One More Story
I've decided to close out the week with this story about a hymn that has sustained people of faith. Sacred Scripture displays a sincere confidence in the stability of God’s providential care. In fact, the confidence displayed in Psalm 46 served as the inspiration for today’s hymn. While there is little known about the exact authorship of the hymn “How Firm a Foundation,” there is a certainty in the language that everyone deserves to read:
“How firm a foundation, you saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in God’s excellent Word!
What more can God say than to you He has said—
To you, who for refuge to Him have now fled.
“Fear not, I am with you—O be not dismayed,
For I am your God, I will still give you aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my gracious, omnipotent hand.
“When thru the deep waters thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee—
I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.”
Life can be demanding —in our work and in our play we will need to call forth the very best of the gifts we possess. There is a firm foundation for us to stand on as we go through life. Stand on that firm foundation today!
Prayer: Strong, caring God, plant my feet firmly on your foundation and help me to live life confidently, relying on your strength. Amen.
--Ben Keckler
07.10.09
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Daily Devotion - Thursday, July 9
Another Old Hymn Story
Here is a story about a hymn that has sustained people of faith for several centuries! On the other side of the Atlantic in the country of Wales (about 1740), there was a young preacher named Howell Harris. He inspired William Williams to change his career from medicine to ministry. Williams traveled by horseback across the countryside of Wales, logging over 100,000 miles in his 43 years of ministry.
The hymn “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” was inspired by William’s preaching and addresses the theme of God’s guidance in our daily living. The text draws on the imagery of the wilderness journey of the Hebrew people:
“Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, pilgrim thru 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.
“Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through;
Strong Deliverer, strong deliverer, be Thou still my strength and shield.
“When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside;
Bear me thru the swelling current; land me safe on Canaan’s side:
Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee.”
Today is another day we need guidance from the One who is our rock and our fortress. Today is another day where we may encounter persons with anxious fears or persons who are looking for a healing stream to replenish their aching soul. Rest assured that God will strengthen you for your work. May songs of praises flow from deep within you throughout the day!
--Ben Keckler
07.09.09
Here is a story about a hymn that has sustained people of faith for several centuries! On the other side of the Atlantic in the country of Wales (about 1740), there was a young preacher named Howell Harris. He inspired William Williams to change his career from medicine to ministry. Williams traveled by horseback across the countryside of Wales, logging over 100,000 miles in his 43 years of ministry.
The hymn “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” was inspired by William’s preaching and addresses the theme of God’s guidance in our daily living. The text draws on the imagery of the wilderness journey of the Hebrew people:
“Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, pilgrim thru 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.
“Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through;
Strong Deliverer, strong deliverer, be Thou still my strength and shield.
“When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside;
Bear me thru the swelling current; land me safe on Canaan’s side:
Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee.”
Today is another day we need guidance from the One who is our rock and our fortress. Today is another day where we may encounter persons with anxious fears or persons who are looking for a healing stream to replenish their aching soul. Rest assured that God will strengthen you for your work. May songs of praises flow from deep within you throughout the day!
--Ben Keckler
07.09.09
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Daily Devotion - Wednesday, July 8
A Look at Some Old Hymns
I'd like to share some stories about various hymns that have sustained people of faith. One of the Jewish psalms that is thousands of years old, served to inspire Isaac Watts, the father of English hymnody, to write the hymn “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.” Watts, who lived from 1674 to 1748, penned words for more than 600 hymns. His 260 year-old text still makes sense today:
"O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.
"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 life shall last, and our eternal home."
The mystery of how our lives fit in the continuum of time will always be with us. Watts expressed certainty in a Creator who is present and active in life. As the years continue to go by, it is clear the vast majority of people still believe that God is actively involved in life. May your day be filled with a deepened confidence in the One who is from everlasting to everlasting.
--Ben Keckler
07.08.09
I'd like to share some stories about various hymns that have sustained people of faith. One of the Jewish psalms that is thousands of years old, served to inspire Isaac Watts, the father of English hymnody, to write the hymn “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.” Watts, who lived from 1674 to 1748, penned words for more than 600 hymns. His 260 year-old text still makes sense today:
"O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.
"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 life shall last, and our eternal home."
The mystery of how our lives fit in the continuum of time will always be with us. Watts expressed certainty in a Creator who is present and active in life. As the years continue to go by, it is clear the vast majority of people still believe that God is actively involved in life. May your day be filled with a deepened confidence in the One who is from everlasting to everlasting.
--Ben Keckler
07.08.09
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Daily Devotion - Tuesday, July 7
Where Are You Looking These Days?
“Never look down to test the ground
Before taking your next step:
Only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon
Will find his right road.”
--Markings by Dag Hammarskjold
Former Secretary-General of the United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold was a person of incredible insight. His spiritual diary, Markings, is filled with some pretty remarkable statements, statements that demand some attention. Today’s quote is intended to remind us of a vision we need to claim.
These words seem helpful as I write my final patriotic reflection for the past July 4th holiday. During this past year many of us (probably all of us) have spent quite a bit of time looking down and testing the ground. One way of describing the world's post 9/11 lifestyle is that people are consumed looking for the land mines that might be hidden right in front of us!
Hammarskjold reminds us that “getting on the right road” requires vision, vision into the distant tomorrows. What are the dreams you are dreaming? What work are you doing now because your eye is fixed on a far-horizon dream?
The old Hebrew hymn, Psalm 8, finds the author looking to the Lord and praising the majestic name of God. The writer looks at the wonder and the marvel of creation, finding in the creation a God who cares. It seems there is a distant horizon out there where peace is a reality. It seems there is a distant horizon where creation is singing the same song. It seems there is a world where there can be sharing by all and scarcity for none.
Working toward sustaining a global village where there is such hope may be a far horizon but it is the deepest patriotic thing that we can do. Hope you had a blessed 4th of July.
Prayer: God of all creation, help me to look up and see the far horizon that you’ve placed before all of us. Amen.
--Ben Keckler
07.07.09
“Never look down to test the ground
Before taking your next step:
Only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon
Will find his right road.”
--Markings by Dag Hammarskjold
Former Secretary-General of the United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold was a person of incredible insight. His spiritual diary, Markings, is filled with some pretty remarkable statements, statements that demand some attention. Today’s quote is intended to remind us of a vision we need to claim.
These words seem helpful as I write my final patriotic reflection for the past July 4th holiday. During this past year many of us (probably all of us) have spent quite a bit of time looking down and testing the ground. One way of describing the world's post 9/11 lifestyle is that people are consumed looking for the land mines that might be hidden right in front of us!
Hammarskjold reminds us that “getting on the right road” requires vision, vision into the distant tomorrows. What are the dreams you are dreaming? What work are you doing now because your eye is fixed on a far-horizon dream?
The old Hebrew hymn, Psalm 8, finds the author looking to the Lord and praising the majestic name of God. The writer looks at the wonder and the marvel of creation, finding in the creation a God who cares. It seems there is a distant horizon out there where peace is a reality. It seems there is a distant horizon where creation is singing the same song. It seems there is a world where there can be sharing by all and scarcity for none.
Working toward sustaining a global village where there is such hope may be a far horizon but it is the deepest patriotic thing that we can do. Hope you had a blessed 4th of July.
Prayer: God of all creation, help me to look up and see the far horizon that you’ve placed before all of us. Amen.
--Ben Keckler
07.07.09
Monday, July 6, 2009
Daily Devotion - Monday, July 6
Not Ready To Forget Independence Weekend
“This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From California to the New York Island,
From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters,
This land was made for you and me.”
From the time the Declaration of Independence set in motion the United States of America to this present day when we celebrate that declaration, the expansive boundaries of our land have invited people of the world to come and participate in this movement of freedom. Our history contains dark moments and moments when freedom’s torch burned with brilliance.
This holiday weekend I hope you spent some time thinking about the multitude of blessings you experience in this land. Today is also a day to spend time asking yourself questions about how you can make this land of opportunity a better “melting pot” for all people. Today is also a day to give thanks for founding fathers, for dedicated women and men, for leaders who carry forth the drumbeat of freedom.
This is a day which God has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Prayer: God whose blessings are more than I deserve, accept my thanks for this land and the freedom that I enjoy. Amen.
--Ben Keckler
07.06.09
“This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From California to the New York Island,
From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters,
This land was made for you and me.”
From the time the Declaration of Independence set in motion the United States of America to this present day when we celebrate that declaration, the expansive boundaries of our land have invited people of the world to come and participate in this movement of freedom. Our history contains dark moments and moments when freedom’s torch burned with brilliance.
This holiday weekend I hope you spent some time thinking about the multitude of blessings you experience in this land. Today is also a day to spend time asking yourself questions about how you can make this land of opportunity a better “melting pot” for all people. Today is also a day to give thanks for founding fathers, for dedicated women and men, for leaders who carry forth the drumbeat of freedom.
This is a day which God has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Prayer: God whose blessings are more than I deserve, accept my thanks for this land and the freedom that I enjoy. Amen.
--Ben Keckler
07.06.09
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
