, VBS had become an evening event that lasted for two weeks, but that's another story.

Anyway, with it's rousing melody and decent lyrics, it's been one of my favorites for a long time. Sure, I wish it went deeper, but that wasn't why it was written : )
</idle musing>

Is a half a loaf the same as no loaf? (and other fallacious arguments)

An illusion can become a half-truth, a mask can alter the expression of a face. The familiar arguments to the effect that democracy is “just the same as” or “just as bad as” totalitarianism never take account of this fact. All such arguments boil down to saying that half a loaf is the same as no bread. In England such concepts as justice, liberty, and objective truth are still believed in. They may be illusions, but they are very powerful illusions. The belief in them influences conduct, national life is different because of them. In proof of which,look about you. Where are the rubber truncheons, where is the castor oil? The sword is still in the scabbard, and while it stays there corruption cannot go beyond a certain point.—George Orwell, A Collection of Essays, 261

<idle musing>
Well, I would say that in the US, the "illusions" are losing their appeal to far too many and corruption will soon run (even more) rampant. I'm camping in Habakkuk these days—and not just in chapter 3!
</idle musing>

Trusting Jesus (hymn)

79 Trusting Jesus

1. Simply trusting every day,
   Trusting through a stormy way;
   Even when my faith is small,
   Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Refrain:
   Trusting as the moments fly,
   Trusting as the days go by;
   Trusting Him whate’er befall,
   Trusting Jesus, that is all.

2. Brightly doth His Spirit shine
   Into this poor heart of mine;
   While He leads I cannot fall;
   Trusting Jesus, that is all.

3. Singing if my way is clear,
   Praying if the path be drear;
   If in danger for Him call;
   Trusting Jesus, that is all.

4. Trusting Him while life shall last,
   Trusting Him till earth be past;
   Till within the jasper wall,
   Trusting Jesus, that is all.
                         Edgar P. Stites
                         Hymns for the Family of God

Power worship

Also, the common people are without definite religions belief, and have been so for centuries. The Anglican Church never had a real hold on them, it was simply the preserve of the landed gentry, and the Nonconforrnist sects only influenced minorities. And yet they have retained a deep tinge of Christian feeling, while almost forgetting the name of Christ. The power-worship which is the new religion of Europe, and which has infected the English intelligentsia, has never touched the common people. They have never caught up with power politics.—George Orwell, A Collection of Essays, 256–57

My Hope Is in the Lord

78 My Hope Is in the Lord

1 My Hope is in the Lord, who gave Himself for me
   And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary

Refrain
   For me He died; For me He lives,
   And everlasting life and light He freely gives.

2 No merit of my own His anger to suppress,
   My only hope is found in Jesus' righteousness

3 And now for me He stands Before the Father's throne;
   He shows His wounded hands and names me as His own.

4 His grace has planned it all, 'Tis mine but to believe
   And recognize His work of love and Christ receive.
                         Norman J. Clayton
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
I don't recall this hymn, but then, it only occurs in twenty-five hymnals. I feel a special connection to the hymnwriter, though, because when I was in elementary school, Wisconsin Public Radio had a weekly broadcast on Wednesday afternoons that was entitled "Let's Sing," which he hosted (it was part of the Wisconsin School of the Air and it ran from 1956–1974). Many of the songs were written by him, but it also included all kinds of Americana songs.

Every year, at the end of the year, we could purchase our copy of that year's songbook. One year, the teacher allowed us to have it for free if we agreed to sing a song from the book in front of the class. She allowed us to sing in duets, trios, and quartets so we wouldn't feel as embarassed. I always bought them (except for the year when we got it free!). One year, he even came to Menomonie and held a sing-along.
</idle musing>

The Power of Patriotism

One cannot see the modern world as it is unless one recognises the overwhelming strength of patriotism, national loyalty. In certain circumstances it can break down, at certain levels of civilisation it does not exist, but as a positive force there is nothing to set beside it. Christianity and international socialism are as weak as straw in comparison with it. Hitler and Mussolini rose to power in their own countries very largely because they could grasp this fact and their opponents could not.—George Orwell, A Collection of Essays, 252 (emphasis original)

Tozer for Tuesday

What we have in the Bible is true, but not everything that is true is in the Bible. You can learn everything from the Bible that the Bible teaches, but you cannot learn everything from the Bible, for the reason that the Bible does not teach everything. It does not pretend to. We must distinguish between revealed truth and truth. 45 (emphasis original)

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

75 My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

1. My faith has found a resting place,
   Not in device nor creed.
   I trust the ever-living One;
   His wounds for me shall plead.

Refrain:
   I need no other argument,
   I need no other plea,
   It is enough that Jesus died,
   And that he died for me.

2. Enough for me that Jesus saves,
   This ends my fear and doubt;
   A sinful soul I come to Him,
   He’ll never cast me out. [Refrain]

3. My heart is leaning on the Word,
   The written Word of God,
   Salvation by my Savior’s name,
   Salvation thro' his blood. [Refrain]

4. My Great Physician heals the sick,
   The lost He came to save;
   For me his precious blood he shed,
   For me his life he gave. [Refrain]
                         Lidie H. Edmunds
                         Hymns for the Family of God

<idle musing>
Again, more of a gsopel song, in that it addresses sinners, not saints. Yes, those who have trusted Jesus for salvation are no long sinners, but saints. If you've followed this blog for very long, you'll know that's a favorite theme of mine...

By the way, take a few seconds to read the biography of the hymnwriter. Seems she didn't let debilitating health stand in her way, which gives the fourth verse extra punch.
</idle musing>