Thoughts for another day

April 15, 2008

Today's verse: Isa. 41:13. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. (KJV)
(Pls. read the above before you read further. Thanks)

Yesterday night before going to sleep, while I waited for my daughter to join me to pray, my mind dwelt on how much her mother and I love her and care for her. Suddenly my mind moved to God. I thought: Oh God, how much you love us. When my daughter came I told her, ‘we cannot see God but see, He is so near to us and He loves us so much; there is nothing comparable to His love.’ My mind then moved to that beautiful song, ‘Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light…take my hand Precious Lord, lead me home.’

As I set about to write this reflection, I thought let me see how this song came to be written and was stunned to read how the writer of this song, Thomas Dorsey happened to write it. For those interested, I’d urge to read the whole story on the website: http://www.popularhymns.com/precious_lord_take_my_hand.php.

It stunned me in knowing that this song emerged from the soul of a grief stricken man, completely shattered in learning that his wife, having delivered their newborn baby had died, even as he was performing solo at a revival in St Louis in 1932. He rushed back home and held his baby, swinging between sorrow, at the death of his wife and joy, at the birth of his first baby, a boy. But that night, the baby died. Dorsey was shattered and began to hate God, thinking God had done him great injustice. Later, as he sat at the piano, swinging his expert fingers over the keys, the Grace of God washed over him, giving him a peace, he scarcely understood. In the atmosphere of the moment, he felt He could actually reach out for God to hold his hand. He started playing a melody, he’d never done before and ‘Take my hand Precious Lord…’ emerged.

My friend, I behold the face of our Precious God. So gentle and so kind. My heart was lifted up when I read about Thomas Dorsey. ‘Oh, God, how you lift us mere mortals into your presence; is the refrain of my soul.’ And I am glad that He has counted me worthy to proclaim His Son. Yeah, so are you, I’m sure; and we both wait with the hope that someday, when the day has gone and the night is on and you and I stand at the river, He will guide our feet and take us home to be with Him saying, welcome My child…Oh, beautiful Lord!