I'M HIDING IN THEE

I’M HIDING IN THEE

 

Today, as I write to you, I am rejoicing in God, my Savior.  It is a lovely early fall day, lovely clouds dot the sky.  And if I didn’t depend on my Lord Jesus Christ to get me through these difficult days, I don’t think I could hang on. 

 

And I know there are many of you out there who are feeling the same.  Life is hard, the world seems to be getting darker and darker.  I see so many right now who are going through difficult trials.  And I am rejoicing, as I said, because we have Someone to run to, Someone to cling to on these days of trials.

 

And we have a place to hide when the storms are raging, when the waves are roaring around us.  We have a place to hide when the tears of grief blind our eyes in the lonely night hours.  I prayed with such a friend a few days ago, whose husband had suddenly passed away after many years of marriage.  I haven’t walked that path, but I could hold her in my arms and let Jesus comfort her.  Where do we hide?  We hide in Him, our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  This old hymn was written in a time of grief, and the author knew the only place he could run to was to the Rock, Christ Jesus.

 

“Pastor William Cushing was only forty-seven when his wife died.  Then his health began to fail, and paralysis affected his vocal chords.  He had to resign his pastorate, and he wondered what he could do.

 

About that time he received a letter from Ira Sankey, the song leader for Evangelist Dwight L. Moody. The letter asked, “Send me something new to help me in my gospel work.”  Cushing knew what was wanted. Sankey was looking for a new gospel song that could be sung at Moody’s revival meetings.  He prayed that whatever he wrote would be something that would glorify God.

 

Cushing recalled, “It was while waiting upon the Lord that ‘Hiding in Thee’ pressed to make itself known.” The song had come from his heart.  As he said, “It was the outgrowth of many ears, many heart conflicts and yearnings of which the world could know nothing.” (From “Hymns” by Petersen).

 

HIDING IN THEE

 

O safe to the Rock that is higher than I.  My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly; so sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine would I be; Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.

 

Hiding in Thee, Hiding in Thee, thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.

 

In the calm of the noon-tide, in sorrow’s lone hour, in times when temptation casts o’er me its pow’r; in the tempests of life, on its wide, heaving sea, Thou blest “Rock of Ages” I’m hiding in Thee.

 

How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe, I have fled to my Refuge and breathed out my woe; how often when trials like sea billows roll, have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul.”  (William O Cushing, 1823-1902)

 

In this season of my life, when my strength is almost gone and I think about the days past when I had so much energy and was out in God’s field in ministry and now I know that He has put me aside for His own purposes.  And I am reminded that His work can go on, here at my computer  and in the newsletters I write and then that precious moment when I was able to minister to my grieving friend in the aisle of a thrift shop.  God use us no matter what “season” we are in.  And someday, in God’s time, these particular trials will only be a memory and I will be able to look back and see where I have been and  see His footprints all the way. 

 

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof” Psalm 46:1-3.

 

No, we don’t have to fear if the earth shakes and mountains tremble around us, and the seas of troubles roar.  And I noticed the word “present” in that verse.  He is present right now to meet whatever need you have.  He hears our faintest cry and sees those tears.  Sometimes I get so discouraged, but I know who sees my tears even in the dark hours or when no one else even knows my pain.  I am hiding in Him, I am running to my “God of all Comforts.”

 

“Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance” Psalm 32:7.

 

In those times when we run to our ‘Hiding Place” he will sometimes drop a song into our hearts.  I have had that happen many times and in difficult situations.  And it is like He is singing around me, bringing me comfort.  There is a wonderful verse in the Old Testament which promises that He will do just that:

 

The Lord Thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” Zephaniah 3:17.

 

Are you hiding in Him today?  Can you rejoice that even now your Lord and Savior, your Precious Shepherd sings a song over you?  And He rejoices over you with joy because you belong to Him?  There in that Hiding Place He wraps His love around you even though you may be in the midst of a storm and your world is being shaken.  He brings His peace in the midst of that storm.  Just like that day on the Sea of Galilee when the disciples were afraid for their very lives and Jesus just spoke to the wind and waves, “Peace, Be Still.”  And there was a great calm. (Mark 4:35-39).

 

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon Besler

 

 

 

I'M SAVED BY GRACE

I’M SAVED BY HIS GRACE

 

It is a Saturday afternoon, the end of another week.  It was another week of pain and difficult nights in particular.  But the Lord has so much to teach me.  And when I have no one else to turn to, I can always turn to Him in those difficult moments.  Some moments bring the tears, but He promises to collect all my tears in His bottle. (Psalms 56:8).  My heart is so full of so many things that as I write here, I am not at all sure how the Lord will use what is on my heart to encourage you on this afternoon.  

 

I know that many of you are going through difficult trials.  And sometimes when I meet someone who is in great pain, my pain does not seem so significant.  I meet many people who are having great trials, and I wonder how people can go through these things without the Lord.  In some ways, I am truly blessed.  Yes, I have my pain and as I am getting older, it seems to increase.  But I can still go on my way rejoicing in my God and trying to bring comfort to others who may need just a touch and a prayer.

 

I had such a moment yesterday, Friday.  I have mentioned in my previous blogs about a sister in the Lord who is confined in a nursing home.   Her name is Jean. She has been near death’s door for quite some time and is under “comfort care.” She can no longer move or speak.  This precious lady was a singer and loved to praise the Lord with hymns and she blessed many people, especially in later years from her electric scooter.  That is how we met her as she lived near our church and rolled herself there to bless her with her beautiful voice.  As I was there yesterday I read her some scripture and then I sing to her and she opens her eyes.  I am not sure if she can even see me anymore.  But she listened  as I sang “Amazing Grace” and a song by Fannie Crosby, “And I shall See Him Face to Face.” And as I kissed her goodbye and started to leave, her eyes tried to follow me.  I usually leave with tears in my eyes as there is such a presence of the Holy Spirit.  She has leaned on the Lord for many years.  I don’t understand God’s ways and He will take her home in due time and what a welcome she will receive.  She will be free from pain, strokes and the like and I am reminded of a Gaither Song, “When All God’s Singers Get Home.”

 

I had another song in mind for this blog, but I feel as if I will share this song by Fannie Crosby.  I may have used it in a past blog.  There are so many out there who are facing that day.  You may be in such a situation right now. The title of the Song is “Saved by Grace.”  I shared with my husband after leaving the nursing home that someday, when we are all together in God’s beautiful heaven, Jean will share with me that she remembered me singing to her when she was confined in her disabled body, and what a time of rejoicing that will be.

 

SAVED BY GRACE

 

Some day the silver cord will break, and I no more as now shall sing; but O, the joy when I shall wake within the palace of the King!

 

And I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story – saved by grace; and I shall see Him face to face, and tell the story – saved by grace.

 

Some day my earthly house will fall, I cannot tell how soon ‘twill’ be, but this I know – my All in All has now a place in Heav’n for me.

 

Some day, when fades the golden sun beneath the rosy-tinted west, my blessed Lord will say, “Well done!” and I shall enter into rest.

 

Some day: till then I’ll watch and wait, my lamp all trimmed and burning bright, that when my Savior opens the gate, my soul to Him may take its flight. (Fanny Crosby).

 

Yes, someday that silver cord will indeed break.  It will come sooner for some and longer for others.  And I will no longer sing at bedsides, but will sing, along with my precious friend, Jean in the heavenly choir, in the glorious palace of our King Jesus!

 

And what a day that will be when we see Him face to face.  And amazing about this song is that Fanny Crosby was blind, but by faith she knew she was going to see Him face to face!

 

Yes, I am getting older, as many of us are.  And we face times of pain when are bodies can no longer do the things we used to do.  Sometimes it takes some assistance to move around and some help in our care.  I remember the days when life was so free and I could do so many things.  But someday, unless Jesus comes in the clouds first, this old body will fail, and He is preparing a mansion for me and for all His children as He promised in John 14:1-3.

 

And someday, beyond the sunset, as my sun sets in the west, I am looking for that day when He will say to me and to all those who have served Him and belong to Him, “Enter into My rest, well done!”

 

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

 

 

CHRIST IS RETURNING, ARE YOU READY?

CHRIST IS RETURNING

ARE YOU READY?

In my quiet office and our peaceful area, I am remembering our trip to the east coast last month.  We had a great time with family and being tourists.  But I was impressed with the amount of people everywhere.  Here in our city we do have traffic and lines in stores, but nothing quite like being in some of the areas back there.  In one location at a theme park, thousands of people packed the huge gift shop, and people waited in lines outside.  And talk about traffic!  Sometimes we waited and waited for traffic to move.  And in that theme park it was literally wall to wall people.

And I watch people and wonder about what is going on in their lives.  And in the masses of people I wondered how many loved the Lord and if the Lord returned at that moment how many would meet Him in the air.  How many are ready to die?  We never know what the next day or even the next hour will hold.  And I ask you, out there, are you ready?  And in those kinds of moments I wanted to shout to the masses, “Jesus is coming, put aside the trappings and love of the world and get your heart ready, look to the cross, He died for all of you.”  I want to tell them that there are only two roads to travel in this life, the narrow road that leads to salvation and the broad way that leads to destruction.

Christ is coming soon, just look around you at the world as it falls apart.  Look around you at the lives that are in sin, deep sin.  The world is in darkness and need the “Light” of the Lord Jesus to shine.  And that day will come soon and when we do not expect it.  He will come as a “Thief in the Night.”  Don’t be caught unaware.

CHRIST RETURNETH

“It may be at morn, when the day is awakening, when sunlight thro’ darkness and shadow is breaking, that Jesus will come in the fullness of glory to receive from the world “His own.”

O Lord Jesus, how long, how long ere we shout the glad song, Christ returneth! Hallelujah!  Hallelujah! Amen.

It may be at midday, it may be at twilight, it may be, perchance, that the blackness of midnight will burst into light in the blaze of His glory, when Jesus receives “His own.”

Oh, joy! Oh, delight! Should we go without dying, no sickness, no sadness, no dread and no crying, caught up thro’ the clouds with our Lord into glory, when Jesus receives “His own.” (James McGranahan).

The history of this old hymn is not known, only that it was written in the early 19^th century.  But it has been the cry of every generation and each person hoped and prayed that they were the ones who would be caught up to meet Jesus, the generation of believers who would not see death.  I, myself, remember as a small child being taught that Jesus could come any moment and we were to be ready at all times.  But the years have moved on, and believers still wonder if we are living in that day.  I ask myself, as I grow older, and feel the years, “How long Jesus, when are you coming back?”

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” Matthew 24:36.

Many over the years and even in recent times have tried to predict when Jesus is coming, but only He knows.  It may be at dawn when the light is just breaking over the eastern sky.  It may be at noon, lunch time.  You may be in your office grabbing a quick lunch.  It may be at the end of the day, twilight, when all is calm.  It may be at midnight, when all of a sudden the sky will light up in the “blaze of His glory”, when He comes with His saints and His angels, and the trumpet sounds. But are you ready?

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And thus we shall always be with the Lord” I Thessalonians 4:16-17.

And He is coming for “His Own.”  He is coming for me and for you who love and serve Him, who have accepted Him as your own personal Savior.  We will hear that trumpet call, because His sheep hear His voice, John 10:3-4. He is coming for His Church, His own sheep who have served Him faithfully and have been waiting for His return.  And the cry of our hearts is found in Revelation 22:20: “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”  Amen.  Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

But as we look around our world, even in our churches, the hour is calling, don’t wait, judgment is coming.  What kind of people are we to be when we see these things happening in our world?  I am very burdened for who are going on with their lives unprepared for the judgment that is coming.  And I am calling you to make yourself ready, He could come this next hour, this next day or tonight.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 2 Peter 3:10-12.

And to think that we could be that generation of believers who would go without dying is such a precious promise.  There will be no more sickness, pain or sorrow.  And we would never grow old.  Can you imagine being caught up in the clouds to meet Jesus there?  I think about it often, especially on a cloudy day.  And I think about it when flying above in those clouds and looking down on cities below.

So, my friends, Jesus is returning and very soon.  I call to you to be ready, to meet Jesus.  Ask Him into your heart now, He is waiting, waiting for you.  He desires to call you “His own.”  Won’t you make that decision today?  That is the most important decision to make for all of eternity.

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon