Bi-Weekly Hymn Spotlight: O Thou in Whose Presence

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O Thou in Whose Presence
by

Joseph Swain

O Thou in whose presence my soul takes delight,

On whom in affliction I call,

My comfort by day, and my song in the night,

My hope, my salvation, my all.

Where dost Thou at noontide resort with Thy sheep,

To feed on the pastures of love?

Say, why in the valley of death should I weep,

Or alone in the wilderness rove?

O, why should I wander an alien from Thee,

And cry in the desert for bread?

Thy foes will rejoice when my sorrows they see,

And smile at the tears I have shed.

He looks, and ten thousands of angels rejoice,

And myriads wait for His word;

He speaks, and eternity, filled with His voice,

Re-echoes the praise of her Lord.

Dear Shepherd, I hear and will follow Thy call;

I know the sweet sound of Thy voice.

Restore and defend me, for Thou art my All,

And in Thee I will ever rejoice.

Brief Synopsis: 

This hymn, written by British pastor Joseph Swain, came to my attention while I was listening to a Fernando Ortega recording of the song. The simple, heartfelt, yet deeply Scriptural lyrics ministered to me at the time, and the almost-hauntingly beautiful poetic melody hushed my spirit and spoke quiet and grace to me. Joseph Swain lived only a short while, dying at age 35 after a brief period of ministry. Swain, an orphan, became converted under the ministry of the preacher John Rippon, and subsequently began to preach the Gospel. Swain died on April 16th, 1796, but his rich, heartfelt and Spirit-led words of truth and encouragement continue to go forward through this beautiful hymn, among other lesser-known hymns and poetry that he wrote during his brief life. Interestingly, his grave stands beside the graves of William Blake and Daniel DeFoe... but his soul rests with the Eternal Father of his heart. 

How is this hymn meaningful to believers, past and present?

The Lord ministered to me through this hymn during a very difficult time that my family experienced in the years just before I was married. My father abandoned our family, leaving us in a very precarious financial situation. The Lord mercifully sustained us during that time, providing for us in unexpected ways and enabling my sister and me to work together to help support the family.  It was a time of darkness and of sorrow, but also a time of light -- light through the darkness, light that whispered to us of hope. 

My sister and I sang this hymn a-cappella for a church service and our voices joined together as we held onto the Lord's promises by faith in the darkness. 

The Lord brings us through times of intense darkness, persecution and pain, so that we will see Him and cling to Him. I look back now at that time, and I am grateful for it. He taught me things in the dark that I could never have learned in the light. He taught me to be sensitive to the pain of those around me. He taught me to trust Him in the darkness, trust Him Who is the Light, and our "song in the night." 

Fernando Ortega's recording of this hymn from his CD, This Bright Hour:

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Swain_(poet)

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, SDG Gathering, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, Motivate and Rejuvenate Mondays, So Much at Home, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, A Soft Gentle Voice, My Daily Walk in His Grace, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage, The Charm of Home, Graced Simplicity, Theology Thursdays, Children Are A Blessing, Mittenstate Sheep and Wool, Imparting Grace, Preparedness Mama, A Look at the Book, Essential Thing Devotions, Thought Provoking Thursday, Every Day Jesus, Count My Blessings, Christian Mommy Blogger, Renewed Daily, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Blessing Counters Link Party, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Saturday Soiree Blog Party, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, Faith and  Fellowship Blog Hop, Motivate and Rejuvenate Monday Link-Up, A Little R&R Wednesdays. TGI Saturdays Blog Hop. Totally Terrific Tuesday, RaRaLinkup

Stay on the Nest

“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” 

--Winston Churchill

Darkness came more quickly tonight. A steady spring rain falling, the outside dusk closing in early.

A Robin built her nest, on eye level, in the big crabapple tree; I could see her little head and her steady black eyes watching us as my daughter and I peered at her through the rain-watered glass. 

The rain coming down, washing over her, she sat on her nest. 

She stayed on her nest, through the damp drizzle, and the unseasonably chilly weather.

She stayed on her nest, keeping her soft-blue eggs warm, her body heat protecting them against the chill air and keeping them from succumbing to the cold weather. 

That sweet mother Robin stayed on her nest. 

The Lord has been speaking to me; the lesson of the Mother Robin touched my heart again in the direction that He's been leading and teaching me. 

Stay on your nest.

Sometimes, many times, mothering isn't easy. 

Many times there is no gratification, no instant reward. Sometimes our kids are just plain ornery and we wonder, "What happened?" 

Sometimes the Holy Spirit may be convicting us about something that He wants us to do differently in our parenting, exchanging the "good," for His "best." 

Don' be discouraged; trust in His wisdom and stay on your nest. 

Keep persevering; keep seeking the Spirit of God in your parenting. Keep trusting, praying, chiseling, hammering, working, pleading with God for their souls; stay on your nest.

Through the good times, through the bad, through the cold and the rain, stay on your nest. 

There are so many temptations, distractions, so many opportunities to "take the easy way out," to plop our children in front of a computer or a TV, to  continually (not occasionally for a respite)  "escape" into a store or a playgroup, to distract ourselves from the hard work of monotonous day-in and day-out grueling work of parenting.

There is even the temptation to "escape" emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, when mothering becomes, "hard." We tune things out -- We ignore difficult parenting situations that we need to address. We tune out our children's voices; we ignore problems rather than praying about them and dealing with them. 

But we must be faithful in the "little things" of mothering -- another lesson that the Lord keeps teaching me. 

"He who is faithful in what is least, will also be faithful in much . . . " (Luke 16:10). 

Be faithful in the things that no one sees, no one notices -- read the extra book, pick up the clutter, use every opportunity to talk to your children about the Lord, to relate everything back to Him.

Be faithful in the drudgery, in the tedious, in the unpleasant and difficult.

Be faithful, because Someone does see; and He will be your Reward. 

And He will reward you -- a tree doesn't bear fruit immediately, but the fruit will come. 

The Robin's eggs will hatch -- life will come forth -- the fruit of the robin's steadfast perseverance. 

The fruit will come. 

Be patient. Be faithful. Be diligent . Be persevering . . . the fruit will come.

We have all failed. So many times. How many times have I wept, have I ached over the times that I have failed? But the important thing, the vital thing is to run to our Heavenly Father, to repent, to seek His mercies afresh, and to get up, to get back on our nest.

Because in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

Never give up. 

And stay on the nest.  

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, SDG Gathering, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Time Warp Wife, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, Motivate and Rejuvenate Mondays, So Much at Home, Raising Homemakers, Hope in Every Season, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries, Whole-Hearted Home, Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, A Soft Gentle Voice, My Daily Walk in His Grace, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage, The Charm of Home, Graced Simplicity, Theology Thursdays, Children Are A Blessing, Mittenstate Sheep and Wool, Imparting Grace, Preparedness Mama, A Look at the Book, Essential Thing Devotions, Thought Provoking Thursday, Every Day Jesus, Count My Blessings, Christian Mommy Blogger, Renewed Daily, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Blessing Counters Link Party, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Saturday Soiree Blog Party, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, Faith and  Fellowship Blog Hop, Motivate and Rejuvenate Monday Link-Up, A Little R&R Wednesdays. TGI Saturdays Blog Hop. Totally Terrific Tuesday, RaRaLinkup