There is a phenomenon that I have seen happen in prayer meetings over and over again. We can begin with almost any topic and inevitably someone brings up something they saw on the news or read in the paper and suddenly everyone is saying “can you believe how terrible the world is today?” A spirit of fear enters the room and we forget to pray at all. Instead feed off each other and lament about how messed up and scary things are.
And we're right. Whether it’s terrorists or tornadoes, kidnappings or car accidents, there is so much terrible, evil, devastatingly disgusting things happening all the time - around us, even to us. But I love the phrase that keeps coming back in this hymn. Go beside us, lead and guide us... Hold before, kindle o’er us... Hold us serving, all unswerving... whatsoever things are true.
While we could focus on how completely messed up the world is - which is “true” in many so many ways - we could also fill our minds with Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). . He is the unchanging God - even when everything else is changing around us. I love the picture in the opening chapter of Revelation. John has just seen this dazzling, glowing, golden, blazing (and terrifying) vision of Jesus that knocks him flat on his face. And then Jesus says to him: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Rev 1:17b-18.
I think it is because I can be such a worry-er that this hymn resonates with me. It reminds me that God is beside me, he is going before me, he will guide me to the truth. And he is the one who knows even better than we do how terrible the world is, and is victorious over all of it. I want to live out of that truth instead of living in fear. My prayer is that God will transform me from a worry-er to a prayer warrior. One who has complete trust and faith in the risen Christ and his power over sin, death and evil everywhere and at all times. This hymn is encouraging me today. Not to mention it's putting me in the Christmas spirit (anyone recognize the tune?... think "angels from the realms of glory...") Hopefully it will encourage you too!
