O LORD, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life. Lamentations 3: 58.
Thank You dear Lord, for giving us back our lives; and for continuing to plead the case for our souls. Please speak to our hearts now we pray; in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Our hymn for today, is among the best known, and most loved hymns of Fanny Crosby. It was written in the year 1882, when Fanny was 62 years old. If we love the Lord, and are serving Him, by the time we reach that age, we have seen enough of the Lord to know that He takes good care of His own! Because Fanny could not see with physical eyes, I am sure that her spiritual eyes were well trained to see things that spoke of the goodness of the Lord, in a very profound manner! I am not sure what moved Fanny Crosby to write this beautiful hymn, but as we have been doing for the past week, I would like us to look at the text that served as the inspiration, and share a few thoughts about the text itself.
Our text for today is found almost at the end of a medley of lamentations and praises. The lamentations sink as deep as they can get: “You have covered Yourself with a cloud, that prayer should not pass through” (44)! The praises rise to the highest heavens: “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (22, 23)!
In the midst of everything, the prophet recognizes that no matter how bad it gets, God has not forsaken him. To the contrary, He has redeemed his life by pleading his case! Isn’t that what the LORD is doing for His people in heaven right now? Praise God! Yes my friends, there will be periods in life, when it seems that all is lost-but if we are willing to keep looking up, and keep on trusting, by and by, we will see that all along, God always had our well-being in mind! Today may we be reminded that We have been:
Redeemed!
Redeemed! how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child, and forever, I am.
Refrain: Redeemed, redeemed, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; Redeemed, redeemed, His child, and forever, I am. (To be sung after each stanza).
Redeemed! and so happy in Jesus! No language my rapture can tell; I know that the light of His presence with me doth continually dwell.
I know there’s a crown that is waiting in yonder bright mansion for me; and soon, with the saints made perfect, at home with the Lord I shall be. Fanny J. Crosby/William Kirkpatrick.
Apparently this theme of redemption resonated so deeply with Fanny that she has two versions of this hymn! The difference between the two versions is in the second and third verses of the hymn. The music for the second version was written by A. L. Butler.