The One Who Is Thirsty

A dear friend of mine shared with me recently how her father's favourite hymn was "How Great Thou Art" by Carl Gustaff Boberg. She had purchased a DVD of Sandi Patty singing this great hymn with Lisa Smith beautifully signing along with her. One day, her unsaved husband stood watching this performance along with my friend and remarked how beautiful it was. I would like to say that he was convicted in his heart through the words of this hymn but that part of the story is not written yet.

Mr. Boberg was a Swedish pastor, editor and a member of the Swedish Parliament. One day while he was enjoying a walk, a sudden thunderstorm appeared out of nowhere. When the storm subsided, he looked out at the clear sky over the bay. Hearing a church bell in the distance, the words began to form in his heart:

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.

Through the peace following this fierce storm, God spoke into his heart, the words of this hymn which continues to speak to us today.

Several days after this story, I was travelling to church as I prayed for my friend and her unbelieving husband. The words of a hymn that I sang in my childhood came to me. It was a hymn I hadn't sung for many years and I had some difficulty remembering all the words. Finally after piecing them together, I remembered it to be, "My Faith Looks Up To Thee" by Ray Palmer (1808-1887)

My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou lamb of Calvary, Saviour divine!
Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day, be wholly Thine!

May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me, O may my love to Thee,
Pure warm, and changeless be, a living fire!

When life's dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread, be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow's tears away,
Nor let me ever stray from Thee aside.

When ends life's transient dream,
When death's cold sullen stream over me roll;
Blest Saviour, then in love, fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!

Almost immediately, yet another memory came to me. When I was a child, in my home, on the top shelf in my front hall closet, was a beautifully patterned old cloth bag and inside this bag was a dozen worn and tattered blue hymnals. I was always drawn to this bag and when my mother wasn't home, I would climb to the top shelf and open it, examining these little blue hymnals with the tiny print. At intervals, the Women's Missionary Society would meet at our house. To prepare for this meeting, the house was scrubbed and polished until spotless; a white cloth perfectly ironed, was brought out; and the dining room table was set with the best teapot and an assortment of brightly patterned teacups, all carefully arranged. My mother's best baking was brought out at the last minute. Just before the ladies of the Missionary Society began to arrive, my father, sister and I were banished to the basement for the duration of the meeting. My sister and I monitored the progress of the meeting by the muted sounds coming down through the heat ducts. But our best moment came when the women opened those blue hymnals and began to sing loudly the hymns my sister and I knew well. That was our cue to giggle uncontrollably throughout each hymn selection. When the last of the singers left, my job was to pick up the hymnals and return them to the bag which I placed on the top shelf of the closet.

Shortly after, through a series of events, a letter came into my possession, written by Mr. Palmer, dated November 26th, 1870 and written from 49 Biblehouse, New York. In this letter, Mr. Palmer writes, " I had no thought of writing a hymn for others. It was born of my own soul-an experience of my profound feelings and finished I remember with tears at the time and I do not remember that any person ever saw it till two years later....I will only add that more than one instance has it come to my knowledge in which while reading this hymn, a soul has first received its redeemer and a very great number in which it has been the dying song of holy souls. For which all glory be to the dying Lamb himself who is the substance and charm of the piece."

A story, within a story, within a story and what is the common thread throughout? Today, God continues to speak through these words born out of solitude. Out of a thirsty heart longing, flows something powerful...feelings of love, words of love, deeds of love. The story has always been about one moment of honesty, one thirsty heart, one saviour, and one drop of blood. We see such a moment as Jesus spoke to the thief on the cross: "Today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke23:43) Longing was met with longing: one was of faith and the other of love.

My mother didn't share with me in words how she thirsted after God. Instead, as a child I remember how perfectly she prepared for these missionary meetings. I remember how she faithfully took us to church every week. I remember our family's commitment to God. I may have begun my search for God through my mother's faith but only alone could I have met him and then truly said:

My faith looks up to Thee,
O Lamb of Calvary, Saviour Divine!
Now hear me while I pray, Take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day be wholly thine!

For those loved ones that have yet to meet the Saviour... alone, in one honest moment, I pour my heart out in prayer that they would thirst after Him, that they would come to Him, that they would know His love. Amen.