Blest Be The Tie That Binds

A beautiful hymn about the unity we have with one another, being bonded together by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It reminds you of that "forward look", of being together "through all eternity". It is just a gooood hymn.
This was our church's hymn of the month last year; another Baptist Trinity Hymnal find.

" The fellowship of kindred minds, is like to that above...
" We share each other's woes, our mutual burdens bear,
And often for each other flows the sympathizing thing. "



John Fawcett, was a Baptist minister (1765) of a tiny church in Wainsgate, York (UK). He served that tiny church for fifty-four years. Though there was one noted instance where he accepted a pastoral position at a larger church in London, and would have sufficiently provided for his family, but after preaching his farewell sermon, his loving congregation changed his mind, and he stayed. He wrote many other hymns (though none which I'm familiar with) and recieved a D.D degree.
He died at age seventy- eight in 1817.

Blest Be the Tie that Binds

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

Before our Father’s throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one
Our comforts and our cares.

We share each other’s woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

This glorious hope revives
Our courage by the way;
While each in expectation lives,
And longs to see the day.

From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

-John Fawcett (1782)  

Note: I'm fully aware that there is no April 32nd, but you must forgive my tardiness.         :)

                                            

Though Troubles Assail Us

John Newton, has a pretty popular story. He was born in London, in 1725, and raised by a godly mother (who taught him the Westminster Catechism), and had a sea-faring father. In his early years, John Newton, was a slave trader and led a, well, a sailors life. It was on a voyage, after a terrifying storm, that he wrote,
"I thought I saw the hand of God displayed in our favour. I began to pray: I could not utter the prayer of faith; I could not draw near to a reconciled God, and call him Father . . . the comfortless principles of infidelity were deeply riveted; . . . . The great question now was, how to obtain faith."
This was a quite a change from Newton's previous thought's, but he later said,
" I was greatly deficient in many respects. I was in some degree affected with a sense of my enormous sins, but I was little aware of the innate evils of my heart. I had no apprehension of . . . the hidden life of a Christian, as it consists in communion with God by Jesus Christ: a continual dependence on him. . . . I acknowledged the Lord's mercy in pardoning what was past, but depended chiefly upon my own resolution to do better for the time to come. . . . I cannot consider myself to have been a believer (in the full sense of the word) till a considerable time afterwards."

Later in life, John Newton became a devoted husband, a tender pastor, author, and friend to many well-known men.
I could go on to say more, but I've decided to make this brief. Kinda a "wet your appetite" biography.
Oh, when googling "John Newton", I stumbled upon this article by John Piper. I started reading it, then I stopped, and scrolled down...and down, down, down, and finally came to the end! All this to say, the blogpost is very long-- and I didn't finish it-- but from what I read, I would encourage you to read it (and tell me about it :P).

This hymn is one that my family discovered in our Trinity Hymnals (Baptist Ed.), because it has the same tune as Immortal, Invisible, which we love. When looking up this hymn, there are two more verses, which are not in the Trinity Hymnal, so I just left them out for now.

Though Trouble Assail Us

Though troubles assail us and dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail us and foes all unite,
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The promise assures us, “The Lord will provide.”

The birds, without garner or storehouse, are fed;
From them let us learn to trust God for our bread.
His saints what is fitting shall ne’er be denied
So long as ’tis written, “The Lord will provide.”

When Satan assails us to stop up our path,
And courage all fails us, we triumph by faith.
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried,
This heart cheering promise, “The Lord will provide.”

No strength of our own and no goodness we claim;
Yet, since we have known of the Savior’s great Name,
In this our strong tower for safety we hide:
The Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide.”

-John Newton(1779)

Love,

Caro :)

Tis So Sweet

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.

They take pleasure in falsehood.

They bless with their mouths,but inwardly they curse.

Selah

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us.

Selah

Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion;

in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.

Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery;

if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,

and that to you, O Lord,

belongs steadfast love.

For you will render to a man according to his work.

We read this chapter together this morning during family devotions, and I found the passages I put in bold print extremely encouraging.

And after a rather unpleasant day, I read this chapter again with...well, if my vocabulary were wider then I would use a word that means something to the extent that I read this chapter with a new frame of mind, have a greater understanding of the refuge and fortress that God is.

It puts to mind that hymn Tis so sweet. I like the first two verses of that hymn but mainly the chorus,

"'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

just to take him at his word;

just to rest upon his promise,

just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."

Sometimes simply pouring my heart before Him is enough, being satisfied in knowing that He knows my thoughts and troubles, and that everything is for His own glory and for my sanctification.

It really is a sweet and comforting thought to surrender everything before the Lord.

Be Thou My Vision

Everyone in my family loves to sing and I especially love to sing around the house. Mica and I enjoy learning the harmony to different songs or trying to imitate a certain singer (Think "Maria" from The Sound of Music or Ella Fitgerald, yes I did use the word imitate)

Last year I had taken to singing mostly songs from musicals and the like.

Then I began to consider: if this is something I do for the majority of my day, then ought I to sing more glorifying songs instead of say "Singin in the Rain"?

Not to say that all musical songs are wrong to sing, but if I invest so much time in something then it really ought to be for a greater purpose than simply "filling my time".

All this to say that I have found great satisfaction in learning and singing hymns and some contempory worship songs. I really like the music put out by Sovereign Grace Ministries; and recently I have become attached to In the Valley.

This hymn has served as a sweet reminder to me and a prayer put to music:

Be Thou My Vision
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

~
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

~
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise, Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

~
High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.