Devotional

Have faith in God –
Know every sin forgiven;
Have faith in God –
No longer tossed and driven;
Have faith in God –
For peace you long have striven.
Have faith, dear friend, in God.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8.

    Imagine with me back to the year 1746. A ship is docking on the coast of West Africa. Its purpose is to snatch unsuspecting people and sell them as slaves in the far off countries. The captain of this ship is known far and wide for his debauchery, vulgarity and blasphemy. But one day in 1748, while reading the book "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas a Kempis, our captain comes face to face with his sin and turns his life over to Jesus, the Savior of sinners. Our captain is John Newton. After his conversion and dedication to Christ, he became a pastor and hymn writer. His most famous of hymns, "Amazing Grace", is a testimonial of his conversion to Christ.
    This is probably the most popular hymn in the English language, a television documentary was even made about it. Perhaps it is because its words so well describe the author: John Newton was a slave trader before coming to Christ. It was sung at the funeral of American president Ronald Reagan.
    The text, except for the last stanza, was written by John Newton (1725-1807). Originally in six stanzas, it first appeared under the title "Faith's Review and Expectation" in the 1779 "Olney Hymns," Book I, published by Newton and William Cowper (1731-1800). What is today usually used as the final stanza is not from Newton but is often attributed to John P. Rees (1828-1900). However, this is almost certainly unlikely because it appeared as early as 1790 in "A Collection of Sacred Ballads" compiled by Richard and Andrew Broaddus as an anonymous final stanza with the hymn "Jerusalem, My Happy Home." In older books it is sometimes found with "On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand" by Samuel Stennett (1727-1795).

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, Who called me here below,
Shall be forever mine.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.