Songs that Blessed Me Yesterday

I love Sundays. Often they are not really restful, but they are blessed. One of the songs we sang yesterday morning was "He Giveth More Grace." Interestingly, there was an article in our weekly periodical that told a bit of background for this great song. Jeanne Zornes tells the story of Annie Johnson Flint who wrote the words. She died in 1932. (Hubert Mitchell put it to music in 1941). Annie was orphaned at age six and raised by adoptive parents. She started writing poetry at age nine. She suffered from arthritis and by early adulthood was an invalid. In her constant pain, she knew how God "giveth and giveth and giveth again" or how God promises strength for the day. She also wrote "God Hath Not Promised Skies Always Blue."

Here are the words I love to sing:

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater;
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase.
To added affliction He addeth His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.

His love has no limit;
His grace has no measure.
His pow'r has no boundary known unto man.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!

In choir we sang the great newer song (1998) written by Roger Bennett, both words and music. He was a member of the Cathedrals, and is to this day struggling with leukemia. The song is simply called "Healing." When I sing it I think of Kevin and his healing from drug addiction. He is a new creation. All things are new. Here are the words:

The night was so dark, I felt in my heart my song had come to an end,
My spirit was willing but my body was weak,
I thought this is the way it would end.
But Jesus came in like a thief in the night,
He touched me and I was made whole,
My song did not end, it started over again,
And I want everybody to know
The story of my healing, O healing,
The Great Physician ministered healing to my soul;
The ills of my body were healed by the stripes on His back,
The Great Physician ministered healing to my soul.

My happiness gone, my day turned to night,
My soul was barren and dry;
The things of this world had all let me down,
Satan had me living a lie,
But then Jesus came, He heard my heart's cry,
He touched me and I was made whole,
His grace set me free, His love lifted me,
And I want everybody to know
The story of my healing, O healing,
The Great Physician ministered healing to my soul;
The ills of my body were healed by the stripes on His back,
The Great Physician ministered healing to my soul.

If you're in the valley of the shadow of death,
You think that your time is at hand,
Don't think for a moment He's forgotten your name,
At the crossing of Jordan true healing begins!

The ills of my body were healed by the stripes on His back,
The Great Physician ministered healing to my soul,
The Great Physician ministered healing to my soul.

Have a great week with a song in your heart!


TOTALLY UNRELATED ADDENDUM: Kristen from http://kristenssocalledlife.blogspot.com/ is trying to get 125 comments on her 125th post. Please help her reach this goal. Thanks!