Surely!!!

November 9, 2015

Worship: A Place on Earth by Fernando Ortega (1864); When All Thy Mecies by Joseph Addison (1712)

Find me a place on the earth
Where a weary man can rest And listen for your voice
In the turning seasons

A quiet place in the world
Where I can bow
And confess that I fear
Where you have brought me,
Mysterious God

All of my life
You have been with me
My comfort in loneliness
My hope in the dark
All of my life
Lord, please stay with me
Be my sustaining breath
Guardian of my heart

My days are passing by
Like falling stars
That blaze across the night sky
Then they are gone

But Father, at your side
I will never be afraid
For you have held all my days
In the palm of your hand

All of my life
You have been with me
My comfort in loneliness
My hope in the dark
All of my life
Lord, please stay with me
Be my sustaining breath
Guardian of my heart

All of my life 

You have been with me
My comfort in loneliness
My hope in the dark
All of my life
Lord, please stay with me
Be my sustaining breath
Guardian of my heart

Be my sustaining breath
Guardian of my heart

Be my sustaining breath
Be my sustaining breath
Be my sustaining breath

Lyrics: http://www.music-lyrics-gospel.com/gospel_music_lyrics/a_place_on_the_earth_11616.asp

Video: https://youtu.be/jhaCSIdP3d4

1 When all thy mercies, O my God,
my rising soul surveys,
transported with the view, I’m lost
in wonder, love, and praise.

2 Unnumbered comforts to my soul
thy tender care bestowed,
before my infant heart could know
from whom those comforts flowed.

[When worn with sickness, oft hast Thou,
With health renewed my face,
And when in sins and sorrows bowed,
Revived my soul with grace.] (Added verse as sung by Fernando Ortega. Highlighted words are lyrics sung by Fernando Ortega on video link)

3 Ten thousand thousand precious gifts
my daily thanks employ;
nor is the least a cheerful heart
that tastes those gifts with joy.

4 Through every period of my life
thy goodness I’ll pursue;
and after death, in distant worlds
the glorious theme renew.

5 Through all eternity to thee
a joyful song I’ll raise;
for O, eternity’s too short
to utter all thy praise!

Source: Common Praise (1998) #343

Lyrics:  http://www.hymnary.org/text/when_all_thy_mercies_o_my_god

Video:  https://youtu.be/1xMLWJZq7oE

Witness:

Today (actually yesterday) was a struggle. I went to bed at 4 AM exhausted and slept a whole hour and a half. After that, I tried to go back to sleep for several hours. When I finally did, I overslept and woke up at 2 pm. I wanted to get up by 12 noon so I could enjoy the day off and get things done. Tonight I started my quiet time at 10:30 PM. It’s now about 3 in the morning as I type this. I searched for songs for my worship time and found it difficult to get the info I wanted. I had been listening to quiet songs on my phone to go to sleep by which had to do with thanksgiving. “For the Beauty of the earth was one of them so I searched for that. My computer is so slow now so it took some time. When I got the lyrics and chose a video, I then researched a second song to go with it. I Googled songs based on Psalm 23:6 which led me to a hymns site that listed all the songs based on different verses in Psalm 23. I then chose When All Thy Mercies. I found a video by Fernando Ortega, who I like, so I chose that one for my worship time. When I listened to and sang “For the Beauty of the Earth” it ended with a verse about the Church but left out the last verse which is the most import part. The song begins with nature, followed by humanity and ends with the Lord of all creation. That verse was left out so I had to remove it and started all over again. I kept asking God why was I having such a difficult time? I stumbled onto a song by Fernando Ortega called “A Place on the Earth”. I decided to worship with that song instead. As I began to sing the song the answer to my question hit me like a lightening bolt and tears swelled up inside of me. I sang the song as I cried. This song is indeed my “life song”. I have played it several times since then and it is playing now. I am still crying. This song touches me on so many levels and I thank my God for the delays that led to it. As I finish this section Fernando is singing “I need Thee Every Hour”. God, You are so awesome. THANK YOU!!!

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

                                    By  Annie S. Hawks, 1872

WORD:

Ps 23:5-6 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. NIV

Ps 23:5-6 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. KJV

The final verse seems to me to be a triumphal cry by David in light of all that he has experienced in life and testified to in the preceding verses. The first word [“Surely”] in the verse is to be taken in the strongest sense of the word. Today we might use the word in a weakened sense as if there might be some doubt that something will take place. However, in David’s mind, there is no doubt.

Surely translates a conjunction that gives emphasis to what follows; it can be rendered “I am certain (or, sure) that.” Or else the word can mean “Only,” so that the translation can be “Nothing but your goodness and love.”

(from UBS Old Testament Handbook Series. Copyright © 1978-2004 by United Bible Societies. All rights reserved.)

His confidence was twofold:

1.     God’s beneficence and covenant loyalty displayed in love, grace and mercy would mark the tenor of his life.

2.     That he would, not might, “dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.

Is that my confidence? Is it yours? In spite of all the “dangers, toils and snares” I have come through already and will surely continue to go through in this life, I can declare with the hymnist ― “’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home”!

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;

‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,

His Word my hope secures;

He will my Shield and Portion be,

As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease,

I shall possess, within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, Who called me here below,

Shall be forever mine.

(from Biblesoft Hymnal, PC Study Bible electronic database Copyright © 2003-2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)