Thoughts for Consideration

Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Man of Sorrows

Man of Sorrows! what a name
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
“Full atonement!” can it be?
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;
“It is finished!” was His cry;
Now in Heav’n exalted high.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew His song we’ll sing:
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Words and Music by Philip P. Bliss, 1875

“He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:3 – 5

We all have certain images that we carry in our mind when we here the name Jesus. For most it is probably the image of the baby lying in the manger. Not surprising, after all, for at least two months a year we have this image driven home to us. Understand me, there is nothing wrong with this. It is our reminder that He was God incarnate, God become flesh, who entered the world in the same way every one of us has. But Jesus did not always remain a child. In short, He grew up.

Maybe for some it is the miracle worker, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind and raising the dead. Again, this is a reminder that while he was man, he was also God and commanded everything. Some think of the triumphant King who entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. And some think of the resurrected Christ who ascended to the right hand of the Father.

But there is one we often fail to think about, maybe even intentionally avoid. The atoning sacrifice who suffered because of our sinfulness. Who gave His life on the Cross that we might be offered new life. This is the Jesus remembered by Philip Bliss in his hymn “Hallelujah, What A Savior.”

The opening line says it all, “Man of sorrows!, What a name for the Son of God who came.” Why would Jesus be called “a man of sorrows?”

This name comes from Isaiah 53:3. Isaiah 53 presents not a Savior King, but a suffering servant.

This flew in the face of all that Israel expected. They awaited a King who would defeat their enemies, and establish His kingdom forever. And really, wouldn’t we all. Why would God send His anointed to suffer and die.

But this was the victory. As Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Jesus victory was not against the immediate oppressors of this world , but rulers of this dark world.  He defeated sin and death so that we might know eternal life.

Yes Jesus was the baby we remember, but He is so much more.  We need to remember the dark moments in Christ life and realize that He willingly went through them that we might know Him.  So we join together in the last triumphant verse of Philip Bliss’ hymn, “When He comes, our glorious King, All His ransomed home to bring, Then anew His song we’ll sing, Hallelujah! What a Savior!”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Theology, Worship

Tell Me The Story Of Jesus

Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels in chorus,
Sang as they welcomed His birth.
“Glory to God in the highest!
Peace and good tidings to earth.”
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.

Fasting alone in the desert,
Tell of the days that are past.
How for our sins He was tempted,
Yet was triumphant at last.
Tell of the years of His labor,
Tell of the sorrow He bore.
He was despised and afflicted,
Homeless, rejected and poor.
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,
Writhing in anguish and pain.
Tell of the grave where they laid Him,
Tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender,
Clearer than ever I see.
Stay, let me weep while you whisper,
Love paid the ransom for me.
Tell me the story of Jesus,
Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,
Sweetest that ever was heard.

Words by Fanny Crosby, 1880
Music by John R. Sweney, 1880

 

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:8 – 14

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
Luke 4:1 – 2

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
Luke 4:13

“Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
Matthew 8:20

There they crucified him, and with him two others–one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
John 19:18

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures
1 Corinthians 15:3-4

 

One of the many fond memories I have of growing up was sitting around as my mother would read The Hardy Boys Mysteries. Now I love reading, but there is something about being told a story that makes it come to life.

Stories have been used for generations to teach lessons, to pass down history and to communicate truths. Why? Because they open up our minds. We are not bound by cold facts, but rather by facts that are living and exciting.

And so the words of Fanny Crosby ring true to each of us. “Tell me the story of Jesus.” But this is not simply a story to be entertained with, this is a story that she wants to be foundational for her life, so she declares, “write on my heart every word.”

She then goes on to lay out a simple creed, not unlike the apostles creed. She leads us from Christ birth, through His resurrection. To follow Christ, we need to know who he is. Crosby lays out the basic truths of who he is and what he has done. So I join with Fanny Crosby and so many others, with the words, “Tell me the story of Jesus.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name

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.

Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race,
ye 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 kindred, every tribe
on this terrestrial ball,
to Him all majesty ascribe,
and crown Him Lord of all.
To Him all majesty ascribe,
and crown Him Lord of all.

O that with yonder 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.

Written by Edward Perronet, 1779
Music by Oliver Holden, 1793
Music by James Ellor, 1838

 

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,saying: “Amen! Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
Revelation 7:9 – 12

 “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. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”
Revelation 7:29

“What is in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other names, would smell as sweet.”  I remember studying Romeo and Juliet in high school.  For extra credit, I memorized large portions of the play and this line was one of them.  The idea is that a name does not matter, it is what is inside that matters.  This is a great point from a western mentality, but from other cultures, including those in biblical times, a name is a powerful thing.  Some believe that there is power in a name.

Is this the case for Jesus?  Is it just a name or is there something more to it?  Let’s look at a few scriptures concerning the name of Jesus.

Jesus said in John 14:13, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” Philippians 2:9 – 11 says that, “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”  And Matthew 1:21 says, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus, the name was given to Joseph by an angel.  But it is a name of significance in the History of Israel.  Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua (Yeshua).  Its meaning is savior or deliverer.  Joshua was the one who delivered Israel into the promised land.  So the angel instructed Joseph to name the child Mary was carrying, Deliverer “because he will save his people from their sins.”

The significance of the name Jesus is found in its meaning, but the power of the name is found in the one who bears it.  It is not simply that Jesus is a powerful name, if that were the case I know a fair number of people who would have great power.  No, it is not the name Jesus, it is that the name Jesus was borne by the the Son of God.  You see, the fact is that Shakespeare was not so far off.  It is not the specific name that matter, it is the Savior behind the name.  So whether you call him Jesus, Gesu, Yeshua, Isa, or one of the other translations of the name Jesus it does not matter.  It is the Savior who has the power to save.  It is the Savior before whom “EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

In light of this, I find new meaning in the words of Edward Perronet’s hymn “All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name.”  For this reason, when I look all the mighty works Jesus has done.  When I realize that magnitude of His being my savior, I look forward to the day when “with yonder 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.

Oliver Holden Melody

 

James Ellor Melody

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing

O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer’s praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!

Jesus! the Name that charms our fears
and bids our sorrows cease;
’tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’tis life and health and peace.

He speaks, and listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive;
the mournful broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.

Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold, your Savior come;
and leap, ye lame, for joy!

My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim
and spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy Name.

Written by Charles Wesley, 1739
Music by Carl G. Glaser, 1828

 

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11

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. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
Revelation 7:29

It is hard to imagine what it will be like.  I have had the opportunity to sing in many different settings in different countries.  I have had the opportunity to sing solos, to sing with small groups and to sing in choirs.  But one of the opportunities that will always stick with me was attending a Promise Keepers conference and having the opportunity to be one voice among thousands and thousands.  You see, the excitement was not how beautiful it sounded, but the realization that I was part of something that big.

This is the vision that Charles Wesley presents to us in “O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing.”  Wesley presents us with the vision of a mass choir of voices joined together in worship of our Savior.  This image lends itself to our understanding of the vision presented to us in Revelation 7:29 when John write of seeing “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

This image is almost beyond imagination, but if that is not enough, what really strikes me is found in the fourth verse where we find these words.  “Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb, your loosened tongues employ; ye blind, behold, your Savior come; and leap, ye lame, for joy!”

You see this worship of Jesus will not be limited simply to those who are good singers.  It will not even be limited to those who can sing and hear.  No, it will include all.  To worship God brings us beyond our limitations.  It brings us to do what would seem impossible.  This is how we are driven by the love and passion for God.

So, in my humble attempt to worship God I lean on Wesley’s word when he writes, “My gracious Master and my God, assist me to proclaim and spread through all the earth abroad the honors of thy Name.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

To God Be The Glory

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

Words by Fanny J. Crosby, 1870
Music by W. Howard Doane, 1870

 

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Galatians 1:3 – 5

I have worked with youth for the better part of 20 years. Some of these have been as a supervisor at work. Some of these have been as a youth group leader in the church. Some of these have been as a Chaplain and an Assistant Scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America. And most recently it has been as a Trail Master with Trail Life USA. What I have seen in each of these is that youth like to be recognized for their accomplishments. They like to have the nod of a head, the pat on the back or the word of congratulations.

Now this of course this is youth, but as adults we are no different. While we may not do things for the recognition, it is always nice to have a pat on the back or a “well done.” After all we have put all this work into something, it is reasonable that we should get some recognition. When we do not get the recognition, then we start to feel under appreciated. We feel as though no one cares. In fact, the only thing worse that not getting recognized is when we do all the work and someone else gets the recognition. Any of us who have ever been an employee have probably found times when our supervisor or a coworker gets the credit for all we have done. How frustrating this can be.

Now if we think we deserve to get that recognition how much more does God deserve recognition for what He has done. This is what Fanny Crosby lays before us in her hymn, “To God Be The Glory.” Here she worships and praise God not simply because He is God (which is a valid enough reason in and of itself) but because of what He has done. In this case she draws us to God’s greatest accomplishment.

She writes, “So loved He the world that he gave us His Son, Who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life gate that all may go in.” John chapter three verse sixteen tells us, “God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believed in Him would not die, but have eternal life.” Surely this is the greatest thing God has done. But no, Crosby tells us further that” The vilest offender who truly believes, That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.”

This gift is not simply for those who are “good” people, those who give an appearance of righteousness. It is for everyone. You see, those of us who now follow Christ at one time were no different than that “vilest offender” , and without Christ would be there today. A point Paul drives home 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 when he writes, “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

In Christ we have been made new. In Christ we may come before the Father no matter what we have done. So I join with the words of Fanny Crosby, “Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice! O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, And give Him the glory, great things He has done.”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

All Creatures Of Our God And King

All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voices, let us sing:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beams,
u silver moon that gently gleams,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise him, Alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
ye lights of evening, find a voice,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

And all ye men of tender heart,
forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
praise God and on him cast your care:
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, Three in One:
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Words by St. Francis of Assisi, ca. 1225
Music by Peter von Brachel, 1623

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
“Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”
Psalm 19:1 – 4

“When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Luke 19:37 – 40

There is nothing like singing in worship with other. Whether it is Sunday morning or sitting around a campfire. I had the opportunity a few years back to attend a Christian event at Soldier Field.  That was quite an experience to sing in worship with more that 50,000 other people.  But that is why we are here, to glorify God.   We read in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”  And Colossians 1:6 tells us “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”  And additionally in Isaiah 43:6-7 God says, “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”  We were created to glorify God.

But we are not the only ones created to glorify God.  This is what all of creation does.  Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” And Psalm 19:1 declares, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”  Nature glorifies God through its very being, and we are no different.

He concludes his writing by declaring that our worship is to the whole Godhead, that is the Trinity (Matthew 28:19) when he writes, “Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, and praise the Spirit, Three in One.”  It is worship of God is His entirety.

So St. Francis calls us to truly glorify God, when he write “All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your voices, let us sing.”  So let us join with all creation, declaring the Glory of God.

 

 

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Bonus video version by Fernando Ortega

Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

How Thy Wonders Are Displayed

I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes Thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;
While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care;
And everywhere that we can be, Thou, God art present there.

Words by Isaac Watts, 1715
Music by Anonymous, ca. 1784

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.”
Genesis 1:31

A couple of my favorite activities are camping and hiking. Among the reasons is that I love the outdoors. I love to see the scenery. I love to get away from the business of daily life and spend time out in nature, even if only for a couple of days.

This change of pace and being surrounded by nature has another benefit as well. I begin to fully appreciate God’s creation. While, yes, I can consider creation in other settings, there is something about taking the time away from everything else and loosing all the distractions that allows me to fully consider Genesis 1.

It is at these times that the words of Issac Watts hymn, “I Sing The Mighty Power Of God” gain some of their fullest meaning. The concept of God as the creator of everything becomes more than simply an intellectual belief, it becomes tangible. And so I join my voice with so many who have come before declaring, “Lord, how thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye.

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

This Is My Father’s World

100_0262This is my Father’s world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world:
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas–
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father’s world:
The birds their carols raise,
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world:
He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world:
O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world:
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King: let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let earth be glad! 

Written by Maltbie D. Babcock, 1901
Music by Franklin L. Sheppard, 1915 (based on a traditional English tune)

 

“Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Romans 1:19 – 20

 

This world can really seem messed up when we look around. Take a look at the evening news and you will see what I am talking about. It seems that most, if not all of the stories are about something going wrong. War, murder, crime, famine, disease and more. These are what we are so often presented with. Why should it then surprise us when people do not believe that there is any hope out there.

But when we take an honest look at the world around us, we can begin to see something different. We see majestic mountains. We see the beautiful colors of the fall foliage. We hear the sweet song of birds in the early morning hours.

As we look at the incredible existence of this world we are struck by the incredible balance of our world in the cosmos. A world that is kept in balance. It sits close enough to the sun to provide warmth for life, but it sits far enough away to not burn up. It contains all that is needed for life. The seasons flow from one to another without fail.

When we look a the inhabitants of this world, we may see the problems that are listed, but we also begin to see compassion for one another. With this deeper look, we begin to see not just the ugliness, but a beauty that comes from it’s creator.

This is the message found in “This is My Father’s World.” The world in it’s beauty and majesty stands forth as evidence that God is in control. As Paul wrote in Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Yes, at first look we seem to see the ugliness stand out as though it was the norm, but as Babcock writes, “O let me ne’er forget, that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”

So I choose not to simply see the ugliness of the world, but to be moved with compassion for a world crying out for it’s creator. And so, I declare, “This is my Father’s world: why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! God reigns; let the earth be glad!”

 

 

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Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Every Day, The Lord Himself Is Near Me

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.

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 Power;
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.

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.

Written by Karolina Sandell-Berg, 1865
Music by Oskar Ahnfelt, 1872

 

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:33 – 34

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.
Psalm 68:19

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
2 Corinthians 4:16 – 17

I have had those moments when I wake up in the middle of the night, and it seems my mind kicks into overdrive. I begin thinking about all the things I have to do. I begin to think how am I going to get all of these things done. And I know I am not alone.

It seems all of us find ourselves caught up in worrying about what is to come. Whether it is everything we have to do, how we are going to make ends meet, or concern about friends and family. In each of these the worry about the problems seem to begin to dominate our lives. But the worry gets us no where.

Jesus told us in Matthew 6:34, to “not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Now I am certainly not one to start spouting platitudes like, “let go, let God.” Honestly, these drive me up a wall.  I remember, a few years ago, when I was laid off that this is the kind of thing I would hear from people.  Now, their intentions were good enough but frankly, it was the last thing I wanted to hear.

In my mind I knew that God was there and would take care of me, but I certain did not want people who appeared to have it all together telling me how things weren’t so bad.  

But, after some serious prayer and thought I came to a realization.  What I found was that it was not a case of letting go of the problem, it’s a case of holding onto God. I learned that first and foremost, it was a matter of turning things over to God. You see, It was placing my trust in God first that allowed me to move beyond the stress and anxiety of my situation. When I moved beyond this, it was then that I learned to let go. This is the message of “Day by Day.”

The fact is that we will face worry and stress. We will face troubles that will come our way. But God is there for us. He knows what we need and waits only for us to turn to Him, that we might find the peace that is only available through Him.

So I find truth and solace in the words of Karolina  Sandell-Berg when she writes, “Every day, the Lord Himself is near me with a special mercy for each hour.”

Read more about “Day by Day.”

Brian Olson Devotional, Hymns, Worship

Oh God, Our Help In Ages Past

O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home:

Under the shadow of thy throne,
thy saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting thou art God,
to endless years the same.

A thousand ages in thy sight
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all its sons away;
they fly, forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.

O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
be thou our guide while troubles last,
and our eternal home!

Words by Isaac Watts, 1719
Music by William Croft, 1708

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 11:18-19

Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.
Joel 1:2-3

But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children,
Psalm 103:17

It seems that many Christians and many churches today seem to think they live in a vacuum. We come together and sing our contemporary songs about what Jesus has done for me and how I feel about Him (I am not criticizing contemporary music simply making an observation). We look at what does the Bible say to me in my situation. But we fail to realize an important truth. We are not the first generation of believers.

Now this may seem obvious to us, but stop and think about it. For two-thousand years, Christians have worshiped God and followed Christ. We can then stretch beyond this to thousands of years before as the nation of Israel worshiped God.

Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, Billy Graham and the list can go on. Generation after generation of those who had turned to God. A God who saw them through times of struggle and remained a constant hope.

So, when we forget those who have come before, what happens when we find ourselves facing problems. Many times we feel that we are alone and do not know where to turn. It is especially at these times, that it becomes important that we remember. Remember that the world did not start with our earliest memories. Remember that the God we can turn to is the the God that has been worshiped for years before. The God who is “from everlasting to everlasting.”(Psalm 103:17)

This is the essence of the message of Isaac Watts’ famous paraphrase of Psalm 90, “O God, Our Help In Ages Past.”

You see nothing that we face is new. As Solomon wrote, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) And, if there is indeed nothing new, than God, with whom there is “no shifting shadow” (James 1:17) can be our one true source of hope. For He was before all. When compared with God, “a thousand ages” are as “an evening gone.”

So when troubles come, the words of Isaac Watts ring true. “O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, be thou our guide while troubles last, and our eternal home! ”

 

 

Read more about “Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past.”