Three Of My Favorite Hymns

 
Hymns.

Hymns are beautiful songs that are often forgotten. Songs born out of life experiences, or even tragedy.

Hymns are very powerful and meaningful songs with a story behind the words. When you take the time to read about the author of a hymn, and the story behind the song, you're able to have a greater appreciation for the song.

I personally have a top three favorite hymns and I want to share the title with you, a little snippet of the background story, and why I love the song, or what it means to me:

1) It Is Well With My Soul by Horatio Spafford

Horatio Spafford was a man who lived during the 1800s in Chicago with his wife, Anna, and five children - a boy and four girls.

Within the same year, Horatio Spafford’s son died due to an illness, and he lost the property where his business was located in the great Chicago fire.

A few years later, Horatio sent his wife and daughters ahead of him on a trip to Europe by way of an ocean liner. On the way to Europe, there was a big accident that sunk the ship, and took the lives of the Spafford girls - all four of his daughters.

Anna Spafford sent word to Horatio as soon as possible. As Horatio boarded on a ship to go join his wife, he was able to physically see the watery grave where his daughters laid. It is believed that at this moment, viewing the area of the ocean where his daughters bodies lay, he penned the words to his famous song, It Is Well With My Soul.”
  
“When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roar
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, 
It is well, It is well, with my soul.


2) Great Is Thy Faithfulness by Thomas Chisholm

Written in the 1920s, Thomas Chisholm penned the words to, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” as a testament to God’s faithfulness.

“Great Is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father!
There is no shadow of turning with Thee; 
Though changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be. 

Great Is Thy faithfulness,
Great Is Thy faithfulness, 
Morning by morning new mercies I see; 
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, 
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness 
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. 

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, 
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, 
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow 
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!”

3) Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robert Robinson

Marshall Segal writes an article on Desiring God about the hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, and he says,

 “In 1743, when Robert Robinson was just eight years old, he lost his father. Angry, bitter, and fatherless, Robert rebelled in excess through his teenage years — drinking, gambling, and causing trouble. But God broke into his heart through the gospel preaching of George Whitefield. Several years later, he followed the Lord into ministry and was later inspired to write “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”

 “Come, Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace 
Streams of mercy, never ceasing 
Call for songs of loudest praise 
Teach me some melodious sonnet 
Sung by flaming tongues above 
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it 
Mount of Thy redeeming love 

Here I raise my Ebenezer 
Here there by Thy great help I've come 
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure 
Safely to arrive at home 
Jesus sought me when a stranger 
Wandering from the fold of God 
He, to rescue me from danger 
Interposed His precious blood 

Oh, that day when freed from sinning 
I shall see Thy lovely face 
Clothed then in the blood washed linen 
How I'll sing Thy wondrous grace 
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry 
Take my ransomed soul away 
Send Thine angels now to carry 
Me to realms of endless day 

Oh, to grace how great a debtor 
Daily I'm constrained to be 
Let that goodness like a fetter 
Bind my wandering heart to Thee 
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it 
Prone to leave the God I love 
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it 
Seal it for Thy courts above 
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it 
Seal it for Thy courts above”

~

Why are these my favorite hymns, or what do each of these three mean to me?

It Is Well With My Soul

This song reminds me that God is in control, no matter what I see or hear. It reminds me to rest in God and put my trust in Him, because He’s got it. All power belongs to Him.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

This song reminds me how good God is, and that He’s never-changing, always faithful, even when I’m not. His faithfulness blows me away. What an amazing God we serve.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

My earliest memory of even knowing about this song was from the movie, Love Comes Softly. There was a man in the movie, Clint, one of the main characters who one day took a walk and was spending some alone time with the Lord. He sang this song and it always intrigued me, especially the line that says,

“Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it 
Seal it for Thy courts above 
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it 
Seal it for Thy courts above” 

When I was twelve years old I took a strings class to learn the violin, and literally the only piece that I can play by heart is Come Thou Fount. I love this song so much. It reminds me of eternity. Keeping my eyes on eternity.

 ~

When talking to people I always like to summarize by saying this:

It Is Well With My Soul - God’s Peace
Great Is Thy Faithfulness - God’s Faithfulness
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing - Eternity

~

I hope this was encouraging and uplifting to someone. 

I would encourage you to listen to hymns, and add more hymns to your music playlists. God bless you richly.

*the image was found on google*