Category Archives: Hymns and Spiritual Songs

He Is Seeking You

Posted on by

I’ve been reading through several of the stories listed at the Bloggy Tour of Testimonies, and I have to tell you, my heart is warmed to read of all the different ways God “broke through” to different people. Some were rebellious, some made false professions at first, some were “good kids” who found they were still sinners who needed the Lord, some were confused, some had a general believe that there was a God and that Jesus died for sinners without realizing, at first, that they needed to believe on Him for their own sin.

There are many on my heart who don’t know the Lord, and these testimonies have encouraged me that God is persistent in seeking out people and leading them to Himself.

These thoughts reminded me of a song I was listening to this morning from the A Quiet Heart CD:

He Is Seeking You

by Eileen Berry

Through the loveless dark this lonely night,
To your empty heart there shines a light.
Glorious light of love for all to see,
Jesus, Son of God in truth must be.

He is seeking you with a tender voice,
He is calling you to make a choice;
Tune your ear to hear this quiet sound,
He is seeking you, will you be found?

God has sent His Son through Israel
To all people who in darkness dwell.
Giver of the light to all is He;
In the face of Christ His Glory see.

He is seeking you with a tender voice,
He is calling you to make a choice;
Tune your ear to hear this quiet sound,
He is seeking you,
Will you be found?

Do Not I Love Thee?

Posted on by

This song has been ministering to my heart since I first heard it, but it has been on my mind a lot this past week.

Do not I love Thee, O my Lord?
Behold my heart and see;
And turn each cursèd idol out,
That dares to rival Thee.

Do not I love Thee, O my Lord?
Then let me nothing love;
Dead be my heart to every joy,
When Jesus cannot move.

Within the darkness of this heart,
Other gods would vie for my affections.
But Thou art exalted far above all gods.
Let nothing keep me from Thy love.

Thou know’st I love Thee, dearest Lord,
But O, I long to soar
Far from the sphere of mortal joys,
And learn to love Thee more!

I don’t know about you, but for me, the other gods vying for my affection seems almost constant. I do pray that the Lord will “turn each cursed idol out that dares to rival” Him and help me “learn to love [Him] more.”

This is the version as sung by the Soundforth Choir on the CD “More Like You, Lord.” The hymn was written by Philp Doddridge, published in 1755 after his death. More of the verses to the original hymn can be found on Cyberhymnal. The tune there by Elizabeth Cuthbert is not one I am familar with. The interlude in stanza 3 above, the music, and the orchestration were written by Craig Curry.

By Grace I’m Saved

Posted on by

This song has been on my heart throughout the day. I had only heard this version on Stephen Eagar’s CD Breath of Life, but in searching for the lyrics, I found a slightly different (and fuller) version on Cyberhymnal. The music on Eager’s CD is from a traditional Gaelic melody which was also used for the song Morning Has Broken.

By Grace I’m Saved

by Christ­ian L. Scheidt

By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless:
My soul, believe, and doubt it not.
Why should we stagger at God’s promise?
Hath Scripture ever falsehood taught?

By grace I’m saved, not by my own merit:
Our works, our conduct have no worth.
God in His love sent our Redeemer.
Christ Jesus came to sinful earth.

By grace I’m saved, O, wonderful promise
When thou art by thy sins oppressed.
When Satan plagues thy troubled conscience,
And when thy heart is seeking rest.
All of man’s reason never will comprehend
All that God’s grace alone doth send.

“In My Weakness”

Posted on by

This song had been ministering to my heart for the past couple of days — well, for the past several months since I first heard it sung by a young man in our church. It is on the Quiet Heart CD by the Soundforth Singers that I’ve mentioned before as well as on the Let Christ be Lifted Up CD by Christy Galkin.

I searched for the lyrics online and couldn’t find them. It was written, or released in 2000, so it’s not new. It was written by Mike Harland and Cary Schmidt. I am not sure whether it is violating a copyright to put them here — I hope not (if so, someone let me know and I’ll take it down). It’s based on II Corinthians 12:9-10: “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

When living life for Jesus Christ become too hard a task,
When obedience means sacrifice that seems too much to ask;
That’s when I learn that my own strength isn’t really strength at all,
And I find rest in humbleness when I surrender all.

In my weakness He is strong;
In my need He leads me on.
When I come to the end of all I am,
And I place my trust in Him;
That’s when His strength begins —
In my weakness.

When failures in my human strength have weakened all my pride,
And ruined hopes in fallen dreams have crumbled me inside;
It’s then by grace I fin’lly see the strength of Jesus Christ,
His victory is real in me when weakness fills my life.

In my weakness He is strong;
In my need He leads me on.
When I come to the end of all I am,
And I place my trust in Him;
That’s when His strength begins —
In my weakness.

Update: I am going to close comments on this post because most of them now are asking about the sheet music, which I don’t have and don’t know where to find.

“He Who Would Valiant Be”

Posted on by

I was thinking of this hymn by John Newton this morning. I first heard it when we attended Mt. Calvary Baptist…and I’ve never heard it anywhere else, even on the radio or on CDs. It’s a shame! It’s a great hymn.

He who would valiant be ’gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.

Who so beset him round with dismal stories
Do but themselves confound—his strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight,
He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with Thy Spirit,
We know we at the end, shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away! I’ll fear not what men say,
I’ll labor night and day to be a pilgrim.