Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Trust and Obey

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Words by John H. Sammis, 1887
Music by Daniel B. Towner

 

Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:4

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight
Proverbs 3:5 – 6

but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.
Jeremiah 7:23

Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared
Jeremiah 38:20

 

One of the stranger scenes I remember from my college days was watching people walk around campus with a paper bag over their heads.  Now, it wasn’t as strange as it first appeared when you realize that the people we part of a class.  You see, students were paired up.  One of them would then place a paper bag over their head and the second person was then responsible for guiding them safely around campus. The purpose of this Psychology class was to come to understand what lies behind trust.

Now, from my experience, trust is not something that comes easy to us.  It’s because we each like to be in control.  We do not like the feeling of finding ourselves dependent on someone else.  But as hard as it is, this is what we are called to do in scripture and is the theme behind the hymn, “Trust and Obey.”

How then do we get past that overwhelming desire to be in control?  How do we obey the Lords commands?  It is a simple, but not always an easy thing.  In Jeremiah 7:23 God says, “Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.” Clearly we are commanded to obey God in what we do, but to blindly obey is not something that comes naturally.  Thankfully, God has not called us to blind obedience.

You see, while obedience is one side of the coin, the other side is trust.  Proverbs 3:5 – 6 tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  You see, the key to obedience, is trusting the one you obey.  This is why Sammis writes, “But we never can prove the delights of His love, Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey.”

Until we are willing to risk that trust and show our obedience, we can never  fully experience the peace that comes from doing so.  Thankfully, the scripture are clear that God can be trusted.  Isaiah 26:4 tells us, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”  God can be trusted because he is the eternal Rock.  He does not change or move.  1 Corinthians 1:9 tells us that “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  God can be trusted because He is faithful.

When we have this trust, then obedience is not as hard.  We know that we can confidently obey Him because we can trust that God is faithful and true (Revelation 19:11)  and that there is with Him no shifting shadow (James 1:17).  When we understand this fully, we can join in the chorus of “Trust and Obey” declaring, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Crown Him With Many Crowns

Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of love, behold His hands and side,
Those wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye at mysteries so bright.

Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed over the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife for those He came to save.
His glories now we sing, who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die.

Crown Him the Lord of Heaven, one with the Father known;
One with the Spirit thru Him giv’n From yonder glorious throne.
To The be endless praise, For Thou for us has died;
Be Thou, O Lord thru endless days Adored and magnified.

Words by Matthew Bridges, 1852 (Vv 1, 2, 4
Words by Godfrey Thring, 1874 (v 3)
Music by George Elvey, 1868

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Revelation 19:11 – 13

But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Hebrew 2:9

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55 – 57

Maybe you”ve known one of those people. You know, the person who seems to win everything. The person who has a whole wall of trophies. The kind of person who just seems to be unstoppable.

Now imagine that person taken to the Nth degree and you will begin to see Jesus as portrayed in “Crown Him With Many Crowns. Thring and Elvey draw this image from Revelation 19 where Jesus is described as wearing “many crowns.” This is a descriptive image, but the first thing that I wonder is, What foes a person need with multiple crowns. I mean, if someone is a King does wearing more than one crown make them more of a King.

When we look more closely at the words of this hymn it begins to be explained. The authors write, “Crown Him the Lord of Love”, “Lord of Life” and “Lord oh Heaven.” You see  the many crowns is not to say that He is that much more a king, but rather that He is King of everything.  Just as one trophy does not make someone the best athlete but a whole wall of trophies in several events indicates that the person is top in many fields.

You see, Jesus is King of all creation. King of the sky, the land and the sea. He is King of Love and Life.  He is the King of glory.  Remember, it says “many crowns.”  The clear implication is that the crowns are too numerous to count.

But let’s look specifically at the third verse listed here:

Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed over the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife for those He came to save.
His glories now we sing, who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die.

He is the King of Life.  Remember that the sin we readily live in leads to death.  But Christ has opened the door to Life.  He is victorious over death.  1 Corinthians 15:57 tells us that God “gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Through Him we know eternal Life. So, in response we praise him as the king of life.

And so, I sing with whole-hearted convict, “Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee, And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.”

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Jesus Paid It All

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
“Jesus Died my soul to save”
my lips shall still repeat
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Words by Elvina M Hall, 1865
Music by John T. Grape, 1865

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Colossians 2:13 – 14

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1 Peter 1:18 – 19

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
Isaiah 1:18

I remember several years ago when we bought our first home. We were so excited. My wife and I had looked around for quite a while. We had two previous attempts fall through because of inspection problems. But now we had it. Our own home.

Then I remember waking up one night wondering, “What have we done! How are we going to afford this?” It’s what they call buyers remorse. It’s that sudden realization of how much debt you have just put yourself into.

It really is a great financial debt to find yourself in, but the reality is that it is nothing compared to the greatest debt we owed.

Genesis chapter 1, verse 27 tells us, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” We were a unique creation, created to be the image of God. But this was not enough for us. We instead chose to follow our own desires. We sought to be the center of our world, and to not give our Creator what was rightfully his. This is sin. To follow actions that place our own desires ahead of Gods.

This sin within us further separated us from God, and left us no way back. But God did not abandon us, instead, He sent his Son and “demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

This is the message of “Jesus Paid It All.” We had a debt that we put ourselves into, a debt we could not pay. But Christ paid it on our behalf. Colossians 2:13 – 14 tells us, “ He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us” Jesus paid the debt we could not. It was in this realization that Hall wrote the words, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.” You see we went from being unable to pay a debt that eternally separated from God, to being given a gift that does not need to be repaid. “All to Him I owes.”

It is in the profound realization of this truth that I sing the words of the last verse, ““Jesus Died my soul to save” my lips shall still repeat.

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Jesus is Calling

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.
Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Words and Music by Will L. Thompson, 1880

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28 – 30

Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
Isaiah 40:2

 

One of the things that I remember from growing up on a dairy farm was that we had a lot of cats. Now the truth is that not all of the cats lived on our farm, but as my dad would pour the remaining milk drained from the pipes into a pan outside the barn they would all come running. But some of the cats did live on the farm, and that meant we had kittens. The mother cats would find all kinds of places to have their kittens and you never knew where you would find them.

Now, when you did find them you had to gently coax them out. You would kneel down to the ground, to make yourself appear smaller. You would then call to them in a soft, gentle voice so as not to startle them. And then you had to be patient.

As I sing the words of “Softly and Tenderly” a similar image comes to mind. You see, we are so caught up in our own issues that we fail to seek God as we should. But thankfully, God does not simply sit back and wait for us  As Will Thompson writes, “Softly and tenderly, Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me.”

You see God reaches out to us, but He chooses not to force us to follow. He wants us to come to Him on our own. So he patiently waits for us to respond to His call. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

But this does not mean that we have forever to respond. Peter goes on to write in verse 10, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.”, that is, without warning. If we wait to long, then the time will come, when will no longer be able to respond. So Thompson writes, “Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing, Passing from you and from me; Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming, Coming for you and for me.”

God is patient, and forgiving, if we will only respond to His call. This hymn goes on to declare this truth, “Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon, Pardon for you and for me.”

So whether we are so busy with our own interest that we fail to hear Him, or we are so weighed down by life trials that we fail to see Him, He is calling to us. Jesus told us in Matthew 11:28 – 30, ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

He wants us to know the peace that comes only from Him. The peace and comfort that comes from being held in the Father’s arms. The rest that can only be found at our true home. I am reminded of this and comforted by the words of the chorus, “Come home, come home, You who are weary, come home; Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling, Calling, O sinner, come home!”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Just A Closer Walk With Thee

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Words and Music Unknown, Unknown Date

 

The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
Psalm 145:18

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

 

Having raised three children, one of the things that became clear early on is that children like to be able to do things themselves. Something like zipping up your child’s coat. You have done it since they were born, but the inevitable day comes when thy say, “I do it myself.”

As adult’s we really don’t change. We like to do things ourselves. And even when we struggle, the last thing we want to do is admit that we need help. But the fact is that we do need help sometimes, in fact we need help quite often.

This is the message behind “Just A Closer Walk With Thee.” The author starts with that statement that is so hard for us to admit, “I am weak.” This flies in the face of who we are. Not only is it ingrained in us from birth, but society has reinforced in us the idea that weakness is a bad thing, that we always need to give the appearance of strength.

But the fact is that we are indeed weak. As much as we may want to do everything ourselves, we can’t. We need help. So where do we turn? We may turn to family or friends, and this is not a bad thing. Family and true friends should always be willing to give that helping hand, even if it is simply to bounce our thoughts off of. But as helpful as they are, they too are limited in what they can do.

So where do we turn? When we look back at children we find the answer. You see, that child who strongly protest, “I do it myself.” will also be the child who becomes fearful and panicked when they lose sight of their parent. You see, as much as they want to do things themselves, it is their parents that they make them feel safe.

This is where we turn, to our Father in heaven The hymn goes on to say, “but thou art strong.” God is our strength. In Isaiah 41:10 God tells us, “I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This is why Paul writes in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

It is God alone who can give us the strength we need to make it through each day. The author declares in the second verse, “Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares?” He answers his own question with, “None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.”

It is by keeping ourselves near to God, that we find this strength. Psalm 145:18 tells us, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” And James tells us in chapter 4 verse 8, to “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

Our strength comes from God, and comes by walking close to Him. So, I make the chorus of this hymn my prayer, “Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Justified Fully

O what a wonderful, wonderful day –
day I will never forget;
After I’d wandered in darkness away,
Jesus my Savior I met.
O what a tender, compassionate friend –
He met the need of my heart;
Shadows dispelling, With joy I am telling,
He made all the darkness depart.
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross the Savior made me whole;
My sins were washed away –
And my night was turned to day –
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!

Born of the Spirit with life from above
into God’s fam’ly divine,
Justified fully thru Calvary’s love,
O what a standing is mine!
And the transaction so quickly was made
when as a sinner I came,
Took of the offer of grace He did proffer –
He saved me, O praise His dear name!
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross the Savior made me whole;
My sins were washed away –
And my night was turned to day –
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!

Now I’ve a hope that will surely endure
after the passing of time;
I have a future in heaven for sure,
there in those mansions sublime.
And it’s because of that wonderful day
when at the cross I believed;
Riches eternal and blessings supernal
from His precious hand I received.
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,
When at the cross the Savior made me whole;
My sins were washed away –
And my night was turned to day –
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!

Words and Music by John W. Peterson, 1961

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

. . . For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
Romans 3:21 – 26, 28 – 30

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
Romans 5:1

 

“Oh what a wonderful, wonderful day, day I will never forget.”  This hymn written by John Peterson is definitely a fun song to sing.  The rolling melody is filled with joy and energy to the point that the music itself portrays the same feeling that is given with the words.  And the chorus is readily recognizable to people.

But as I sing this hymn, it is the second verse that strikes me with such important and profound truths.  Peterson writes, “Justified fully thru Calvary’s love.”  This is the great gift of salvation.  We have been justified, that is, we have been made right in our standing before God.  But how has that happened.  Romans 3:24 tells us that “all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”  We are justified, made right, because God has shown us His grace through His Son, Jesus Christ.  He alone is our source of redemption.

What is more, Paul goes on to write, in verse 28, “a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.” You see, there are no actions, or good things we can do, which will justify us before God.  It is only by believing in Jesus Christ that we can be made right before God.  What is more, it is not a long and arduous process to receive this.  It is not something that happens over a long period of time.  No it happens the moment we choose to believe.  As Peterson writes it, “And the transaction so quickly was made, when as a sinner I came, Took of the offer of grace He did proffer – He saved me, O praise His dear name!”

Paul goes on to write in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  All that has separated us from God had been removed.  We can now freely stand before Him.  So I sing with a renewed vigor and joy, the words of the third verse.

“Now I’ve a hope that will surely endure
after the passing of time;
I have a future in heaven for sure,
there in those mansions sublime.
And it’s because of that wonderful day
when at the cross I believed;
Riches eternal and blessings supernal
from His precious hand I received.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Uncategorized, Worship

Savior, Like A Shepherd Lead Us

Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use Thy folds prepare.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

We are Thine, Thou dost befriend us, be the guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray.

Thou hast promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be;
Thou hast mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse and power to free.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.

Early let us seek Thy favor, early let us do Thy will;
Blessed Lord and only Savior, with Thy love our bosoms fill.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.

Words by Dorothy A. Thrupp, 1836
William B. Bradbury, 1859

 

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
John 10:1 – 18

 

One of the many things I miss about my childhood is growing up on a farm. To have wide open spaces and animals all around. We had dairy cattle, pigs, ducks, chickens, turkeys, a pony, a couple of miniature mules and three or four sheep.

I love working with animals. But, as anyone with a pet, let alone a who farm knows, animals are a great responsibility. You have to feed them, clean up after them and watch over them. You not only want to meet their needs, but you are seeking to keep them safe as well. You lead them to food and along safe routes. You care for them when they are sick and you keep away dangers.

Historically this is the role that a Shepherd fulfilled, and this is the image that Dorothy Thrupp draws upon in her hymn, “Savior, Like A Shepherd Lead Us.” The theme is found through out scripture and is an incredible picture of Christ relationship to us.

Thrupp writes, “Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care; In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use Thy folds prepare.” The message reminds us of the fact that in and of ourselves, we will not do what is best for us. We need Jesus care to watch over us, protect us and to meet our needs.

She continues with the imagery as she writes, “Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray.” For the sheep, it was the wolf that was a danger and the shepherd stood guard, ready to fight off any that came. For us, it is sin that is the danger we must beware of. The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 12 verse 1 that we need to rid ourselves of “the sin that so easily entangles.” Yes, sin is the danger we face, and it is Christ who stands guard. It is Christ who gives us the strength to stand against sin.

Even so, at times we still wander from the path that Christ our shepherd has laid out for us. When this happens he comes to find us as the shepherd in Luke 15:4 who leaves the 99 to find the one who has become lost.

Thrupp now sets aside her imagery of the Shepherd to speak straight to our situations. She writes, “Thou hast promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be; Thou hast mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse and power to free.” None of us is perfect. More accurately, we are anything but good people. But as sinful and lost as we are, Christ is willing to accept us. But beyond his willingness to accept us, he is able to make us clean and to forgive us for our sins. He is able to make us new, to set us free.

Isaiah 53:6 tells us, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way.” This is who we are. When we are left to our own devices, we wander away. But God placed our failings on Christ. He took our place. The rest of Isaiah 53:6 tells us, “and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Christ is our Shepherd and our Savior. He alone can make us new. It is out of thankfulness for Christ loving sacrifice that I sing the final words of this hymn, “Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast loved us, love us still.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Yet One O’er All The Earth

The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her
And for her life He died.

She is from every nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation,
One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses,
With every grace endued.

‘Mid toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore;
Till, with the vision glorious,
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won,
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
Like them, the meek and lowly,
On high may dwell with Thee

Words by Samuel J. Stone, 1866
Music by Samuel S. Wesley, 1864

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
1 Peter 2:4 – 6

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:4-6

 

Have you ever helped build a structure.  No matter how small the structure, one of the things that is needed is a good foundation.  I helped build a pergola, which is simply corner post and cross slats on the top.  Still, we were required to lay four foot deep concrete footings.  Why? Because the strength of the building is dependent on a solid foundation.

A church building is no different, and just as the church building needs a solid foundation, so the Church, the body of believers, needs a solid foundation.  In his song, “The Churches One Foundation” Samuel Stone tells us what that foundations is.  He writes, “The Churches one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord.”  This image comes straight from the Bible in Ephesians 2:20 where we are told that “Christ Jesus himself (is) the chief cornerstone.”

But as I continue through this hymn, it is the second verse that we too often forget.  Our foundation is Christ, but the Church reaches far beyond my local congregation.  Stone writes, “She is from every nation, Yet one o’er all the earth.” harkening us back to the words of Revelation 7:9, “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”  Too often we fail to see beyond the walls of our local church. We forget that the church is far beyond this.

He goes on to write, “Her charter of salvation, One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy Name she blesses, Partakes one holy food, And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued.” Going past the building walls, going past the denominational walls,  the body of Christ is one.  I am drawn to Ephesians 4:4 – 6 where Paul writes, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Too often we let our difference divide us, forgetting what we have in common.  There is indeed, “One Lord, one faith and one hope.”  All of this growing from our one foundation, Jesus Christ in whom and with whom we are unified into one body.

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Words by Augustus M. Toplady, 1776
Music by Thomas Hastings, 1830

“For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
‘I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.’”
Psalm 18

Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.
Isaiah 26:4

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:1-2

But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
John 19:33 – 34

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved
Acts 4:12

Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a great storm. I remember growing up in an area where tornadoes were not uncommon. When the storm warning came we would seek shelter in a small basement room constructed of concrete block walls with a concrete floor. This is where we found ourselves the time our farm was hit by a major storm. It took down trees and leveled our barn. Our house was not touched, save for a tree that fell against it, but it could easily have done worse. It was clear why we sought shelter in a secure solid location.

Now we transfer this image to something stronger and older. The mountains themselves. When the storm comes, where can we find shelter. We seek an opening, a cleft in the rock for our protection. Here is the imagery drawn on by Toplady in his hymn, “Rock of Ages.”

Toplady write, “Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.” He responds to the storm of life that we all find ourselves in and where we can turn for shelter.  That shelter is in the “Rock of Ages”, but what is the Rock of Ages.  Isaiah 26:4 holds the answer where it reads, “Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.”  God is the Rock of Ages. It is in Him that we find shelter for any storm.  In Psalm 91:1 we read, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’”

But it is not simply the troubles of life that are the source of the storms, it is the sin we find ourselves in.  Sins that separate us from God.  This is why he goes on to say, “Let the water and the blood, From Thy wounded side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure; Save from wrath and make me pure.” A direct reference to Christ crucifixion.  John 19:33-34 says, “But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.”  It is for this reason that he died on the cross. Our rescue from the storm of our sin can be found in Christ alone, as Acts 4:12 states, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

Toplady goes on to present that there is nothing we can do that will lead to salvation.  There is nothing we can bring before God that would warrant our acceptance.  It is only through the cross of Christ, that we can find the forgiveness of our sins.  When the day comes that we stand before the judgement throne, we may stand only in the shelter of Christ.  So we cry out to God with the words that start and end this hymn, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

And Can It Be, That I Should Gain

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Words by Charles Wesley,1738
Music by Thomas Campbell, 1825

 

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:12 – 17

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Romans 8:1

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrew 4:14 – 16

 

What is a friend? You can get a variety of answers to this question. Definitions can range from those you know closely to people you have met in passing. So what is a friend?

True friends, are those in whom you can trust. Jesus told His disciples in John 15:14, “You are my friends if you do what I command.” Jesus calls His followers friends. Now before we think he may be using this term in a broad sweeping sense, step back one verse to John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” This is certainly not the act of a casual friend.

When we stop to think about this, it is a staggering reality. Jesus calls us friends. Jesus laid down his life for us. Jesus, the incarnate Son of God. Who are we that he would do this? This is the question asked by Charles Wesley in “And Can It Be.”

The opening line reads, “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood?” Why should I receive such a wondrous gift. It is not simply a case of who am I, but the reality that I do not deserve it. Wesley goes on to write “Died He for me, who caused His pain, For me, who Him to death pursued?” Not only do we not deserve such a wondrous gift, but we were the cause of His very suffering and death.

But again we are drawn back to Jesus words, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” So Wesley writes, “Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

Through His sacrifice we have been made new and Christ has opened the door into God’s presence. So we join with the words of Wesley, “No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine; Alive in Him, my living Head, And clothed in righteousness divine, Bold I approach th’eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own. Bold I approach th’eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own.”

 

 

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