I Will Sing Of My Redeemer

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2t5x3j

Not everyone will die doing something that they enjoy doing. Fortunate is the man who, when he has died, will have his legacy enhanced by the event of his death. Alben Barkley was a senator and vice-president under Harry Truman, but he seemed to have a good perspective on life. On the day he died, Barkley was doing something he enjoyed—giving a speech. In that speech just moments before he collapsed and died, he said, “For I would rather be a servant in the house of the Lord than to sit in the seats of the mighty.”

Now contrast that with the account of General John Segdwick, a union general who died in 1864. Honestly, I don’t know much about this man except for his dying words. Obviously a general must have had many accomplishments, but his life was overshadowed by his unfortunate last words.

Mounted on his horse with the battle raging on, the general was encouraged to take cover. Instead, he said, “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this distance.” But before he got the last word out, a confederate bullet killed him.

What would you be known for if you were to die today? Would others think more highly of you when they saw the Bible you studied and the kinds of things in your house? Would they be disappointed by some secrets in your life?

Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Where is your treasure today?

Philip Bliss and his wife Lucy were taking a much needed vacation in December of 1876 when a telegram arrived requesting that they return to Chicago for another revival meeting. They left their two children with relatives and boarded a train for Chicago.

On that cold snowy Friday night the train struggled on the tracks. At one point near Ashtabula, Ohio, the train crossed a wooden trestle bridge crossing a stream. The stream was swollen with water which had undermined the supports for the bridge. The engine of the train made it across the bridge, but the rest of the train plummeted 75 feet into the ravine and stream below.

As the wooden cars fell one on top of another, fire broke out as the oil lamps ignited the heap and a terrible fire raged on into the night. 140 of the 160 passengers were burned to death and only 59 of the bodies were recovered.

Witnesses told that Philip had survived the fall to the ravine and was safe, but his wife, Lucy, was still trapped in the wreck. He went in after her and said, “If I cannot save her, I will perish with her.” Neither of their bodies was ever recovered. Philip Bliss was only 38.

Later on when they opened a luggage trunk which survived the wreck they found the words to the song, I Will Sing Of My Redeemer. This was the last hymn that Bliss had written and it served to further solidify his legacy.

I will sing of my Redeemer,

And His wondrous love to me;

On the cruel cross He suffered,

From the curse to set me free.

Sing, oh sing, of my Redeemer,

With His blood, He purchased me.

On the cross, He sealed my pardon,

Paid the debt, and made me free.

In life and later in death, the faith of Philip Bliss impacted the lives of others. What a wonderful legacy.

Friends, we do not choose the time or method of our departure from this life, but we do choose the life that we currently live.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we always seek to do what is right according to God’s will. May we live so as to hear those wonderful words, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Our thought for the day: “He that lives to live forever never fears death.” William Penn

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.