Hold to God’s unchanging Hand....the Wayfarer 3/28/16

Hold to God’s unchanging Hand
3/28/16

Proverbs 3:5-6King James Version (KJV)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

One of the hymns I love, and often attempt to sing is titled with the same title chosen for today’s dissertation.

Like most of the hymns I choose to sing, and the ones I love most to hear as well, it is a prayer, much in line with the Psalms sung and recorded in our scriptures for posterity as a reminder of the power of our God, a reminder of the transitory and temporary nature of man and mankind, a reminder that a path has been given to follow that will make our journey just a bit easier, and our destination at the end of that journey certain, if followed as is intended.

Its words and melody, written and composed by Jennie Wilson and F. L. Eland, copyrighted in 1932, during a time of turmoil and transition were uplifting, a source of strength to Christians of that era, and those to follow as well, and remain as true today as when first heard by this old preacher as a child.

“Time is filled with swift transition, Naught of earth unmoved can stand,

Build your hopes on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Trust in Him who will not leave you, whatsoever years may bring,

If by earthly friends forsaken, still more closely to Him cling.

Covet not this world’s vain riches, that so rapidly decay.

Seek to gain the heavenly treasures, they shall never pass away.

When your journey is completed, if to Him you have been true,

Fair and bright the home in glory, your enraptured soul shall view.

Hold to God’s unchanging hand, Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God’s unchanging hand.”

God’s hand is indeed unchanging!

 It has been extended to man since it was first extended to Adam when the first breath of life was breathed into his nostrils by that same unchanging God.

That hand sung about in this hymn is the same hand sung about many years later in another popular song that asks us to put out hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.

The time between the writing of these two songs was a period of approximately forty years, a time of swift transition indeed!

The world of the writers of the title song was advanced and modern beyond compare to the time that had been before it.

Radio had advanced to a point that the song could be heard and enjoyed by thousands of people at one time, sitting in front of a new invention that brought the news of the day to the living rooms of rich and poor alike, news of all the troubles of the day that threatened them, discouraged them, enraged them, often causing them to forget all that had happened in the past that was equally troublesome, equally discouraging, equally enraging, but that had taken far longer to make the knowledge of what was transpiring to become apparent through the means of communication available at that time.

Yet, the transitions came, and those yet to come remained unimagined as the world marched on toward still more rapid transition, more troublesome, more discouraging, and more enraging news that would intrude into the lives of those of that age, my grandparent’s age bringing even swifter transition to yet another war, yet more horror, yet more persecution, yet more death as the hand held on to was released as soon as each trouble passed.

The prophetic nature of this old hymn states that naught of earth unmoved can stand.

This truth is absolute!

The transitions since that time have included the toppling of powers that at the time may have seemed to hold the answers sought, seemed to promise security, seemed to promise prosperity, seemed to promise peace, seemed to promise all the rewards so diligently worked for that have since decayed and proven the transitory nature of the hands being held in place of the one that never has nor will change.

The world was horrified by the inhumanity of man that was evidenced by powers that sought to supplant that hand with their own wisdom and understanding.

The world was transformed as that “wisdom, and understanding” led to new fears as weaponry, previously unimagined, proved its effectiveness while threatening destruction for the entirety of mankind.

Transition and transformation continued, and continues at an ever more rapid pace, change becoming the slogan and watchword, while the hand that does not change remains extended, yet more often than not refused for hands that promise only more of the same transition that leads only to more of the same faulty promises produced by the same faulty logic and “wisdom”.

Trust has been placed everywhere but in the One that will not leave us, as the years bring steadily more of the transition, and as allies and friends so often become enemies, choosing other hands to hold and cling to that refuse the proffered hand of God.

Covetousness abounds for the vain riches spoken of by this old hymn, riches that include only riches of the moment, rewards of the moment, pleasures of the moment, that hold no promise of anything permanent and lasting.

What is sought is temporary escape from the reality of the unchangeable nature of God, the unchangeable nature of all that has ever been brought into existence by man that must, because of that nature decay, leaving behind only the rotted shell of what it promised.

Hope placed solely on the ability of man, or men is hope destined to be shattered as the certainty of death eventually takes its place of prominence for any proclaiming that hope.

Man, despite the grand transition, despite the great transformation, despite the acquisition of wisdom and knowledge, has not, and cannot, overcome that certainty, established by God, still controlled by that same unchanging hand, still extended in mercy and grace for any willing to reach out and grasp.

The eternity of God remains unchanged, the destination offered man remains unchanged, the means of reaching that destination remains unchanged and unchanging.

The love that was shown man throughout all ages, throughout all the transition, throughout times of turmoil and trouble past remains available as that transition speeds toward the end of transition, the end of transformation as conceived by man in all his knowledge and wisdom.

That love, that mercy, that absolute grace extended through the gift of Christ Jesus, remains available to “whosoever will” simply accept that hand by accepting the terms with which it was first offered.

“Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

The Way, the Truth, and the Life remain unchanged and unchanging.

The second song mentioned urges all to “Take the hand of the man”.

I urge you also to take the hand of the man, not the hand of a man, but the hand of Christ Jesus, Whose hand alone can lead to the “things eternal” spoken of in both this old title hymn and in the scriptures as well.

As the swift transition of years gives way to the unchangeable and unchanging hand, I ask that more than cursory attention be given to the final promise given, and that choice be made based on the promise of the contents of that hand:

Revelation 22King James Version (KJV)

22 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

² In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

³ And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

⁴ And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

⁵ And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

⁶ And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

⁷ Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

⁸ And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

⁹ Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

¹⁰ And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

¹¹ He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

¹² And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

¹³ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

¹⁴ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

¹⁵ For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

¹⁶ I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

¹⁸ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

²⁰ He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

And again I ask that you hold to God’s unchanging hand, in acceptance of that grace.

2 Timothy 1:12 King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Amen and amen

the Wayfarer