Recently, my church had a hymn sing (or “worship night” depending on who you ask.) The purpose was to gather together and sing some standard-bearer songs of the faith. Several people seemed surprise that someone my age would be there. As one lady commented “I don’t think my children would know any of these songs.”
As with so many things in life, though, I tend to be a little odd. I love hymns. I figure there’s a reason that they’ve been around for hundreds of years. The idea of standing in a huge cathedral and singing along to a pipe organ that is belting out “It Is Well With My Soul” makes me smile. Hymns stir your heart towards God. They proclaim His timeless majesty and echo His unspeakable magnitude. Hymns are larger than life, and remind us that God is too.
Recently I was reminded of the gems that many hymns contain as I listened to “Blessed Assurance.” For those who may not know it, the chorus says:
“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine”
It was the second line that startled me. Having sung the hymn many times before, I am not sure I had stopped to think about what it meant. Today, we give just a taste of glory. All the good things that God has blessed us with, doesn’t compare to the portion we receive in knowing that Jesus is ours. This knowledge provides us a glimpse into what heaven will be like; the opportunity for perfect communion with the One who knows us better than ourselves. Its just a taste, but what a indescribable morsel it is.
Thanks to God for whetting our appetite with the gift of His Son. What a privilege to look forward to an eternity of being satisfied with Him.