September 28, 2005

Have faith in God –
While earth’s confusion rages;
Have faith in God –
Light from the Bible’s pages;
Have faith in God –
Illuminates the ages.
Have faith, dear friend, in God.

O Word of God Incarnate

William Walsham How, 1823-1897

    Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:12-17. KJV.

Everyone has a basic premise for his life's convictions. The Christian begins with Jesus Christ, Who came to earth to reveal God to man. The Christian also believes in the absolute historicity of Jesus as recorded in the Scriptures, the only authentic record of our Lord's life and works. For God's people then, the Bible is the most important book in life. Though written by forty different writers from Moses to John over a period of 1600 years, there is a perfect harmony throughout all sixty-six books. This is another proof that the Book is truly "God-breathed" and that the real author was the Holy Spirit--God Himself.

The writer of this hymn text, William W. How, was a bishop of the Anglican church in London, England. He was known as an outstanding hymnist, the composer of sixty excellent hymns of which twenty-five are still in use today.

In the first stanza of this hymn, Bishop How affirms that the Bible is God's Truth revealed and is a light from one age to another. In the second stanza, he states that Christ has entrusted His Holy Word to the Church so that His Word might be revealed as a light to all the world. Then How describes the Bible in picturesque language in stanza three and closes the hymn with a prayer that the Church may always continue to bear God's revealed truth to all people everywhere.

O Word of God incarnate, O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging, O Light of our dark sky:
We praise You for the radiance that from the hallowed page,
A Lantern to our footsteps, shines on from age to age.

The Church from You, our Savior, received the Gift divine,
And still that Light is lifted over all the earth to shine.
It is the sacred Vessel where gems of truth are stored;
It is the heaven drawn Picture of Christ, the living Word.

The Scripture is a banner before God’s host unfurled;
It is a shining Beacon above the darkling world.
It is the Chart and Compass that over life’s surging tide,
Mid mists and rocks and quicksands, to You, O Christ, will guide.

O make your Church, dear Savior, a lamp of purest gold,
To bear before the nations Your true light as of old.
O teach your wandering pilgrims by this their path to trace,
Till, clouds and darkness ended, they see You face to face.

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