I tend to associate songs and hymns with particular places or times in my life and spiritual journey. Some of you will know that I first confessed my faith as my own rather than my parents or those around me whilst singing Here I am Lord in a deserted village church.
Not all these hymn and song associations are so profound, it is often that the corps or church I was in at that time used to sing it often, or the words particularly spoke to me whilst I was at a particular place. One of these songs is What a Faithful God have I. This is a song I very much associate with Derby corps, we sang it several times over the two summers I was there, and it always seemed to coincide with times in my faith life where I was particularly happy or feeling strong.
The words are quite triumphant and speak of assurances and strength in knowing the Lord:
Lord, I come before Your throne of grace
I find rest in Your presence,
And fullness of Joy
In worship and wonder
I behold Your face
Singing what a faithful God have I!
What a faithful God have I,
What a faithful God!
What a faithful God have I,
Faithful in every way!
Lord of mercy, You have heard my cry
Through the storm You’re the beacon
My song in the night.
In the shelter of Your wings
Hear my hearts reply
Singing what a faithful God have I!
What a faithful God have I,
What a faithful God!
What a faithful God have I,
Faithful in every way!
Lord all sovereign, granting peace from heaven
Let me comfort those who suffer
With the comfort You have given.
I will tell of Your great love
For as long as I live,
Singing what a faithful God have I!
What a faithful God have I,
What a faithful God!
What a faithful God have I,
Faithful in every way!
Dawn Critchley, Robert Critchley. 1989 Thankyou Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkNK0-Vp_sc Liverpool Walton worship group
It was to sing those words when I was feeling triumphant, when I could testify to God’s faithfulness in every area of my life, when I felt His presence keenly beside me and I knew that I was following His will to the letter.
But today I couldn’t say these words. I could not join the chorus and proclaim that I have a God who is faithful in every way. I could not say that God had heard my cry, that he was my beacon, I couldn’t not behold His face and nor could I tell others of His great love. I just couldn’t follow through on any of the words in this song.
But why? I could give you a list of the blessings I had received from the Lord over the past twenty four hours, but I could not say that I saw His faithfulness this morning.
I had been up late the night before trying to get things ready for the meeting the next day, I then had a rather unsettled night due to some noise from outside the house, I lost track of time that morning so got to the corps later than expected, to discover that the laptop wasn’t working so we decided to use mine, but then mine wasn’t working either. Then when we finally did get it working the person who I had expected to come and operate the powerpoint did not come to the meeting, and I looked round and noticed that none of the ‘younger ones’ were there. We would be worshiping as a group of 10 people only. (Also the live streaming device, my phone, wasn’t working particularly well either so I ended up holding it for the meeting, but that’s by-the-by).
Now, Buckhaven Corps is a small corps, but division are especially proud of the fact that there are three committed young people who come along to each meeting. They are members (or in the process of becoming members) of the Salvation Army, and they are very much the pride of the divisional leader who comes about once a month to do the meeting. In her eyes at least, the success of the corps attendance is measured purely on whether or not these young people are there.
As such, I spend a proportion fo my time encouraging these young people, supporting them and enabling them to be involved and to keep coming to the meetings. I also pray for the growth of the corps each night, and these young people and their continued attendance is a big part of that prayer.
Well today they were not present at the meeting. And today we had visitors from DHQ who would report back on the meeting and who attended to the DC, and would no doubt pass on that none of the young people were there.
I could not praise God for His faithfulness in the morning meeting because I did not see it in the room around me, and having not had an easy morning, I didn’t see it in the week passed.
I became more distressed with each verse of the song, knowing that I should be able to attest to God’s faithfulness, but finding myself unable to do so this morning because I had failed in my job to increase attendance, and God had not answered my prayers in this area.
But He had. I just did not see it, I came back from the meeting and spent some time in prayer and reading the Bible, trying to get right with God. And it was in reading a Proverb that spoke of youths being like gold but older people like jewels that I saw God’s faithfulness and his fulfilment, the corps has gained two new attendees, they may not be youths and not be counted in the chosen or praised number that division gives encouragement on, but they are two new souls to the church. Two people who have been hurt during their spiritual journey and have joined with us for healing.
As soon as I saw the faithfulness of God in bringing these two friends to our fellowship, I saw the thousands of other mercies and blessings that he had bestowed on me and those I care about in the past week. And thanking and praising God I sang the the chorus What a faithful God have I sitting on my sofa looking out into the garden and seeing sparrows and finches flitting around and pecking at the grass.
What a faithful God have I,
What a faithful God!
What a faithful God have I,
Faithful in every way!
