Hark! The Gentle Voice

1 

Hark, the gentle voice of Jesus falleth

Tenderly upon your ear;

Sweet his cry of love and pity calleth;

Turn and listen, stay and hear.

2 

Take his yoke, for he is meek and lowly,

Bear his burden, to him turn;

He who calleth is the Master holy,

He will teach if you will learn.

3 

Then, his loving, tender voice obeying,

Bear his yoke, his burden take;

Find the yoke his hand is on you laying,

Light and easy for His sake.

Chorus:

Ye that labor and are heavy laden,

Lean upon your dear Lord’s breast;

Ye that labor and are heavy laden,

Come, and I will give you rest.

Author: M. B. C. Slade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faeQ1RBwphU&list=RDfaeQ1RBwphU&start_radio=1

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ~Matthew 11:28

Matthew 11

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I Must Tell Jesus

 

1 

I must tell Jesus all of my trials;

I cannot bear these burdens alone;

In my distress He kindly will help me;

He ever loves and cares for His own.

2 

I must tell Jesus all of my troubles;

He is a kind, compassionate friend;

If I but ask Him, He will deliver,

Make of my troubles quickly an end. 

3 

O how the world to evil allures me!

O how my heart is tempted to sin!

I must tell Jesus, and He will help me

Over the world the vict'ry to win.

REFRAIN:

I must tell Jesus!

I must tell Jesus!

I cannot bear my burdens alone;

I must tell Jesus!

I must tell Jesus!

Jesus can help me, Jesus alone.

Author: E. A. Hoffman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uy7xCO5e90&list=RD-Uy7xCO5e90&start_radio=1

(Full disclosure -- I just love the sound of steel guitar.)

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. ~Matthew 21:22

John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

1 Corinthians 10:13

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again

1

How sweet and happy seem

those days of which I dream,

When memory recalls them now and then!

And with what rapture sweet

my weary heart would beat,

If I could hear my mother pray again.

2

She used to pray that I

on Jesus would rely,

And always walk the shining gospel way;

So trusting still His love

I seek that home above,

Where I shall meet my mother some glad day.

3

Within the old home place

her patient smiling face

Was always spreading comfort, hope and cheer;

And when she used to sing

to her eternal King,

It was the songs the angels loved to hear.

4

Her work on earth is done,

the life crown has been won,

And she will be at rest with Him above;

And some glad morning she

I know will welcome me

To that eternal home of peace and love.

CHORUS

If I could only hear my mother pray again,

If I could hear her tender voice as then!

So happy I should be,

'twould mean so much to me,

If I could hear my mother pray again.

J. W. Vaughan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wc6NOScZLE

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers. ~Romans 1:9

Standing On the Promises

 1  

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,  

Through eternal ages let His praises ring,  

Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,  

Standing on the promises of God.  

2  

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,  

When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,  

By the living Word of God I shall prevail,  

Standing on the promises of God.  

3  

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,  

Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,  

Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,  

Standing on the promises of God.  

4  

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,  

List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call.  

Resting in my Savior as my All in All,  

Standing on the promises of God. 

REFRAIN  

Standing, standing,  

Standing on the promises of God my Savior;  

Standing, standing,  

I’m standing on the promises of God.   

  

 Lyrics: Russell Kelso Carter (1849-1928)    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpUJD_47VCQ&list=RDhpUJD_47VCQ&start_radio=1

Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. ~Matthew 28:20

 "By the living word of God I shall prevail"   Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.    

 "Overcoming daily by the Spirit's sword"   Ephesians 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:     

"List'ning every moment to the Spirit's call"   John 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.   

* * * 

 What are the promises of God? According to one source I found in a Google search, there are 7000 promises of God in the Bible. (It was a video, and I didn't watch it -- I was looking for a printed source.) Of course, the Bible is full of God's promises from cover to cover, far too many to include here. So I am going to pick and choose just a few of them.    

 Isaiah 41:10 

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.    

James 1:5 

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.    

John 3:16 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.    

Philippians 4:19 

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.    

Psalm 50:15 

Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.    

Matthew 6:31–33 

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.    

Mark 11:24 

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.  

* * *

 [Here's a little dilemma that I struggle with -- and maybe I'm not the only one: We know that our prayers are NOT always answered. Not in the way we want them to be, anyway. Why is that? There are two verses that I can think of that give us some answers:]    

Isaiah 55:8-9 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.    

Romans 8:28 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  

 [Like a good parent, God works all things together for our good -- which is not always the same thing as what we would like to have happen. When bad things happen to us, and we don't understand why, we have to remember that God promised to be with us at all times.]    

Isaiah 43:2 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

I Need Thee Every Hour

1

I need Thee every hour,

  Most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine

  Can peace afford.

2

I need Thee every hour,

  Stay Thou near by;

Temptations lose their power

  When Thou art nigh.

3

I need Thee every hour,

  In joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide,

  Or life is vain.

4

I need Thee every hour,

  Teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises

  In me fulfill.

5

I need Thee every hour,

  Most Holy One;

Oh, make me Thine indeed,

  Thou blessed Son.

CHORUS

  I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

  Every hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior!

    I come to Thee.

Lyrics:Annie Sherwood Hawks (1836-1918)

Chorus by Robert Lowry (1826-1899)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSQ-3TD7g_g&list=RDgSQ-3TD7g_g&start_radio=1

Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy. ~Psalm 86:1

Leaning On the Everlasting Arms

 

 1  

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,  

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!  

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,  

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!  

2  

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,  

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!  

O how bright the path grows from day to day,  

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!  

3  

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,  

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!  

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,  

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!    

REFRAIN:  

Leaning (on Jesus), leaning (on Jesus),  

Safe and secure from all alarms;  

Leaning (on Jesus), leaning (on Jesus),  

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.  

 

Lyrics: Elisha Albright Hoffman (1839-1929)    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC59x-oVCNk&list=RDeC59x-oVCNk&start_radio=1

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. ~Deuteronomy 33:27

Where We'll Never Grow Old

1 

I have heard of a land

On the faraway strand,

’Tis a beautiful home of the soul;

Built by Jesus on high,

There we never shall die,

’Tis a land where we never grow old.

2 

In that beautiful home

Where we’ll nevermore roam,

We shall be in the sweet by and by;

Happy praise to the King

Through eternity sing,

’Tis a land where we never shall die.

3 

When our work here is done

And the life crown is won,

And our troubles and trials are o’er,

All our sorrows will end,

And our voices will blend

With the loved ones who’ve gone on before.

Refrain:

Never grow old,

Where we'll never grow old,

In a land where we’ll never grow old;

Never grow old,

Where we'll never grow old,

In a land where we’ll never grow old.

 

Author: James C. Moore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhxolymJ11Q

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. and he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. ~Revelation 21:4

* * *

The Bible gives a fascinating metaphoric description of the physical deterioration of old age...

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them"; before the sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim; and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly. Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street. Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. 

~Ecclesiastes 12.1-7

light...darkened (eyesight)

clouds... (cataracts)

watchmen tremble...(tremor)

stoop... (kyphosis)

grinding ones stand idle because they are few ... (teeth)

sound of the grinding mill is low... (hearing)

arise at the sound of the bird... (insomnia)

daughters of song sing softly... (hearing)

afraid of high place and terrors on the road... (anxiety)

almond tree blossoms... (white hair)

grasshopper drags about... (shuffling walk)

I think the concept of the "silver cord" which attaches the soul to the body is kind of fascinating. I'm not familiar with the other metaphors - the golden bowl, pitcher by the well, wheel at the cistern crushed. Of course, we've all heard "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" at funerals.

The spirit will return to God. (What a beautiful thought.)