4 “There is a river, the streams
whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of
the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God
shall help her, and that right early.” (Psalms 46:4-5)
It may surprise the readers of
this devotion, knowing that I am married to a lovely lady, to learn that I love
another woman – in fact, many other women, both LIVING and (in the eyes of the
world, dead). But I do not love them as my spouse, but rather as my dearly
beloved, bosom sisters in Christ. Miss Francis Ridley Havergal is one such lady
whose relation I am in no wise worthy to claim, but I claim it nonetheless in Christ.
Though I am unworthy of such a friend and sister, the same Lord and Savior that
she claimed and served is also my own Lord and Savior, and He will MAKE me
worthy of such communion with His saints in glory. Unlike the wonderful lady,
Fanny Crosby, who lived to the age of 95, Miss Havergal lived for only a short
space of 42 years, but not before blessing the Church with some of the most
inspiring and exquisite prose and hymns that has ever graced the pages of the
hymnal. She also authored many books and hymns for children. She was
conversant in many languages including Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
Miss Francis Ridley Havergal was
born December 14, 1836,at Worcestershire, England, and died on June 3, 1879 at
Swansea, Wales (at least I can claim her day of going to glory as coincidental
with my own birthday). Her father was a minister and hymnist. The inscription
on her tombstone is a witness of her living testimony in her writings and her
hymns: “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
(1 John 1:7) She was reading at the age of four, and writing verse by the age
of seven. She memorized the entire books of the Psalms, Isaiah, and most
all of the New Testament. She
literally hid God’s Word in her loving heart. If you will know this great hymn
which we study today, I believe you, too, will love Miss Havergal. To quote the
fitting words of the Hymnal 1940 Companion (PECUSA): “Her singular gift
of simply and sweetly singing the love of God and His way of salvation is well
summarized in the lines of her hymn: ‘Take my life, and let it be, Consecrated, Lord, to thee.”
LIKE A RIVER GLORIOUS:
The subject of our last devotion
on hymns was “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks.” It is a beautiful story of the
crossing into glory, beyond Jordan Waters, of all the saints of God. The River
Jordan, itself, being a river of less than 105 miles in length, is analogous to
the life of Christ which was also brief and gave life wherever He went.
Moreover, the Jordan died in the wilderness waste of the Dead Sea which is
quite like the Lord’s dying in a sinful world wilderness for our sins. The
River that seems most like that described in today’s hymn seems to me to be the
great Nile River – the longest river in the world (more than 4,000 miles long).
This mightiest river might be compared to God the Father whose origin is on
high (just as the River Nile has its origin in the pure and melting snows of
Kilimanjaro – the highest peak on the continent of Africa) and descends to
bless all in the lowest parts of the earth (just as the flood plain of the Nile
deposits rich nutrients and sediments it has collected on the rocks and gullies
down which it cascades to the fertile crescent – overflowing its banks there
and making Egypt a land of plenty even during years of famine).
LIKE A RIVER GLORIOUS
by Francis Havergal
Like a river glorious, is God’s
perfect peace,
Over all victorious, in its
bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth, fuller
every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper
all the way.
Refrain
Stayed
upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
Finding,
as He promised, perfect peace and rest.
Hidden in the hollow of His
blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never
traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a
shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the
spirit there.
Refrain
Every joy or trial falleth from
above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun
of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for
us to do.
They who trust Him wholly find
Him wholly true.
Refrain
Let us examine the words of this
hymn in the order of their appearance: “Like a river glorious, is God’s
perfect peace” (The Nile River is perfect in its dependable flow and the
peace of mind it brings to the people of its lowest point in Egypt of plenty at
harvest. “Over all victorious, in its bright increase”; Though there are
a number of tributaries that feed into the Nile on its great journey, they lose
their identity in the Nile just as the Christian loses his old identity in
Christ when he comes to Him. “Perfect, yet it floweth, fuller every day,”
It is true that the Nile increases more and more fuller every day as it plunges
down, and down, to sea level. “Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper all the way.”
The nearer to man that God comes to him, the more glorious, perfect, and
meaningful in depth He becomes to him.
The remainder of the song simply
is an exposition of the meaning of those healing and plentiful waters that
descend from the Highest Heaven to the lowest flood plains of the world, and
blesses us. “Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,” We, like Francis
Havergal, the writer of the hymn, can be hidden in the hollow of the Hand of
God and, if we are in the midst of the River’s current, “Never foe can
follow, never traitor stand.” The enemy shall neither follow in, nor stand
in, the River of God. The mighty Nile is constant. It is a large river not
subject to variations in current. “Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care.”
The heart can rest content in the River of God for it is steady and is not of a
nature to have white water surges. Safely in the center of this great River of
God, we rest content in knowing that the cares of the world are helpless to
break our joy.
The Nile flows silently just as
every great river, such as the Mississippi, does. It is not shallow to cause
the rushing waters of the rapids. “Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit
there.” This is like the River of God that never hurries or changes its
smooth flow. It is the spirit that reposes in consolation and comfort in the
midst of that River of God.
A few years ago, we paid a visit
to our churches in Kenya. As our plane banked to enter the traffic pattern at
Nairobi Airfield, Mount Kilimanjaro could be seen in its majestic splendor many
miles to the south (just across the border of Tanzania). Its snowcapped mantle
appeared as a Table spread for the Supper of the Lord. It was flat on top and
the snow draped all sides of this beautiful 14,000 ft. + mountain. The pure
waters fed by the melting snow cascade down its slopes and feed, eventually,
into Lake Victoria from which the head waters of the Nile plunge down to Egypt
thousands of miles distant. “Every joy or trial falleth from above,”.
These waters come from the highest point in Africa, and descend to the lowest
part. This is much like God’s mercies and grace originating in the highest
Heaven and descending to the lowest of all men – us. “Traced upon our dial
by the Sun of Love;” The summer sun melts the snows that feed the Nile. God
melts our spirits and warms our hearts to His Beloved only Begotten Son in the
same way. It is a pure love that generates the heat of devotion. “We may
trust Him fully all for us to do.” Since the waters of the Nile have never
failed to flow into the Nile River Basin in Egypt, overflowing its banks and
depositing rich nutrients on the hungry soil, it is much like the certain
mercies of God that descend to all who seek His Face. “They who trust Him
wholly find Him wholly true.” The farmers who have lived on the banks of
the Nile for centuries have no reason to doubt the River’s supply. It has
always blessed these farmers and they have no reason to seek greener pastures
elsewhere for they know they do not exist.
Though the Waters of the Nile
River have never failed to give their rich blessings, the day will come when
the Nile will be no more. Her enriching waters will evaporate with fervent heat
when the elements melt from the same. But the River of God’s Love shall never
cease its abundant flowing.
Lastly, we will consider the
words of the refrain to this beautiful hymn. The most important feature of a
great artist is that he must be focused on the object of his art. Leonardo
daVinci was focused on the central figure of Christ in his “Last Supper.” All
others in the painting were of supporting and secondary meaning. So he employed
point perspective to draw the attention of the viewer directly to Christ at the
center. All of the great works of J.S. Bach were focused on the glory of God.
In fact, Bach made the first notation on every manuscript claiming it to be (in
Gloria Deo) to the Glory of God. He was “stayed” upon the source of his
inspiration just as daVinci was. “Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully
blest.” In the very midst of the flood of waters of the River of God,
we have no fear while our eyes are stayed upon the source of the Waters. Like
Peter, we shall stay afloat unless we take our eyes off God and focus on the
swirling flood. “Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.”
We do not only remain stayed upon the great power and Person of God, but also
on His wonderful Promises, that cannot fail, made to us in Abraham and
consummated in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is my hope that you will now
have a more appreciable view of this hymn when it is sung, and thank God for
the wonderful saint whose heart of love was the agent whereby God gave us the
words to it.
