As always, this hymn will be
available, for a limited time, to be played on MuseScore.
You
might think that any piece titled as is the hymn for today must be an
effusion of joy. You would be wrong. Take the context of the
scripture passage cited by the hymn for today as an example. That
psalm actually begins, “As the hart pants for streams of water,
so my soul longs after Thee, oh God!” This is no shout of joy,
but a begging for it. It is of the soul feeling bereft of Heaven’s
joy, and seeking hard after it, that the sons of Korah write; it is
not a celebration, but a plea: “Lord! Oh Heavenly God! Bring Thy
joy to me!”. The author even rebukes his own quailing heart,
writing, “Trust in God, for I shall yet praise Him who is my
salvation!”
Not
for God only, though, does my heart cry, but for those whom my heart
loves who have separated themselves from me by their lack of trust,
that though I do often misinterpret, I do indeed hear directly from
the Lord. Such times do not happen frequently, but they do happen,
and these past nine months seem to have been such a time. From the
autumn, when the Lord required of me whether I would accept or reject
His gift, to the 7th day of the 7th month of
the 14th year of my solo sojourn when, with no advance
knowledge or anticipation, the first hints of the gift’s arrival
came, and I, in my excitement, alienated those whom I had held close
because what came was not something that they were prepared to
accept, with me, perhaps, stepping a little beyond the command to
“wait for her.”
To
put it in the terms of the modern hymn, “As the deer panteth for
the water so my soul longeth after Thee!” When the resisting wall
was thrown up by those not fully trusting, I fled to the arms of my
Savior, Jesus Christ, and my heart cries out after those who have not
believed.
A
long time ago, when I was among those whose hearts were inclined to
trusting the unsettling things of God, a single mother prayed for God
to give her a husband and I, in the silence of my heart’s prayers,
agreed, God answering, “I already have!” The following
Sunday found me in the rear of the sanctuary of the congregation with
which I then attended. I stood at the rear because the service had
already begun and I could not yet see a chair open and waiting, when
the Spirit of God put His arm across my shoulders and, with the
other, pointed to the front of the sanctuary, saying in my spirit,
“That’s him!”
I
shared the moment with two faithful witnesses and, in a short time, I
went to the Wednesday Bible Study in that small home in Illinois to
find that the witness whom I had told that was part of that study was
away on a trip of some kind when there was an announcement. I kept
silent as his Lady phoned him with the news. Before she could even
get it out of her mouth, he told her the news, that Laura was getting
married to Ed. “What?!? How did you know that?” was his lady’s
reply.
He
answered her, “God told Bill and Bill told me.”
Those
who purport to follow God, though, are not always consistent in their
trust and praise, and Laura fled the gift from God, rather than cling
to Him in full, trusting obedience and faith. If you doubt me, then
ask Ed, who can be found through praybold.org.
The one faithfully bringing the message should not be blamed for the
dearth of faith found in those who hear.
I,
though, must wait for God to work upon the hearts of those who flee.
Am
I angry?
Yes.
Am
I frustrated?
Yes.
Do
I trust God?
YES!
When,
though, will they?
I
must wait for the healer of hearts to heal.
“Wait
here.”
“Right
here?”
“Right
on this spot.”
Yes,
Lord. Here I wait. But I could use a little joy while I obey. Amen!
