The Lord has been frustratingly silent through much of this, and yet, in His inimitable way, He occasionally breaks through the silence with the most stunning words of clarity, words that shed a brief flash of light on the larger picture. I now know what He's asking of me -- not the whole of it, but the seed that will form the shape of the whole.
This morning at church we sang a song that I posted here previously in another section. It was one of Hudson Taylor's favourite songs; this is revealed in a scene in the biography, Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret, written by Taylor's son Howard and daughter-in-law Geraldine:
One of the eighteen evangelists, Mr. George Nichol, was with him on one occasion when some letters were handed in to his office, bringing news of serious rioting in two of the older stations of the Mission. Thinking that Mr. Taylor might wish to be alone, the younger man was about to withdraw when, to his surprise, someone began to whistle. It was the soft refrain of the [...] well-loved hymn: Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what Thou art . . . Turning back, Mr. Nichol could not help exclaiming, "How can you whistle, when our friends are in so much danger!" "Would you have me anxious and troubled?" was the quiet reply. "That would not help them, and would certainly incapacitate me for my work. I have just to roll the burden on the Lord." |
Today in church as we were singing this song, the words "Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, I behold Thee as Thou art" came flying off the page. Like a quilt being stitched together before my eyes, this and other scripture passages the Lord has taken me to this past week began to form a pattern, almost rhythmic; "He knows what He's doing -- you can trust Him" statements by various speakers this morning reinforced the pattern. In answer to all your questions and all your quandries, He seemed to say. How like Him to sum this up in a single thought: REST IN ME.
Words by Jean Sophia Pigott (1845-1882)
Music by James Mountain (1844-1933)
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"Voice (mp3) 4 Part"