Today’s words come from Jane Catherine Bonar, the wife of famous Scottish clergyman and hymn writer Horatius Bonar. Enjoy!
Fade, fade, each earthly joy; Jesus is mine. Break every tender tie; Jesus is mine. Dark is the wilderness, Earth has no resting-place, Jesus alone can bless; Jesus is mine.
Tempt not my soul away; Jesus is mine. Here would I ever stay; Jesus is mine. Perishing things of clay, Born but for one brief day, Pass from my heart away; Jesus is mine.
Farewell, ye dreams of night; Jesus is mine. Lost, in this dawning bright, Jesus is mine. All that my soul has tried Left but a dismal void; Jesus has satisfied; Jesus is mine.
Farewell, mortality; Jesus is mine. Welcome, eternity; Jesus is mine. Welcome, O loved and blest, Welcome, sweet scenes of rest, Welcome, my Saviour’s breast; Jesus is mine.
For today’s hymn, I could not find much information about it, not even who wrote it! All the information I could find is that it’s a Russian Hymn, sung by the persecuted Church in the Soviet Union. Perhaps that says everything we need to know about it right? Below is the tune which is quite easy to catch. Enjoy!
Not in words of prayer do I rely; Nor in songs to be my soul’s supply; Song of Songs, Thou art to me; All I ever need is found in Thee. Song of Songs, Thou art to me; All I ever need is found in Thee.
Not for selfish gain do I seek peace; Nor for earthly pleasures to increase; Thou, O Christ, art all to me; All I ever need is found in Thee. Thou, O Christ, art all to me; All I ever need is found in Thee.
I need Thy peace and holiness within; I’ll hide in Thee, O keep me from all sin. Help me more Thy cross to see; All I ever need is found in Thee. Help me more Thy cross to see; All I ever need is found in Thee.
Christ revealed His eternal love; Can there yet be greater joys above? This my soul delights to see; All I ever need is found in Thee. This my soul delights to see; All I ever need is found in Thee.
Thou my Shade in a dry and weary land; I’ll rest beneath Thy strong and mighty hand; Living Waters be to me; All I ever need is found in Thee. Living Waters be to me; All I ever need is found in Thee
When oppressed by fears on every side; In Thy strength alone may I abide; Thou wilt give the victory, All I ever need is found in Thee. Thou wilt give the victory, All I ever need is found in Thee.
Thou my Strength, my Fortress, and my Shield, To Thee, Saviour, help me ever yield, Thou art All in All to me, All I ever need is found in Thee. Thou art All in All to me, All I ever need is found in Thee.
Today’s song comes from my favourite music group, Emu Music, and it’s from their new album Here We Stand. This one would be a great song to sing as a congregation to prepare your heart right before you take Communion on a Sunday. Enjoy!
Almighty God, our Father In mercy, you did give us Christ Upon the cross your suffering Son Has made the perfect sacrifice
For though our sins are scarlet His blood has made them spotless white We come in full repentance now As we receive the bread and wine
Refrain So we come to the table And we join in the feast We remember the sacrifice God’s love poured out at Calvary
We come now to remember As Jesus asked before he died His body broken, blood poured out The death he died has brought us life
With thankful hearts we receive him We trust that we have been made clean He will sustain and dwell in us And we will ever dwell in him
Refrain
We celebrate he is risen That by his death he conquered death We look ahead to the promised hope That he is coming back again
Today’s hymn is from Only Methodist Episcopal Church minister John H. Stockton (1813-1877) Stockton worked with D L Moody and Ira Sankey in their Philadelphia meetings in 1874, writing several songs for use in the revivals. When it was published in Moody and Sankey’s Sacred Songs and Solos (1875), Matthew 11:29 appeared on the page with the hymn, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; . . . and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” This hymn also seems to be inspired by Charles Wesley’s famous hymn “Come, sinners to the gospel feast”1. Enjoy the below version sung by a choir.
Come, every soul by sin oppressed, There’s mercy with the Lord; And He will surely give you rest, By trusting in His word. Only trust Him, only trust Him, Only trust Him now;
Refrain: He will save you, He will save you, He will save you now.
For Jesus shed His precious blood Rich blessings to bestow; Plunge now into the crimson flood That washes white as snow. Come to Jesus, come to Jesus, Come to Jesus now.
Refrain
Yes, Jesus is the truth, the way, That leads you into rest; Believe in Him without delay, And you are fully blest. Don’t reject Him, don’t reject Him, Don’t reject Him now.
Refrain
Come then and join this holy band, And on to glory go, To dwell in that celestial land, Where joys immortal flow. I will trust Him, I will trust Him, I will trust Him now.
Today’s hymn is all about the gospel.The writer, Matthew Loy (1828-1915) was President of the Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, and contributed several original hymns, and translations from German, to the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal. Enjoy meditating on this one!
The Gospel shows the Father’s grace, Who sent His Son to save our race, Proclaims how Jesus lived and died That we might thus be justified.
It sets the Lamb before our eyes, Who made the atoning sacrifice, And calls the souls with guilt oppressed To come and find eternal rest.
It brings the Saviour’s righteousness To robe our souls in royal dress; From all our guilt it brings release And gives the troubled conscience peace.
It is the pow’r of God to save From sin and Satan and the grave; It works the faith which firmly clings To all the treasures which it brings.
It bears to all the tidings glad And bids their hearts no more be sad; The weary, burdened souls it cheers And banishes their guilty fears.
May we in faith its message learn Nor thanklessly its blessings spurn; May we in faith its truth confess And praise the Lord, our righteousness.
Today’s hymn is written by Charles Wesley and is a great hymn for you to mediate on at the opening of this day, to commit all your ways to the Lord; enjoy!
Forth in Thy name, O Lord, I go, my daily labour to pursue, determined only you to know in all I think or speak or do.
The task your wisdom has assigned, O let me cheerfully fulfill; in all my works your presence find, and prove your good and perfect will.
May I find you at my right hand; your eyes see truly what I do. I labor on at your command and offer all my works to you.
Give me to bear your easy yoke and ev’ry moment watch and pray and still to things eternal look, and hasten to your glorious day.
For you I joyously employ whate’er you in grace have giv’n: I run my daily course with joy and closely walk with you to heav’n.
Today’s hymn on this Lord’s Day is written by Timothy Dudley-Smith (b. 1926). He was educated at Pembroke College and Ridley Hall, Cambridge, and has served the Church of England since his ordination in 1950. He has occupied a number of church positions, including parish priest in the diocese of Southwark (1953-1962), archdeacon of Norwich (1973-1981), and bishop of Thetford, Norfolk, from 1981 until his retirement in 1992. He also edited a Christian magazine, Crusade, which was founded after Billy Graham’s 1955 London crusade. Many of his several hundred hymn texts have been collected in Lift Every Heart: Collected Hymns 1961-1983 (1984), Songs of Deliverance: Thirty-six New Hymns (1988), and A Voice of Singing (1993). committee that published Psalm Praise (1973)1. You’ll notice it has the same time to the hymn “I Cannot Tell”, also known as the Londondery Air tune. Enjoy!
Lord of the church we pray for our renewing Christ over all our undivided aim Fire of the Spirit burn for our enduing Wind of the Spirit fan the living flame We turn to Christ amid our fear and failing The will that lacks the courage to be free The weary labours all but unavailing To bring us nearer what a church should be
Lord of the church we seek a Father’s blessing A true repentance and a faith restored A swift obedience and a new possessing Filled with the Holy Spirit of the Lord We turn to Christ from all our restless striving Unnumbered voices with a single prayer- The living water for our souls’ reviving In Christ to live and love and serve and care
Lord of the church we long for our uniting True to one calling by one vision stirred One cross proclaiming and one creed reciting One in the truth of Jesus and His word So lead us on till toil and trouble ended One church triumphant one new song shall sing To praise His glory risen and ascended Christ over all the everlasting King
Today’s hymn is written by Benjamin Mansell Ramsey (1849 -1923), an English organist and amateur composer, who is best remembered for the 1919 tune “Camacha” set to this hymn. He was an music teacher at Bournemouth Grammar School, secretary of the Bournemouth Musical Association, conductor of the amateur orchestra in the 1880s and involved with the establishment of Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra in 1893. His works for children included “Robinson Crusoe: A Cantata or Operetta for Boys” (1896) and “Clouds and Sunshine: A Fairy Play”1. This hymn is based on Psalm 27:11 “teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies”. Enjoy!
Teach me thy way, O Lord; teach me thy way! Thy guiding grace afford; teach me thy way! Help me to walk aright, more by faith, less by sight; lead me with heav’nly light; teach me thy way!
When I am sad at heart, teach me thy way! When earthly joys depart, teach me thy way! In hours of loneliness, in times of dire distress, in failure or success, teach me thy way!
When doubts and fears arise, teach me thy way! When storms o’erspread the skies, teach me thy way! Shine thro’ the cloud and rain, thro’ sorrow, toil, and pain; make thou my pathway plain; teach me thy way!
Long as my life shall last, teach me thy way! Where’er my lot be cast, teach me thy way! Until the race is run, until the journey’s done, until the crown is won, teach me thy way!
Today’s hymn is by Fanny Crosby, and the title very succinctly sums up what this hymn will do for you. Enjoy!
We know not the trials before us, But Jesus takes thought for them all, And trusting the aid of His counsel, We never, no, never can fall; We know not the trials before us, Or what on the morrow may be, But sweet is the soul cheering promise, My grace is sufficient for thee.
Refrain Then cleave to the Savior, cleave to Him, Whatever the conflict may be, Remember the soul cheering promise, My grace is sufficient for thee.
We know not the trials before us, But why; should we tremble or fear? The arm of the Lord will protect us, The ark of His mercy is near; We know not the trials before us, Or what our temptations may be, But stronger than death is the promise, My grace is sufficient for thee.
Refrain
We know not the trials before us, The sorrows and cares we shall meet, But O there’s a refuge in Jesus, Though surges may break at our feet; How blessèd that refuge forever Where safe from the storm we shall be, The password to life is the promise, My grace is sufficient for thee.
Today’s song comes from a group I recently shared called Grace Collective – two pastors who write theologically robust songs with great melodies. I found this song and love the melody with the awesome lyrics based on Romans 8. I’m sure you’ll be humming this with me!
Chosen by a loving God By no merit or will Thought my days were dark with sin And grace was foreign still Gods sent grace in Christ his son To save my hell bound soul Hallelujah praise to Christ I’m chosen by grace alone
When my soul was dead within His spirit spoke so sweet ”Jesus shed his blood for you” His earthly work complete “Rise from sin and death’s dark hole Rise and run to Christ” I obeyed that heavenly call And rose in marvellous light
What a day and what a sound To hear the verdict made: “Justified, condemned no more” My boundless debt was paid Christ imputed perfect life And bound me in his grace Righteousness that’s not my own Will cover me all my days
When the course of life has run And eyes have finally closed. With my God in realms above I’ll worship him enthroned All my sin my pain my grief I’ll never know again Wholly truly glorified Eternity’s just began Tethered by your golden chain Eternally secure Praise to you my sovereign God Forever and ever more
