Hymns – The Songs of My Heart

I love hymns.

I love them most when I can open my hymnal and sing from there.

Standing next to my parents in church or hearing my mother’s voice as she sang coming down the hall are memories I truly love, but hymns are more than memories. Considered old-fashioned these days, those hymns have spoken truth to my heart many times. They have brought comfort to my spirit, reminded me of who God is, reminded me of others who have walked through difficult moments too, and gave me words to the joy of my soul.

I do love them…because:

“There is sunshine in my soul today,
  More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,
  For Jesus is my light.”

He is truly God. May we worship Him:

“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the *worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the *rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!”

And yet:

“I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.”

Oh what He has done for me:

“Years I spent in vanity and pride,

Caring not my Lord was crucified,

Knowing not it was for me He died

On Calvary.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;

Pardon there was multiplied to me;

There my burden soul found liberty,

At Calvary.”

So now:

“I’ve found a Friend, who is all to me,
His love is ever true;
I love to tell how He lifted me
And what His grace can do for you.

Saved by His pow’r divine,
Saved to new life sublime!
Life now is sweet and my joy is complete,
For I’m saved, saved, saved!”

Because:

“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suffering and shame,

And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best

For a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it someday for a crown.”

So that some day:

“When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there

When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll, is called up yon-der,
When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.”

So while I am on earth:

“When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul

It is well
With my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul.”

I could go on. Hymns have spoken to my heart and soul for a long time, bringing memories and stories of others who have been faithful to the Calling. I plan to teach them to my children, because they remind me so much of the amazing and holy God we serve.

What are your favorite hymns? Do you still sing them?

I’ll close with this:

“Holy, holy, holy
Lord, God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee

Holy, holy, holy
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons blessed Trinity

Holy, holy, holy
Though the darkness hide Thee
Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see

Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, in love, and purity.”