Sometimes I Need an Anthem

Today was one of those days. One of those days when the world felt all wrong. One of those days when I could as easily have stayed in my pyjamas all day and just huddled under a quilt. God, if He existed, seemed to have forgotten I exist as well. I had almost decided that I could use my sore back as an excuse for being housebound for the day and crawled into the inner recesses of my mind when something (or Someone) drove me outside. I decided that any injury I could inflict on myself putting siding on my garden shed was preferable to the injury I was likely to inflict on myself crawling around in morose self-pity. So out into the fresh air I went, after changing out of my pyjamas.

The human mind is an amazing thing. At least it amazes me. When I was in grade one, our teacher had us memorize scripture. The days of that happening in public school are long gone ... does that date me? Anyhow, one of the many verses she had us memorize was Psalm 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee". Hiding things in our heart is what amazes me. It seems as though, if we're willing to file the data, God is more than happy to access and replay it at the most opportune times. So back to this afternoon ... I'm outside putting siding on my shed, just trying to focus and to function. Not giving a whole lot of thought to God, His word or anything of that nature when into the back of my mind creeps a song. An old song which I've not heard for a long, long time. A song which was hidden in my heart.

The words pushed their way into my consciousness and would not relent ... "this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long". It brought me up short. Praising my Saviour all the day long ... how had I forgotten that, how had I allowed "me" to stand in the way of that? And so I started probing my memory for more of the lyrics and was amazed at the words I recalled. I decided to make "Blessed Assurance" my anthem for the day, the standard I would carry.

Blessed Assurance   (Fanny J. Crosby)

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above,
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness lost in His love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

It's hard to nurture self pity, hard to feel hard done by when one considers the words of this hymn. Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit and on and on. Some days I need an anthem. Today God gave me this one, hidden away so many years ago.

Blessed assurance indeed!