Tag: hold to God’s unchanging hand

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Why Have Graduations?…June 8th

Many students will ‘walk the stage’ sometime in the next few days and graduating kidsweeks. Whether they are moving from preschool to elementary, high school to college, or college to ‘the real world,’ we see graduations all around.

We understand the importance of milestones in life, and the excitement we feel upon reaching them. Even the ‘celebration’ of graduating from one stage in life to another can be monumental. But do we ‘have’ to have a graduation? Could there be more than just recognizing the individual accomplishment? And who is to say one is more important than another? Actually, how many ‘graduations’ do we have? Join us Sunday morning as we ask the question; “Why Have Graduations?”

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.”  I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, June 8, 2014

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“Blessed Be the Lord God Almighty” – 72

We sing this ‘hymn’ as we sing to our God; “Father in heaven, how we love you.  We lift Your name in all the earth.  May your kingdom be established in our praises as Your people declare Your mighty works.  Blessed be the Lord, God almighty!  Who was, and is, and is to come.”  Reading Revelation 4:8, we hear the praise being offered around the throne of God; ‘Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”

“The Lord’s My Shepherd” – 134jesus shepherd

One of the greatest ‘psalms’ that we can sing (almost verbatim) is found in the 23rd Psalm.  You’ll notice the first verse of this hymn recites the 1st & 2nd verses of the Psalm David penned centuries ago.  Open your Old Testament to the book of Psalms, turn to chapter 23 and then sing a ‘psalm’ of praise. “The Lord’s my Shepherd I’ll not want…”

 “I Stand Amazed” – 147

This spiritual song is one that we could use to prepare our minds for the Lord’s Supper.  With both the second and third verses referencing Christ’s crucifixion we are reminded of His ‘sweat drops of blood’ and the burden He bore to Calvary.  So it shouldn’t be a surprise for the redeemed to sing the refrain; “How marvelous! How wonderful…is my Savior’s love for me!”

 “Jesus, Let Us Come to Know You” – 768

A basic tune and a simple message…but how much do you WANT to know Him? The progression in the first verse tells us there is an order to coming to know Him. We have to let Him first; “Touch us…” then “hold us…” followed by ‘using us…” and finally “molding us…” into the vessel He wants us to be. Could that be part of the ‘graduation’ process?

“When I’ve Gone the Last Mile of the Way” – no book

End of the RoadCompleting the task is reward in and of itself. But how much more is the reward when the task has been a difficult one? Perhaps the runner of a marathon understands that better than most. The last mile of the race can be the most straining, and yet the most rewarding at the same time. Perhaps it’s a bit like graduation…‘for I know there are joys that await me!’

“I’ll Live for Him” – 553

After the Lord’s Supper we’ll softly sing the refrain of this old hymn; “I’ll live for Him who died for me: How happy then my life shall be!…”  Perhaps it’s because of the musical tempo of this song, but many seem to miss the message; if I’m living for Christ each milestone (graduation) in my life should be happy, but is it?

“Living By Faith” – 560

“I care not today what the morrow (tomorrow) may bring, if shadow or sunshine or rain. (why?) The Lord I know rules over everything and all of my worry is vain. (therefore…) I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.” Do you have a heart of patience and contentment that you can say, I don’t care what happens good or bad in my life? We’ll contemplate this as we prepare for the lesson this morning. What a great song of encouragement as we proclaim that we are living by faith!

“Each Step I Take” – 415

Our invitation song is not a typical song sung calling for a response. But as we sing we confirm that we want Christ to lead us. And that we will walk with Him and turn to our Savior throughout this life. “Until some day the last step will be taken (graduation?); each step I take just leads me closer home.”

“Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand” – 613

A song of encouragement that is meant to be sung as reassurance.  Even though our lives are ‘filled with swift transition…’ (lots of changes) and even, ‘if by earthly friends we’re forsaken,’ we find comfort in the consistency of God’s strong hands.  Serving as a theme throughout the song, we encourage each other to Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand.  It seems that we ‘graduate’ from one event to another almost daily, but never lose hold of the Master’s hands.

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Everything Changes, Except…

Change isn’t easy!  As a matter of fact, Sydney Harris, an American journalist for the Chicago Daily News once said, “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.”

Change can be hard to face at times and yet if we want to grow, we have to change.  For things to sincerely ‘get better’, they can’t stay the same.  This week my daughter (a senior in HS) went with me to the office.  As we talked about the changes in our family, big brother is now in college, I reminder her that we ALL change.  She wasn’t going to always be my little blonde, curly haired 5 year old.  She was growing into adulthood and, if the Lord wills, would one day have a family of her own.  If we remain the same, that would be nice, but how could things hope to improve.  As a matter of fact, in our spiritual lives we sing the song, “Change My Heart of God”.  If we want our lives to ‘get better’, we have to go through a metamorphosis (a change).  But why do we ‘hate change?’  Perhaps it’s because of the uncertainty that lies ahead.

How often I would like for things to ‘just stay the same’.  Actually some folks take great strides to make sure things never change.  We are comfortable with the tried and true.  Not needing to ‘wonder what will happen next’ is a good thing…isn’t it?  Let me direct you to another hymn that actually talks about the changes in our lives.  The transitions that we face in life.

Over 100 years ago Jennie Wilson penned a song that tells me what to do when uncertainty comes into my life.  I need to remember the words…

Time is filled with swift transition – naught of earth unmoved can stand (Nothing on earth can change this fact)
Build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God’s unchanging hand. (The earth changes…God, eternal, does not)

Trust in Him who will not leave you, whatsoever years may bring, (God is constant, even with the changes in life)
If by earthly friends forsaken, still more closely to Him cling. (People let us down, God won’t)

When your journey is completed, if to God you have been true (When life is over, and if you have been faithful)
Fair and bright the home in glory your enraptured soul (delight without measure) will view (Heaven’s really good!)

Hold to His hand…to God’s unchanging hand!
Hold to His hand…to God’s unchanging hand!
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

We will face changes in life and some of them will make us ‘wish for the good ole days’.  But change will come and often it will come swiftly.  In a world that is created to ‘change’, hold fast to Him who created this world…He does NOT change.  James 1:17 “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom THERE IS NO VARIATION or shifting shadow.”  To put it simply…God doesn’t change.

Children hold the hands of their parents because there is comfort in knowing someone is beside them.  We hold hands as couples to show our spouse (and others who might be watching) that we find comfort and security in our loved ones presence.  In a world that is ‘swiftly transitioning’, perhaps we should be looking to reach out and take hold of our Father’s hand.  Changes will come into your life, but with God we will always find consistency.  Perhaps Mr. Harris was right, we do have a dilemma when it comes to change, but remember what he said, want we really want is for things ‘to get better.’