When
through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The
rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I
will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And
sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
---Rippon's Selection of Hymns, 1787
There are lots of ways to look at the rough patches and
tragedies in our lives. Some folk choose to look at everything that happens as
God’s distinct will, some look at bad stuff as karma or payback. I see the bad
things that happen as part of the price of being truly human in this world. For
me, this resonates with my observations, with history, with my own life
experience, and with my belief in a loving God.
In today’s hymn, with its text from the 18th
century, the hymnist speaks from the viewpoint of a strong, caring God to a
searching believer. We will be called, no choice about it, through our life
experiences, to journey through deep waters; but we will not go alone. God goes
with us through our troubles and distress, to bless and even to make holy those
experiences that try us the most. To me this says that God can bring some worth
out of even the most tragic, worthless, hurtful situation.
What a hopeful thought from a loving God!
No comments:
Post a Comment