Hymns #18 - Be Still, My Soul! For God Is Near!

This hymn seems to go well with the current blog topic of spiritual depression.

Be Still, My Soul! For God Is Near!

Be still, my soul! for God is near!
The great High Priest is with thee now;
The Lord of life Himself is near,
Before whose face the angels bow.

To make thy heart His lowly throne
Thy Savior God in love draws nigh;
He gives Himself unto His own,
For whom He once came down to die.

He pleads before the mercy-seat;
He pleads with God, He pleads for thee;
He gives thee bread from Heav’n to eat,
His flesh and blood in mystery.

I come, O Lord! for Thou dost call—
To blend my pleading prayer with Thine;
To Thee I give myself—my all,
And feed on Thee and make Thee mine.

(Words by William D. MacLagan)

A Rich Young Ruler Rejects Salvation

Last night our Bible lesson was the story of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus and asked, "Good sir, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

Jesus answered by asking him why he called Him good, since no one but God is good. Then He asked the man about some of the Ten Commandments, to which the man replied that he had kept all of them since he was a youth. Jesus had compassion on the man, and told him that he lacked only one thing--to sell all he had, give the proceeds to the poor, and come follow Jesus. This troubled the young man very much; he was very rich, and Jesus had hit on the heart of the problem--his love of money and the things it could buy. The ruler decided this sacrifice was too great, and sorrowfully walked away from Jesus and His disciples.

Jesus then commented to His disciples that it was difficult for a rich man to be saved. The disciples were incredulous, as it was believed in that day that riches could buy one's way into heaven. They asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied that with men it was impossible (no one can earn or buy his way into heaven), "But with God, all things are possible."

Rejoice with me today that we can do nothing to earn our way to heaven, but God in His grace sent His Son to die on the cross in our place, so that all who believe in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). And, this gift is free to all who believe (John 1:12). Preach the gospel to yourself every day!

Spiritual Depression - Part 1

I just started reading a book by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones titled Spiritual Depression - Its Causes and Cure. This is from my son's library. A disclaimer about these books I'm using: The fact that I use a book in my blog doesn't mean I agree completely with everything in the book. At the same time, I will do my best to be biblical in what is included here, or at least to say if I disagree with something. Without meaning to be disrespectful, I will refer to Mr. Lloyd-Jones as DML for brevity's sake throughout these posts.

DML starts his first chapter with Psalm 42, verses 5 and 11. Then he states that the simplest way to describe the Psalms is as the inspired prayer and praise book of the nation of Israel. "They are revelations of truth, not abstractly, but in terms of human experience. The truth revealed is wrought into the emotions, desires, and sufferings of the people of God by the circumstances through which they pass." (p. 9; note--he has a single quotation mark around this, but no footnote, so not sure why the quotes)

Because of this description, the Psalms have always been a great source of encouragement and solace to the people of God--both Israel and the Church.

"Here we are able to watch noble souls struggling with their problems and with themselves. They talk to themselves and to their souls, baring their hearts, analysing their problems, chiding and encouraging themselves. Sometimes they are elated, at other times depressed, but they are always honest with themselves. That is why they are of such real value to us if we also are honest with ourselves." (p. 9)

His purpose in looking at this psalm is to find out why the psalmist is unhappy and in trouble. Psalm 42:5 and 11:

Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
and why art thou disquieted in me?
hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise
Him for the help of His countenance.

Why are thou cast down, O my soul?
and why art thou disquieted within me?
hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise
Him, who is the health of my countenance
and my God.

DML points out that the same statement occurs in Psalm 43. Some think the two should be one psalm. The psalmist is speaking of his unhappiness and what caused it. "Probably at that particular time he was prevented from joining with others in public worship in the House of God. But not only that, he was clearly being attacked by certain enemies. There were those who were doing their utmost to depress him and he gave an account of that. We are interested chiefly, however, in the way in which he faces the situation, and the way in which he deals with himself." (p. 9-10)

To be continued....

Hymns #17 - Bless, O My Soul, the Living God

Bless, O My Soul, the Living God

Bless, O my soul! the living God.
Call home thy thoughts that rove abroad.
Let all the powers within me join
In work and worship so divine,
In work and worship so divine.

Bless, O my soul! the God of grace.
His favors claim thy highest praise.
Why should the wonders He hath wrought
Be lost in silence and forgot,
Be lost in silence and forgot?

’Tis He, my soul, that sent His Son
To die for crimes which thou hast done.
He owns the ransom and forgives
The hourly follies of our lives,
The hourly follies of our lives.

The vices of the mind He heals,
And cures the pains that nature feels;
Redeems the soul from hell, and saves
Our wasting life from threat’ning graves.

Our youth decayed, His power repairs;
His mercy crowns our growing years;
He satisfies our mouth with good,
And fills our hopes with heav’nly food.

He sees th’oppressor and th’oppressed,
And often gives the suff’rers rest;
But will His justice more display
In the last great rewarding day.

His power He showed by Moses’ hands,
And gave to Israel His commands;
But sent His truth and mercy down
To all the nations by His Son.

Let the whole earth His power confess.
Let the whole earth adore His grace.
The Gentile with the Jew shall join
In work and worship so divine,
In work and worship so divine.

(Words by Isaac Watts)

Hymns #16 - From the Cross to the Crown

From the Cross to the Crown

Be strong and courageous whate’er may befall,
We know our Redeemer will answer our call;
Tho’ sorrow and trials are weighing us down,
Yet hope looks away from the cross to the crown.

Refrain

From the cross to the crown let us follow our Lord,
From the cross to the crown let us cling to His Word;
Tho’ sorrow and trials are weighing us down,
Yet faith leads us on from the cross to the crown!

His cup of affliction was filled to the brim,
And are we not willing to suffer for Him?
The robe of His glory for us He laid down,
To show us the path from the cross to the crown.

Refrain

This life is a conflict, a battle with sin,
Yet trusting in Jesus thro’ grace we shall win;
The world may oppose us, the tempter may frown,
Yet faith leadeth on from the cross to the crown.

Refrain

Tho’ friends that are dearest have gone from our sight,
’Tis only to enter the mansions of light;
Their warfare is over, their burdens laid down,
How short was their path from the cross to the crown!

Refrain

(Words by Fanny Crosby)

Hymns #14 - Battle Hymn of the Republic

Battle Hymn of the Republic

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally …let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

(Words by Julia W. Howe, during the American Civil War)