August 11, 2005

Have faith in God –
For Christ is risen indeed;
Have faith in God –
From death forever freed;
Have faith in God –
His Word meets all our need.
Have faith, dear friend, in God.

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart

Words and Music by Ernest Orlando Sellers, 1869-1952

    The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. John 6:63.

    Portions of the wonderful 119th Psalm, with the majority of its 176 verses speaking pointedly regarding the importance of God's Word, were paraphrased by Ernest O. Sellers and set to a melody in 1908 to provide us with a hymn that still has an important place in our hymnals.
    The first stanza of this hymn is based on verse 105: Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and alight unto my path. Stanza two is based on verses 89 and 90: Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in Heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. The third stanza is taken from the 44th, the 62nd, and the 164th verses of this psalm: Seven times a day do I praise Thee, because of Thy righteous judgments. At midnight, I will rise to give thanks unto Thee, because of Thy righteous judgments. So shall I keep Thy law continually forever and ever. The final stanza is based on the 41st verse. Let Thy mercies come also unto me, O Lord, even Thy salvation according to Thy Word.
    For the chorus of the hymn, Mr. Sellers used the words directly from Psalm 119:11. They provide a strong closing summary for the reason we hide God's Word in our hearts: Thy Word have I hid in my heart--that I might not sin against Thee.

Thy Word is a lamp to my feet,
A light to my path alway,
To guide and to save me from sin,
And show me the heav’nly way.

Forever, O Lord, is Thy Word
Established and fixed on high;
Thy faithfulness unto all men
Abideth forever nigh.

At morning, at noon, and at night
I ever will give Thee praise;
For Thou art my portion, O Lord,
And shall be through all my days!

Thro’ Him Whom Thy Word hath foretold,
The Savior and Morning Star,
Salvation and peace have been brought
To those who have strayed afar.

Chorus:
Thy Word have I hid in my heart,
That I might not sin against Thee;
That I might not sin, that I might not sin,
Thy Word have I hid in my heart!

Have Faith in God by H.M.S. Richards, Used by Permission