Author Archives: hymnoftheday

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

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Another hymn by William Cowper, this hymn has often been described as the finest hymn ever written on God’s providence. No doubt the experience of Cowper losing his mother when he was six, being shipped to boarding school not long after, and suffering sever depression most of his life, helped shape this hymn. Renowned British hymnologist Erik Routley compares this hymn text to a Rembrandt painting: its dark background sets off the bright light of truth in the foreground. Over it Cowper wrote John 13:7: “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand”1. The song version I have included below has slightly different lyrics, but is great nonetheless.

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants his footsteps on the sea
And rides upon the storm;
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sov’reign will.

You fearful saints fresh courage take
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head;
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust him for his grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower;
Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain.

1page 117 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church

The Love Of God is Greater Far

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The text of stanzas 1 and 2 and the tune (Lehman) was composed by Frederick Martin Lehman, who was born on August 7, 1868, at Mecklenburg in Schwerin, Germany. Lehman emigrated to America with his family at age four, settling in Iowa, where he lived most of his childhood. Studying for the ministry at Northwestern College in Naperville, IL, he became a Nazarene minister and served churches in Audubon, IA, and New London, IN1. Lehman wrote a pamphlet, in 1948, entitled History of the Song, The Love of God which tells about the origin of this beloved hymn “While at camp-meeting in a midwestern state, some fifty years ago in our early ministry, an evangelist climaxed his message by quoting the last stanza of this song, written nearly one thousand years ago by a Jewish songwriter.”. The profound depths of the line moved us to preserve the words for future generations. Not until we had come to California in 19172. The version I have included below includes only 2 of 3 stanzas, but still will have you singing joyfully.

The love of God is greater far
than tongue or pen can ever tell;
it goes beyond the highest star,
and reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
the saints’ and angels’ song.

When ancient time shall pass away,
and human thrones and kingdoms fall;
when those who here refuse to pray
on rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
all measureless and strong;
grace will resound the whole earth round—
the saints’ and angels’ song.

Refrain

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
and were the skies of parchment made;
were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill,
and ev’ryone a scribe by trade;
to write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole,
though stretched from sky to sky.

Refrain

1hymnstudiesblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/20/the-love-of-god-is-greater-far/
2barryshymns.blogspot.com/2011/01/love-of-god.html

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name

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Edward Perronet was the son of the Rev. Vincent Perronet, Vicar of Shoreham, Kent. For some time he was an intimate associate of the Wesleys, at Canterbury and Norwich. He afterwards became pastor of a dissenting congregation1. The original hymn, written in 1780, has gone through many alterations, including an 8 stanza version calling groups of people to worship: seraphs, morning stars, martyrs, the seed of Israel’s chosen race, heirs of David’s line, sinners, and every tribe and tongue, as well as different tunes, one of which has transformed many congregations into instant choirs2. Below is my favourite version.

All hail the power of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all!

O seed of Israel’s chosen race
now ransomed from the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all.
Hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all!

Let every tongue and every tribe
responsive to his call,
to him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all.
To him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all!

Oh, that with all the sacred throng
we at his feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song
and crown him Lord of all.
We’ll join the everlasting song
and crown him Lord of all.

1hymnary.org/text/all_hail_the_power_of_jesus_name_let
2hymnologyarchive.com/all-hail-the-power-of-jesus-name

Here We Stand

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This song is taken from my favourite worship band’s forthcoming album (which is not yet released). They are a worship group who exists to encourage and equip the church in biblical, beautiful and transformative singing1. I first heard this song live at a “Night In with Emu” event in Oxford, where they explained the vision of this album was to write songs for congregations specifically about what God says about His Bride, the Church. I love this one as a reminder that we stand as God’s people, redeemed, precious in His sight, standing on the truth, waiting for our Saviour.

Here we stand the church of the redeemed
Ransomed by the blood that sets us free
From the darkness, brought into the light 
Enemies of God now his delight
From the depths called to highest heights
Here we stand, the church of the redeemed
We are his, precious in his sight
Here we stand the church of the redeemed  

Here we stand contending for the faith
Standing for the truth in every age 
We are weak, but Jesus, he is strong
In the Spirit’s power we labour on
And we know victory will be won!
Here we stand contending for the faith
And we know truth will overcome
Here we stand the church of the redeemed

Here we stand but here we don’t belong
Journeying toward our lasting home
Now we weep with weary saints who mourn
Telling all the world the hope of dawn
Christ will come, all will be restored!
Here we stand but here we don’t belong
We will wait ready for our Lord
Here we stand the church of the redeemed

Coda
Every heart overflows with praise 
When at last we stand before the throne
With our King, evermore we’ll reign
Here we stand the church of the redeemed

1emumusic.com/collections/what-we-do

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

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Philip Bliss was born in 1838 to a father who loved both God and music. At the age of 22 he became an itinerant music teacher and travelled from community to community on horse back carrying a small accordion. When he was 29 he met evangelist D.L. Moody who encouraged him to become a music evangelist. He wrote dozens of hymns, including “It Is Well With My Soul”. Him and his wife tragically died when their train was crossing a bridge and collapsed, plunging the train into the river. Of this hymn, Iras Sankey, soloist of the Moody Crusades, wrote: “A few weeks before his death, Mr Bliss visited the Station prison in Michigan where after a very touching address on “The Man of Sorrows” he sung this hymn. Many prisoners dated their conversion to that day. Later, when Mr Moody and I were in Paris holding meetings, I frequently sang this hymn solo, asking the congregation to join in the single phrase “Hallelujah, what a Saviour” as “Hallelujah” is the same in all languages”1.

Man of sorrows, what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim
Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude
In my place condemned he stood
Sealed my pardon with his blood
Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

Guilty, helpless, lost were we
Blameless Lamb of God was he
Sacrificed to set us free
Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

He was lifted up to die
“It is finished” was his cry
Now in heaven exalted high
Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

When he comes, our glorious King
All his ransomed home to bring
Then anew this song we’ll sing
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

1 page 70 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church

There Is One Gospel

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This modern hymn is written by CityAlight, a music ministry from St Paul’s church in Sydney, Australia. They have come to be loved over the years for their vision – to write songs with biblically rich lyrics and simple melodies for Christian churches to sing1. This song taken from their latest album with the same name is one I’m sure you’ll be singing over and over.

There is one Gospel on which I stand
For all eternity
It is my story, my Father’s plan
The Son has rescued me
Oh what a Gospel, Oh what a peace
My highest joy and my deepest need
Now and forever He is my light
I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ

There is one Gospel to which I cling
All else I count as loss
For there, where justice and mercy meet
He saved me on the cross
No more I boast in what I can bring
No more I carry the weight of sin
For He has brought me from death to life
I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ

There is one Gospel where hope is found
The empty tomb still speaks
For death could not keep my Saviour down
He lives and I am free
Now on my Saviour, I fix my eyes
My life is His and His hope is mine!
For He has promised I, too, will rise
I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ

And in this Gospel the church is one
We do not walk alone
We have His Spirit as we press on
To lead us safely home
And when in glory still I will sing
Of this old story that rescued me
Praise to my Saviour, the King of life
I stand in the Gospel of Jesus Christ

1cityalight.com/about/

Jesus, Lover of My Soul

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Originally published under the title “In Temptation,” this hymn has as its theme the sufficiency of Christ to give comfort, power, and grace in any circumstance. It is a plea that Jesus will provide sanctuary to the tempted (st. 1), because there is no other refuge (st. 2). Christ is declared to be the sole desire of the Christian, who is undeserving (st. 3), while Christ’s grace is declared sufficient to cleanse the Christian from all his vile sins (st. 4)1. There is no particular occasion linked to the writing of the hymn “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.” We know from the heading in its original publication (“In Temptation”) that it was apparently meant to be a help in fighting sin. Whether it was written during a time of temptation in Charles’ own life, though, we cannot say2.

Jesus, lover of my soul,
let me to thy bosom fly,
while the nearer waters roll,
while the tempest still is high;
hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
till the storm of life is past;
safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last!

Other refuge have I none;
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah! leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed,
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenseless head
with the shadow of thy wing.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
More than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name,
Source of all true righteousness;
Thou art evermore the same,
Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with thee is found,
grace to cover all my sin;
let the healing streams abound;
make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art;
freely let me take of thee;
spring thou up within my heart,
rise to all eternity.

1hymnary.org/text/jesus_lover_of_my_soul_let_me_to_thy_bos
2https://www.challies.com/articles/hymn-stories-jesus-lover-of-my-soul/

Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!

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The text was written by William Chatterton Dix, who was born in Bristol, England, on June 14, 1837. Educated at the Bristol Grammar School, William entered the mercantile business and rose to become the manager of a marine insurance company in Glasgow, Scotland. Even though he possessed only a scanty academic training, he was an excellent student and produced a large number of hymns, over forty, some which are metrical renderings of English translations from the Greek. Perhaps Dix’s best-known songs generally are “What Child Is This?” and “As With Gladness Men of Old”1. This hymn was originally called “Redemption through the Precious Blood” and was inspired by Revelation 5:9, “And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy . . . for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood”2. Below is my favourite version of this hymn:

Alleluia! sing to Jesus! His the scepter, his the throne.
Alleluia! His the triumph, his the vict’ry, his alone.
Hark! the songs of peaceful Zion thunder like a mighty flood.
Jesus out of every nation hath redeemed us by his blood.

Alleluia! not as orphans are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us, faith believes, nor questions how;

Though the cloud from sight received him when the forty days were o’er,
Shall our hearts forget his promise, ‘I am with you evermore’?
Alleluia! Hread of heaven, here on earth our food and stay!
Alleluia! Here the sinful flee to thee from day to day.

Intercessor, Friend of sinners, earth’s Redeemer, plead for me.
Where the songs of all the sinless sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia! King eternal, thee the Lord of lords we own;
Alleluia! Born of Mary, earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne.
Thou within the veil hast entered, robed in flesh, our great High Priest.
Thou on earth both Priest and Victim in the Eucharistic Feast.

Alleluia! sing to Jesus! His the scepter, his the throne.
Alleluia! His the triumph, his the vict’ry, his alone.

1hymnstudiesblog.wordpress.com/2008/03/11/quotalleluia-sing-to-jesusquot/
2tribuneonlineng.com/story-behind-the-hymn-alleluia-sing-to-jesus/

Afflicted Saint, to Christ Draw Near

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The original version of this hymn was written by John Fawcett in 1782. An orphan at the age of twelve, he was converted by the preaching of George Whitefield at the age of sixteen and began preaching soon thereafter. In 1765 Fawcett was called to a small, poor, Baptist country church in Wainsgate, Yorkshire. Seven years later he received a call from the large and influential Carter’s Lane Church in London, England. The day of departure came, and his family’s belongings were loaded on carts, but the distraught congregation begged him to stay; Fawcett continued to serve in Wainsgate and in the nearby village of Hebden Bridge for the remainder of his active ministry1. Below includes a refrain and verse added by Connie Dever of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.

Afflicted saint, to Christ draw near,
Thy Saviour’s gracious promise hear;
His faithful word declares to thee,
That as thy day thy strength shall be.

Let not thy heart despond, and say,
“How shall I stand the trying day?”
He has engaged by firm decree,
That as thy day thy strength shall be.

Refrain
So, sing with joy, afflicted one;
The battle’s fierce, but the victory’s won!
God shall supply all that you need;
Yes, as your days your strength shall be.

Thy faith is weak, thy foes are strong,
And if the conflict should be long,
Thy Lord will make the tempter flee,
For as thy day thy strength shall be.

Should persecution rage and flame,
Still trust in thy Redeemer’s name;
In fiery trials thou shalt see
That as thy day thy strength shall be

Added Verse:
When called to bear your weighty cross
Or sore affliction, pain, or loss,
Or deep distress or poverty,
Still as your days your strength shall be.

1hymnary.org/text/afflicted_saint_to_christ_draw_near