[Biblemat] hymn study, "

[Wayne S Walker]

Wayne Walker here with another weekly hymn study.

"I AM TRUSTING THEE, LORD JESUS"
"Trust ye in the Lord for ever..." (Isa. 26.4)

     INTRO.:  A hymn which encourages us to trust in the Lord forever is
"I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus" (#579 in Hymns for Worship Revised). 
The text was written in 1874 by Francis Ridley Havergal (1836-1879).  The
tune (Bullinger) was composed by Ethelbert William Bullinger, who was
born at Canterbury, England, on Dec. 15, 1837, a direct descendent of the
great Swiss reformer, Johann H. Bullinger, and was a choirboy at
Canterbury Cathedral.  Having been educated at King's College in London,
he became an Anglican minister.  As a result of his great interest in
music, he studied with John Pyke Hullah as well as with hymntune composer
and hymnbook publisher William Henry Monk, remembered most for his
setting of Henry F. Lyte's "Abide With Me."

     Bullinger's best known melody was dates to 1874 while he was
minister at Walthamstow in Essex, and first appeared in Wesley's Hymns
and New Supplement, published at London in 1877, where it was used with
"Jesu, Refuge of the Weary."  However, today it is more commonly
associated with Miss Havergal's words, which were produced when she was
visiting at Ormont in Dessous, Switzerland, and first published in her
Poems.  It is said to be her favorite of all her hymns, and a copy of it
was found in her Bible after her death.  Bullinger maintained a keen
interest in church music throughout his life and composed several
hymntunes, although this is the only one still in common usage.

     Also, Bullinger was known as an able Greek and Hebrew scholar, and
in 1881 he was given an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by the
Archbishop of Canterbury in recognition of his achievements.  In
addition, he also authored several books, including The Companion Bible,
Commentary on Revelation, The Giver and His Gifts (also known as Word
Studies on the Holy Spirit), Great Cloud of Witnesses in Hebrews Eleven,
Number in Scripture, and The Witness of the Stars.  His Figures of Speech
Used in the Bible is still considered a classic work in helping to
interpret and elucidate the figures of speech used in the scriptures.  He
died at London, England, on June 6, 1913.  Among hymnbooks published by
members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in
churches of Christ, the song, to my knowledge, is found only in Hymns for
Worship Revised (not in the original).

     The song mentions several specific items for which we trust in
Jesus.

I. Stanza 1 tells us that we must trust in Jesus for salvation
"I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, Trusting only Thee;
Trusting in thee for full salvation, Great and free."
 A. Jesus is the author of eternal salvation: Heb. 5.8-9
 B. Because this salvation makes it possible for us to have forgiveness
of sins, it is great: Heb. 2.3
 C. Because it is by God's grace and therefore we do not have to pay the
price, it is a free gift: Rom. 5.15

II. Stanza 2 tells us that we must trust in Jesus for mercy
"I am trusting Thee for pardon; At Thy feet I bow,
In Thy grace and tender mercy Trusting now."
 A. Because of the price paid for our salvation by His mercy, God offers
pardon: Mic. 7.18
 B. To receive this pardon, we must bow at His feet, representing
acceptance of His as Lord and submission to His will: Phil. 2.10-11
 C. Once we have received His pardon, we can continue to come before Him,
trusting in His grace and mercy to help us in time of need: Heb. 4.14-16

III. Stanza 3 tells us that we must trust in Jesus for holiness
"I am trusting Thee for cleansing In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy By Thy blood."
 A. Even after we have been pardoned, we still have to deal with the
problem of sin and from time to time need cleansing: 1 Jn. 1.7-9
 B. While we must strive to be holy as God is holy, we cannot make
ourselves holy; only God can make us holy or sanctify us through His
truth: Jn. 17.17
 C. Therefore, in order to have the holiness that God desires, we must
seek the cleansing that is available by redemption through the blood of
Christ: 1 Pet. 1.16-19

IV. Stanza 4 tells us that we must trust in Jesus for guidance
"I am trusting Thee to guide me; Thou alone shalt lead,
Every day and hour supplying All my need."
 A. We need guidance because the way of man is not in himself: Jer. 10.23
 B. Jesus is pictured as the one who will lead His people to living
fountains of water: Rev. 7.17
 C. Therefore, through His our God shall supply all our need: Phil. 4.19

V. Stanza 5 tells us that we must trust Jesus for power
"I am trusting Thee for power: Thine can never fail;
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me Must prevail."
 A. God offers to do exceeingly abundantly above all that we ask or think
according to the power that works in us: Eph. 3.20
 B. Because God is the eternal one, His power can never fail: Heb.
1.10-12
 C. The powerto direct our lives in the right way so that we can previal
comes from the gospel of Christ: Rom. 1.16

VI. Stanza 6 tells us that we must trust in Jesus for help not to fall
"I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus: Never let me fall;
I am trusting Thee forever, All for all."
 A. Trusting Jesus and being diligent to follow Him will enable us never
to stumble or fall: 2 Pet. 1.8-10
 B. However, we must continue trusting Him forever and be faithful until
death: Rev. 2.10
 C. If we do this, He will be our all in all: Col. 3.11

     CONCL.:  Over and over again, the Bible urges us to trust in God. 
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the
Lord" (Jer. 17.7).  Therefore, if it is my aim to please Him in this lfie
and to have the hope of living with Him forever in heaven, I must
constantly be saying to my Savior, "I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus."

     Brotherly,
Wayne S. Walker
9024 Amona Dr.
Affton, MO  63123
home phone: (314) 638-4710
office phone: (314) 544-1612
e-mail: wswalker310 at juno.com
website: www.defenderoftruth.com
     Notes: Other hymn studies are available at the Defender of Truth
website.  Also, some of my previous hymn studies are now included in book
that I have written entitled Songs of Zion.  It can be ordered from the
publisher by calling 1-800-423-2484 or going to www.faith-facts.com.  And
if you would like to receive a similar daily hymn study by e-mail, you
can join the Hymn of the Day list by sending a blank e-mail to
hymnoftheday-subscribe at yahoogroups.com or subscribing from the Web at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hymnoftheday/ .