The Song of The Righteous is a Prayer Unto Me

(April 2010)

 

 As a kid I had a hard time appreciating hymns, they didn't have a cool beat like "Wake me up before you go go" or other equally cool 80's songs and they seemed to go on forever.  It wasn't until I was a little more mature (ok basically my mission) before I not only appreciated hymns, but I loved them.  It's hard for me to imagine not loving hymns, there is something about singing those simple words that can be so profound and can bring such a sweet spirit and understanding. 

 

After "the accident" it was a very difficult time, everyday I faced a barrage of difficult decisions and situations.  Every morning on my way back to the hospital I would try to prep myself for the unknown horrors I was about to face.  I would sing to my self a line from Come Come ye Saints hymn #30 "Gird up your loins; fresh courage take. Our God will never us forsake; and soon we'll have this tale to tell.  All is well all is well" It would give me courage and help me "gird up my loins" and face whatever needed to be faced (without the context of scriptures this does sound kind of funny but you get my drift). 

 

We would often have the hymns playing in Mike's room which added to the strong spirit already present there.  His room truly felt like a sacred space. Often nurses or CNAs would linger in or near his room and comment on how much they liked the music.  The hymns were a life line and helped us through some difficult times.  Of all the hymns we listened to and sang during this time the one that stands out the most and helped me more than any other is How Firm a Foundation Hymn #85.

 

My deep love of this particular hymn started in the hospital but grew immensely when we moved to the worst place in the world, the Specialty Hospital (this awful place will get it's own post).  A few days after moving there it was general conference and while we were listening to it with Mike the choir sang How Firm a Foundation. It touched us all especially Mike, he really responded to the song he even raised his arm in the air while they sang.  After that experience, I started examining the words to that song and what they truly meant.  The first three verses are what is normally sang with the last verse thrown in on special occasions and I love what they all say. But as I read the fourth and fifth verse I don't know why we neglect them, they really resonated with me especially the words "deep waters" and "river of sorrows".  This song speaks to me at helps me feel my firm foundation in Christ and my tremendous faith in him.  Also that the Lord is mindful of us and will never forsake us and that he knows the hard things we face and will sanctify them for our good.

 

A side note to this hymn; while still in the Specialty Hospital the young woman from my ward came to visit (I was their camp leader) to sing hymns.  I requested How Firm a Foundation which they sang beautifully but to my surprise when they finished the obligatory third verse they did not stop, they sang all seven verses.  All the other songs that night they had stopped after the first verse or the after the main verses.  It was so sweet to hear them sing those touching verses I stared to cry and there wasn't a dry eye as they finished.  Thank you 5th ward young woman, you really touched me and Mike that night.

 

Below is the Tabernacle Choir singing and also all the words to the hymn for your  listening and reading pleasure.

 



1. How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

2. In ev’ry condition—in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,
At home or abroad, on the land or the sea—
As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,
As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

3. Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

4. When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee, and sanctify to thee,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

5. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

6. E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sov’reign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And then, when gray hair shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs shall they still, like lambs shall they still,
Like lambs shall they still in my bosom be borne.

7. The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!