O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

Daily Devotions with Pastor Chuck

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From Paul’s letter we read,

“For I am convinced that . . . (nothing) shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39 – NASB; note: “nothing” my addition)

I purchased Steve Green’s CD, “Hymns.” I love to hear him sing. I have a great deal of his music, listen to him a lot, and always appreciate the clarity and quality of his rich voice. He has been around for a while but he still has a marvelous voice and uses it to sing of Christ.

On this CD, I’ve been listening to Steve Green sing, “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.” What a beautiful old hymn and he sings it so very well. The words of this old hymn should bring to mind the Romans 8:38-39 Scripture.

“O love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe, that in Thine ocean depths its flow may richer, fuller be.”

The Scottish preacher George Matheson penned this hymn on June 6, 1882. He wrote at a later time regarding it, “I was at the time alone, it was the day of my sister’s marriage . . . Something happened to me, which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffering. The hymn was the fruit of that suffering.”

It is not known exactly what happened to George Matheson that caused him such grief. Many speculate that as his sister was preparing to be married thoughts of the time when he was supposed to marry returned to him. George Matheson went completely blind at the age of eighteen. Prior to his blindness, he had been engaged and, when his fiancée learned that he would soon be completely blind, she ended the engagement. Whatever the reason for the pain, he wrote this blessed hymn in the midst of it.

“O Light that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray, that in Thy sunshine blaze its day may brighter, fairer be.”

In the midst of deep anguish,

“O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain that morn shall tearless be.”

And he ended his hymn with these words,

“O Cross that liftest up my head, I dare not ask to fly from Thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead, and from the ground there blossoms red, life that shall endless be.”

A blind man, in the midst of personal “pain,” wrote that he would not “close his heart” to God. Surely we can learn a great deal from George Matheson and the words of his hymn. His written words call us to remember God’s words to us, that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It is a “love” that we sing, “will not let me go.”

Have a good day. May our God speak to you through His Word, wonderful words of assurance regarding His steadfast love for us in Christ.