The Story of the Hymn, "Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah."

William Williams, a traveling Methodist preacher in Wales ,wrote the well liked hymn, "Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah." Howell Harris, who preached the sermon  God used to call Williams to the ministry in 1738, put together a competition between the revivalists preachers to encourage the writing of Welsh hymns, as he realized that there weren't any. Williams was a gifted poet, and it wasn't long before he and his verses quickly became associated with the Welsh revival.  In 1745, he wrote the above mentioned song in Welsh. Twenty-six years later the hymn was translated into English, and with the translation two more stanzas appeared. One (musing on my habitation) is believed to have been added by Williams, the origin of the other, however, is unknown to me.

[Verse 1]
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah
Pilgrim through this barren land
I am weak, but Thou art mighty
Hold me with Thy powerful hand
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
Feed me till I want no more
Feed me till I want no more

[Verse 2]
Open now the crystal fountain
Where the living waters flow
Let the river of salvation
Follow all the desert through
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield

[Verse 3]
Lord, I trust Thy mighty power
Wondrous are Thy works of old
Thou deliver'st Thine from thraldom
Who for nought themselves had sold:
Thou didst conquer, Thou didst conquer
Sin, and Satan and the grave
Sin, and Satan and the grave

 Verse 4]
When I tread the verge of Jordan
Bid my anxious fears subside
Death of death and hell's destruction
Land me safe on Canaan's side
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee
I will ever give to Thee

[Verse 5]
Musing on my habitation
Musing on my heav'nly home
Fills my soul with holy longings:
Come, my Jesus, quickly come
Vanity is all I see
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
Lord, I long to be with Thee!

Be Kind

Mini Bio of A. B. Simpson (Self Denial)

“We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done.” Psalm 78:4

While I do not fully agree with all of A. B. Simpson's beliefs and stands, I do believe God used him in many ways, and blessed many through him. Even though he has been gone for a few months shy of 100 years the Lord has still used his life to touch me--pretty incredible!  I love good, Bible-based poetry; that, I'm sure is fairly obvious. This man wrote some amazing works because as someone else said (Paul Rader), “He was the greatest heart preacher I ever listened to. He preached out of his own rich dealings with God.”  Simpson was born in Canada, in 1844 to Scottish parents, the father of whom was an elder in the Presbyterian. Saved at fifteen and called to preach, his ministry flourished  since he had learned one key point in the Christian walk. Die to self! This is a very hard, but an absolutely needful step if we're going to be of any good in the service of our Lord.

 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Luke 9:23-24.  

Simpson's health was a long struggle, which he did not conquer in the end, but through it he learned to fully trust and rely on God. It was also said of him by a friend and co-worker (William McAurthor); “His practice was to hush his spirit, and literally cease to think, then in the silence of his soul, he listened for the ‘still small voice’ [of God].” Even Jesus, when he was on this earth went apart often to pray. He fasted 40 days in the wilderness in preparation of His ministry. It brings a smile to my face to think of how much fuller and richer the reaching of the ministry of the saints of God --if they could hush their own will and self and fully surrender to the will and working of Christ. Oh-uh. Smile gone. Stinging reality tells me that that is not the case. A shamefully vast number of the churches of America are carnal. And I'm sad to realize I'm not as spiritually-minded as I need to be.

Simpson's vision for the church should be ours as well. Here is it;

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Romans 8:6-7

"He (the Lord) is showing us the plan for a Christian church that is much more than an association of congenial friends to listen once a week to an intellectual discourse and musical entertainment and carry on by proxy a mechanism of Christian work; but rather a church that can be at once the mother and home of every form of help and blessing which Jesus came to give to lost and suffering men, the birthplace and the home of souls, the fountain of healing and cleansing, the sheltering home for the orphan and distressed, the school for the culture and training of God's children, the armory where they are equipped for the battle of the Lord and the army which fights those battles in His name. Such a center of population in this sad and sinful world!"

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

We're called to be the salt of the earth, a city on a hill, and light in a dark, and dying world. Maybe today we should do some soul searching of our own. Are you walking as close God as you should? Am I?

A. B. Simpson died in October of 1919, but his work, the work of God did not. 

 

"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called," Vocation means mission, purpose, occupation.

"With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." We have to strive to keep the unity of the Spirit. We have fleshy bodies and feelings and without working together to keep it, how can we expect it to keep it itself? Someone said their father marked the verse Psalm 119:165 in his Bible and wrote beside it; "No one can offend me without my consent." Psalm 119:165; "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." Those are wise words. The more we love the Lord and His Word the less friction and greater peace there will be between believers.

Independence Day!

A Nation Divided

by Deborah Smith Plemmons © 2018

"Anti" this and "Anti" that;

This is where America's at.

"We the People" are divided;

A land that's no more united.

Some say we can have an effect,

If we are politic'ly correct.

Whatever we say or do depends

On whether or not it offends.

We've been given "Freedom of Speech";

It's meaning seems diff'rent for each.

When things opposed end in protest,

Most times, it brings about unrest.

Respect the Red, White, and the Blue;

Honoring those in power, too.

When peace prevails by doing right,

It's acceptable in God's sight.

May we seek God and humbly pray,

That we might live to see the day,

When "In God We Trust" is as before,

And we are united once more.

Colossians 4:6

Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye many know how ye ought to answer every man.

The Bible has much to say about speech, sometimes referring specifically to just verbal communication, but often referring to our whole deportment and conduct. It also has a lot to say about how difficult it is for us to control our tongue and how much trouble we can cause with such a "little member."

When I read this verse in my devotions a few days ago, I started thinking about salt and what it has to do with speech. What are some of the functions of salt? How do you season words with salt?

Among other things salt is used to preserve things and to bring flavor out of them, so when we open our mouth to speak we should be asking ourselves if what we are about to say is something that we want to be preserved. Is its "flavor" something that should be seasoned with salt?

In this verse the word grace means that our speech should be beneficial, pleasant, favorable and glorifying to God. It should be a reflection of what should be in our hearts: love for Christ, a desire to point others to Him, and to bring Him glory.

When our speech reflects this kind of heart, it may well be seasoned with salt and be the kind of answer we ought to give to "every man."

This is just what came to mind when meditating on this verse? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.