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.
Read more about love:
- A-Z Proof of Love that Never Fades
- Does a Wedding Ceremony Have Prophetic Typology of the Rapture?
- Extravagant Love that Captures our Hearts
- Fun Facts about Love
- Kids Say the Darndest Things (video)
- “The Five Love Languages” by God
- Do You Really Love Him?
- What Do Kids Say About Love?
- What’s Love Got to Do With It?
- What is Love?
- Is the Bible a love letter to me?
- Does God love the lost?
- Extravagant Love
- O Love That Will Not Let Me Go
- 24 Reasons “Why I Love America,” by John Wayne (video)
- The Legacy of Love — It’s Not Just For Fathers
- Mother’s Love
- Love Lifted Me
- True Love is Jesus (video)
- Won't You Be Mine (video)
- He Loves Me (video)
- Love One Another (video)
- True Love is Jesus (video)
- How Can I Understand the Love of God?
- Do You Have a Heart for God?
- A Heart for God Revealed in St. Patrick’s Prayer
- My Beloved is Mine and I am His
- Oh, To Love With a Pure Heart
- Love is. . .
- Faith, Hope, and Love — Why is Love the Greatest?
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- The GATE OF THE YEAR: A Message to a Troubled Nation
- TWO WOMEN—Two Stories—Two Songs
- “LAUGHTER is the Best Medicine” Who Said That?
- The WIZARD OF OZ and God
- Following the Good, Great, and Chief SHEPHERD
- The best EULOGY to remember a father!
- ISRAEL Celebrates 70 YEARS As A Nation & the Significance for Christians
- HELLO DARKNESS, My Old Friend: The Sounds of Silence
- CHARLIE BROWN THEOLOGY
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Facing Terminal Cancer with Hope & Joy
When the Battle is Lost but the Victory is Won — Saying Goodbye to a Friend
The Top Ten Got Questions? Articles from 2018
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- The Meaning of COLORS in the Bible?
- Is my TATTOO a sin?
- What do the 12 stones UNDER the JORDAN River mean? (Joshua 4)
- What Does It Mean to TASTE & SEE That God Is Good? (Psalm 34)
- Where did OT Saints go at death?ABRAHAM'S BOSOM? Where was that?
- Why Does the LGBT Use God’s Rainbow For Its Flag?
- Should we call HIS NAME Jesus? Or Yahweh?Or Yeshua?
- Jesus said, I NEVER KNEW YOU. Why?
- CanJEWS go to HEAVEN without knowing Jesus?
Other Popular Questions:
- Is Satan’s Real Name LUCIFER? Or Should We Call Him Satan?
- If BAPTIZED as an Infant, Do I Need to Be Baptized Again?
- Was Jesus CRUCIFIED on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday?
- Why Is PRAYER Important?
- Is There a Hidden Message in Revelation 7?
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- Is It a Sin to Drink ALCOHOL?
- What Did Jesus Say About HEAVEN (and HELL)?
- Is SUICIDE an Unforgivable Sin?
Top Three Videos from Reasons for Hope* Jesus
- Christian Version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah
- Memorial Day Bagpipes Tribute: Amazing Grace
- Psalm 34 – Taste and See That the Lord is Good
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