July 8, 2011

• the story behind “though the waves arose” ~ Last Sunday

  Earlier today on my other site I posted a poem/hymn I wrote, which I titled “Though the waves arose,” which I’m going to repost here…

  

  Though the waves arose
  The solid Rock remained
  The name exalted above
  All other gods and names

  In Your billows You were concealed
  Faithfulness fresh, unfailing love
  Grace gushed forth, Your glory revealed
  Plenteous downpour from above

  Though the waves arose
  The solid Rock remained
  The name exalted above
  All other gods and names

  In roaring waves, though anxious and afraid
  Having found grace once again I found grace
  Clouds unveiled Your shining countenance
  Yoked to Christ, hidden in the secret place

  Though the waves arose
  The solid Rock remained
  The name exalted above
  All other gods and names

  When I was thirsting, weary and faint
  Your goodness marched through the wilderness
  The earth shook, the heavens dropped rain
  At break of dawn showed Your lovely face

  Though the waves arose
  The solid Rock remained
  The name exalted above
  All other gods and names

  My mind wavered, hence I was puzzled
  I yielded to fleshly restlessness
  But the Word spoke, the storm was muzzled
  Joy and peace flowed, blessed quietness

  Though the waves arose
  The solid Rock remained
  The name exalted above
  All other gods and names

  Jesus alone thoroughly pleaded my case
  Compassed my soul with songs of deliverance
  In the flood You were my shield and hiding place
  In besieged city showed marvelous kindness

  Though the waves arose
  The solid Rock remained
  The name exalted above
  All other gods and names

  In and through the journey and all around
  The Shepherd preserves and holds me tight
  Hesed’s footsteps pursue me without a sound
  The night becomes day, the darkness light

  Though the waves arose
  The solid Rock remained
  The name exalted above
  All other gods and names

  Each and ev’ry lamb for whom You bled and died
  You will never fail to strengthen and sustain
  Your inheritance You cannot cast aside
  For the praise and blessing of Your glorious name

  Though the waves arose
  The solid Rock remained
  The name exalted above
  All other gods and names

  Mark 4:35  On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36  And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37  And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38  But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39  And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40  He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41  And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”
  
  Jeremiah 50:33: “Thus says the LORD of hosts: The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah with them. All who took them captive have held them fast; they refuse to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon.”
  
  I Chronicles 16:25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be held in awe above all gods.

  * * *

  Now I’d like to give you a little background behind “Though the waves arose.”

  Last Sunday our pastor announced he was going to be leaving to take another pastorate, and his final Sunday with us will be July 31.

  When the words left his lips, I found myself in tears, but soon enough, by the goodness and grace of God, I found the tears slowing as I turned to Isaiah 63 and planted myself right there in the sovereign love and care of God, that no matter my feelings or my perceptions about it, as God leads His people, He is not haphazard or cruel, but His love never fails, and He is always purposeful, always working for the good of His children and always working to make for Himself an everlasting and glorious name.

  Isaiah 63:9  In all their affliction he was afflicted,
  and the angel of his presence saved them;
  in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
  he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

  10  But they rebelled
  and grieved his Holy Spirit;
  therefore he turned to be their enemy,
  and himself fought against them.

  11  Then he remembered the days of old,
  of Moses and his people.
  Where is he who brought them up out of the sea
  with the shepherds of his flock?
  Where is he who put in the midst of them
  his Holy Spirit,
  12  who caused his glorious arm
  to go at the right hand of Moses,
  who divided the waters before them
  to make for himself an everlasting name,
  13  who led them through the depths?
  Like a horse in the desert,
  they did not stumble.
  14  Like livestock that go down into the valley,
  the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest.
  So you led your people,
  to make for yourself a glorious name.

  You may wonder how I got to Isaiah 63…

  The day before, I’d read Joseph Hart’s hymn “Blessed is the Man that endureth Temptation” and was blessed and encouraged by that, and in particular by the final two lines:

  Finish, dear Lord, what is begun.
  Choose thou the way; but still lead on.

  I couldn’t remember those exact words on Sunday morning, but I did remember the general idea and I had also been looking at related Scriptures the night before, including that passage in Isaiah 63. (Sunday afternoon I did end up posting the hymn and some associated Scriptures here.) So it was as if God had truly provided me with that extra portion of manna for the Sabbath: in this case the assurance that He would finish what he had begun, though it was up to Him as to what that way would be.

  God is certainly choosing a way I wasn’t expecting, but He is God and I am not! I am trusting Him to finish what He has begun. I don’t know what this will mean for me in particular, but I am asking for God’s grace to be patient and wait upon God and to have faith to believe God is leading this congregation (and me) in a way that will make for Himself an everlasting and glorious name, for that’s really the bottom line, isn’t it?

  On Monday morning, I went out to a nearby park to sit and read for a while. Afterwards, I wanted to do some walking, so I took my books/backpack back to my car first. On the way, I became quite sad and overwhelmed once again about our pastor leaving and began questioning a lot of things and crying, but right away it was almost as if God lifted me out of time and reminded me of how He had worked wonderfully in our last church, through some very difficult and trying circumstances to draw me closer to Him and increase my love for Him (see here and here) and how my attitude at that point was mostly one of self-absorption and self-pity (the latter Oswald Chambers said was of the devil).

  After I’d taken my books to my car, I got a sermon cued up on my iPod and then began walking. I’d not walked very far, and then I heard someone call my name. It was a Christian sister whom I’d not seen in several years… and to add to this – she now lives several hundred miles away (almost a five hour drive) in another state! She was visiting in town and was out walking with another believer. After I shared with them about our pastor leaving, we all prayed together. It was truly a sweet and a wonderful evidence of God’s providential care in the storm!

  So that gives you some sense as to why I wrote what I did today regarding Christ being that solid Rock in the storm and waves.

  God always provides His people with all we need for the journey, and I wanted to give Him thanks and praise for the precious manna He has been providing for me before, during and since Sunday morning, the time the storm hit.

  In my last update, after giving some excerpts from the story of William Carey, I wrote that

  The portions I continue to come back to are “discouraged but not dissuaded,” “preached about it to his little flock,” “the indifference of others around him did not stop Carey from seeking to rouse the apathetic,” and “a wild and impracticable scheme, but he continued undaunted.”

  In spite of what’s happening with our pastor and our church, I do not want to be dissuaded, I wish to continue undaunted in the work God has for me to do. I am praying God would strengthen me to do so.

  As you are led, I would appreciate your praying not only for me but also for our congregation, that we would be filled with God’s wisdom as we go about calling our next pastor and we would be knit together in God’s Spirit and be of one heart and mind.

  I’ll close with a little more from Hart’s hymn, which makes for a fitting prayer:

  For though our cup seems fill’d with gall,
    There’s something secret sweetens all.
  
  How harsh soe’er the way,
  Dear Saviour, still lead on;
  
  Nor leave us, ’till we say,
      “Father, thy will be done.”
  
  Finish, dear Lord, what is begun.
  Choose thou the way; but still lead on.

  • 11:38 PM
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