Blest Be The Tie That Binds

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2zd8rz

John Fawcett lived a very difficult life. He was orphaned at the age of 12 and was forced to work long hours in order to survive. But he always made the best of his circumstances. As he grew older he met and married a nice girl and then he became a preacher for a small Baptist church in Wainsgate, England.

As the young couple settled in they enjoyed their work and soon the Fawcett family began to grow. Unfortunately, his salary did not grow. He was living on less than $200 a year and that was partly paid in potatoes and wool. He desperately needed more money to support his growing family. But the small congregation of less than 100 people simply could not provide any more for him.

Agonizing over his choices, John and his wife decided they would have to move on to a larger church. Arrangements were made and John soon found another church. Following his farewell sermon at Wainsgate, the moving process began.

As the wagons were being filled with their belongings the church members all came to say their goodbyes. But the emotion of the moment soon overcame the Fawcett’s and John’s wife said, “Do you think we are doing the right thing? I do not know how to leave.”

John thought for a short while and then said, “unload the wagons, we are staying.” And they did. John never left that church. He remained until he died in 1817 having served that small church for 52 years.

A little while after the wagons were unloaded, John wrote the words of the song, “Blest Be The Tie That Binds.” Here is the first verse of that song.

Blest be the tie that binds,

Our hearts in Christian love;

The fellowship of kindred minds,

Is like to that above.

Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:8, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.” Being in God’s family is a great blessing. Knowing you are connected allows us to enjoy the benefits of fellowship with others in the family.

Fellowship to some is simply a meal after worship. But it is much more than that. Fellowship is sharing with one another. It is emotional, spiritual, and physical.

As Christians travel from city to city, state to state and country to country, we encounter others who are likeminded and in God’s family. Even though we may be strangers outwardly, that bond with God allows us to quickly form a bond between us as well.

A simple illustration demonstrates the power of God in our relationships. Consider a triangle with God as the top point of the triangle and you and me as the bottom points. As each of us draws closer to God the distance between our two points decreases. In other words, the key to our fellowship with one another resides with how close we are to God. The closer we are to God the closer we are to one another.

John Fawcett never did get the salary that he dreamed of receiving. But he and his wife discovered something of great value that day the wagons were loaded. They discovered the love and fellowship that had developed over time, not just for them, but for the fellowship they enjoyed with God through Jesus.

Blest be the tie that binds us together.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we take the time today to express our love and appreciation for others around us. May we speak, write or otherwise demonstrate to others the fellowship we hold dear that is made possible through our relationship with God’s family.

Our thought for the day: “To have money and friends is easy—to have friends and no money is an accomplishment.”

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.

His Grace Reaches Me

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/yqdwfv

Some people are so stubborn and independent that they simply will not accept help from anyone. Such was the case with George Wilson in 1829. He had been convicted of murder and was sentenced to die. Andrew Jackson, then the President of the United States, granted Wilson a pardon but he refused to accept it. Can you imagine not accepting such a blessing?

It was highly unusual for a condemned man to turn down a pardon, so the government began legal proceedings to force Wilson to accept the pardon. When it reached the Supreme Court their ruling stated, “A pardon is a paper, the value of which depends upon its acceptance by the parties implicated. It is hardly to be supposed that one under sentence to die would refuse to accept a pardon. But if it is refused, it is no pardon. George Wilson must hang.” And he did.

Perhaps no one will ever know why Wilson was so stubborn. Maybe he was looking to cause pain for others by going ahead with his hanging. Or he might have thought that since he was guilty then he must pay the price for his crime. We will never know for sure. But isn’t it sad to think that a man would turn down his salvation for whatever reason?

Whitey Gleason, who toured for years with the Blackwood Brothers Quartet, wrote the words to the song, “His Grace Reaches Me,” while riding on a tour bus one night. He recalls that it only took him about 30 minutes for the song to come together.

He went on to write over 2,000 songs, of which 200 have been published and recorded. We are certainly in his debt for the beautiful song which he wrote.

Listen now to the first verse and chorus of “His Grace Reaches Me.”

Deeper than the ocean

And wider than the sea,

Is the grace of the Savior

For sinners like me;

Sent from the Father,

And it thrills my soul,

Just to feel and to know

That His blood makes me whole.

His grace reaches me,

Yes, His grace reaches me.

And ‘twill last thru eternity;

Now I’m under His control

And I’m happy in my soul,

Just to know that His grace reaches me.

Many people will fall into sin and despair in this life. In fact, we all sin and fall short of God’s expectations. That’s what Paul stated in Romans 3:23. If left in that state of sin, our wages for sin will be death or eternal separation from God. Paul says that in Romans 6:23.

It is by God’s grace that our pardon for sins was made possible. Listen to these words from Paul recorded in Ephesians 2:8-10.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Like George Wilson many people alive today will never accept the pardon of sins that God offers. And like George Wilson, we may never fully realize the reasons why.

But to those who accept that pardon through faith and obedience there is great joy to be realized. The penalty of our sins has been washed away. Our citizenship has been established in heaven. God’s grace has indeed reached down to us.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we be quick to accept the forgiveness that God offers and may we never delay drawing near to God.

Our thought for the day: “Law condemns the best man; grace saves the worst man.”

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.

Sometime We'll Understand

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/yoaml8

Maxwell Newton Cornelius was a successful builder. But one day he lost his leg due to an accident. Undaunted, he pursued the ministry and became a successful Presbyterian minister. In 1885 he moved to California and was able to grow a small church of 100 to over 1,000 in just three years. Things seemed to be going well.

But then the economy began to falter and his wife developed health problems. The financial burdens on the church and the illness of his wife began to consume his time. Like any of us, Maxwell began to wonder why God had permitted so many struggles into his life. After all, he was working for God, but he felt his burdens were greater than he could bear.

Deep in thought on what the future would hold both here and in heaven he wrote his first and only poem which later became the song, “Sometime We’ll Understand.” Not long after he wrote the poem his wife died. He preached her funeral and included the poem at the close of the service.

In those days such an event was covered by the local media, so his sermon and this poem were both printed in the local newspaper. An evangelist by the name of Major Whittle saw the poem and encouraged James McGranahan to write the music for these words.

Here are the first verse and chorus of that song.

Not now, but in the coming years,

It may be in the better land,

We’ll read the meaning of our tears,

And there, sometime, we’ll understand.

Then trust in God thro all thy days;

Fear not for He doeth hold thy hand,

Though dark the way, still sing and praise;

Sometime, sometime, we’ll understand.

In the Old Testament the Book of Job gives us insight on a tremendously righteous man. Job was the innocent victim of absolute devastation. In the course of one day he lost all that he owned, all but four of his servants and all ten of his children. Yet, he was able to maintain his focus on God, trusting that somewhere, sometime an answer would be revealed to him.

Often we will face struggles in this life and not be able to make sense out of them. Ironically, our struggles may sometimes increase when we serve God the most.

But that serves a purpose as well. I am convinced that every hardship and challenge in life is an opportunity to grow stronger or to grow weaker. We do not choose when or what type of hardship will come, but we do choose how we will react to that situation.

Consider the following passages.

In Psalm 56:11 we read, “In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

And Hebrews 13:5-6 states, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’”

On Our Daily Walk today, may we ever be ready to trust in God whenever we face problems in this life. May we eagerly leave our cares and burdens with Him and know that sometime, someday, we’ll understand.

Our thought for the day: “In heaven, God will reveal what on earth He chose to conceal.”

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.

Be With Me Lord

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2h64st

Church buildings can be really scary places. As a teenager I can remember my dad asking me to go across the street at night to his church office and retrieve some books for him. In the darkness of the night that building seemed to take on a life of its own. If you were to stand still inside that empty building you could and would hear noises. Believe me, I didn’t stay alone in that dark building for very long!

Preachers often work late hours. After visiting, counseling, paperwork and administrative duties are over, the evening hours look very inviting for reading and study. One preacher who burned the midnight oil in study was L. O. Sanderson. Sanderson was not only a preacher but also a composer of hymns and editor of songbooks.

One night in 1934 he was working in his office well past midnight. This night he was editing a hymnal that was soon to be published and was deep in thought. The local police saw his light still on and stopped by to make sure he was alright. After they left a melody started going through his mind. Within a short time he sat down and wrote the music for what would eventually be the song, “Be With Me Lord.”

Sanderson’s song is very popular today and is one of over 400 songs that he authored. He also edited 3 hymnals for the Gospel Advocate Company and wrote several music textbooks.

About a week after Sanderson composed the tune he received a letter from Thomas O. Chisholm. In that letter was a poem which became the words to the music that had been written.

As it turns out, on the same night that Sanderson was working on the melody of the song, Chisholm was unable to sleep and sat down and composed the words. One hundred miles separated the men that night but their hearts and minds were in concert together. Here is the first verse of that song.

Be with me Lord

I cannot live without Thee,

I dare not try

To take one step alone,

I cannot bear

The load of life unaided,

I need Thy strength,

To lean myself upon.

We all need God, but unfortunately we don’t always keep Him near. When David wrote about the valley of the shadow of death in the 23^rd Psalm, he wrote of walking through that dark valley. When most of us think of dark places, we are more likely to run through them than to walk. But David knew that God was with him. He kept close to God and that makes the difference.

We all will face struggles and difficulties in this life. Sanderson’s daughter died of cancer which was a huge loss to the family. But then two years after that while walking home from church Sanderson and his wife were struck by a teenage driver and his wife was killed. Sanderson was crippled but lived on eight more years before his death.

No doubt the words to his famous song provided comfort and assurance to Sanderson. We cannot live, take a step or bear life’s burdens without God’s help. Indeed we need His strength to lean upon.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we prepare ourselves for future struggles by keeping close to God each day. May we never fear what this world holds since we know that the Lord will be with us.

Our thought for the day: “If you take your problems to the Lord, that is natural. If you give your problems to the Lord, that is spiritual.”

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.

Victory In Jesus

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

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

It is a hard thing to say goodbye to a loved one. As a preacher I’m able to see families and friends as they struggle with the process of saying goodbye to a loved one who has passed away. Sometimes it is a time filled with hope and happiness. Other times it is a time of confusion, worry and anger. The difference in the two begins with how the deceased had lived his or her life.

Several years ago our preacher at the time died while conducting a Bible study in his office. My wife was his secretary and I was not yet in a preaching career. Felton’s death came as a shock to everyone and the funeral home was overflowing on the day of his funeral.

Emotions ran high that day as the service unfolded. Great things were said about his life and his work and a proper tribute was made for the life that he lived. Instead of playing songs over the speaker system the family had requested that the audience sing the songs congregational style. The last song to be sung that day was “Victory In Jesus.”

I’ll never forget the image of that song leader that day. The encouraging words of the song gave us comfort that we would once again see our friend. But as the song continued more and more of the audience became unable to sing due to emotions. Finally, the only voice heard on the last chorus was that of the song leader. Every time I sing that song I remember the events of that day.

E. M. Bartlett wrote this song in 1939 after suffering a debilitating stroke which left him unable to speak and paralyzed on one side. As his body weakened he focused on the healing that is offered through Jesus. While thinking on heaven he pondered the streets of gold in that city. When his pain increased he thought about the victory over pain that he would find in eternity.

Listen to the first verse and chorus of this song.

I heard an old, old story

How a Savior came from glory,

How He gave His life on Calvary

To save a wretch like me;

I heard about His groaning,

Of His precious blood’s atoning,

Then I repented of my sins

And won the victory.

O Victory in Jesus,

My Savior, forever,

He sought me and bought me

With His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew Him,

And all my love is due Him,

He plunged me to victory,

Beneath the cleansing flood.

Our victory is only through Jesus. Listen to what He said in John 16:33. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

On Our Daily Walk today, may we rest assured that we do have victory in Jesus and may we eagerly share that good news of salvation with others.

Our thought for the day: “If there were no enemies, there would be no battles; if no battles, no victory; if no victory, no crown.”

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.