For almost a month, the wedding of my husband’s daughter Emily has created a bustle of activity around our house. All the pre-nuptial parties have been a little over an hour’s drive for me and the things I’ve done to help Emily prepare for the wedding have been worked on late at night after Rusty was in bed. So while I was planning and partying, I had plenty of time to think about weddings and what leads to them—love!
It’s not unusual for me to wake up in the morning with a scripture verse or a hymn stuck in my mind that, no doubt, results from the things that swirled around in my head for the majority of the day before. This morning, the voice in my head was humming the hymn “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.”
I have absolutely no idea why that particular hymn came to my mind because it’s not one that was sung very often in any of the churches I ever attended. I may have played it at a wedding a time of two, but the words of the hymn are not ones I could easily recall. The title line was about all that I could bring to mind. But there it was, several hours later, rolling around in my brain.
I love music, but it drives me nuts when I can’t get a song out of my head—especially if it’s one I don’t know the words to. So, I finally sat down at my computer and turned to YouTube . . .
It’s not unusual for me to wake up in the morning with a scripture verse or a hymn stuck in my mind that, no doubt, results from the things that swirled around in my head for the majority of the day before. This morning, the voice in my head was humming the hymn “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.”
I have absolutely no idea why that particular hymn came to my mind because it’s not one that was sung very often in any of the churches I ever attended. I may have played it at a wedding a time of two, but the words of the hymn are not ones I could easily recall. The title line was about all that I could bring to mind. But there it was, several hours later, rolling around in my brain.
I love music, but it drives me nuts when I can’t get a song out of my head—especially if it’s one I don’t know the words to. So, I finally sat down at my computer and turned to YouTube . . .
Pretty awesome, isn’t it? I couldn’t help but wonder what compelled the lyricist, George Matheson, to pen such beautiful poetry, so I turned to Google . . . The history of the hymn is rooted in a wedding! Matheson’s sister was getting married and for reasons only a jilted lover can understand, Matheson stayed home. . .
Years before, Matheson had been engaged to be married himself. Plans were being made for his own wedding when he began to experience problems with his vision. After seeing several doctors, Matheson was told that nothing could be done to save his sight. When his fiancé learned that her future husband was going blind, she told him she could not go through life with a blind man and broke the engagement.
Matheson, now alone and facing a future without even a hint of light, continued his studies for the ministry. According to some theologians of his time it was believed that Matheson might have been the leader of the Church of Scotland had it not been for his blindness. He had written a learned work on German theology as well as a book, “The Growth of the Spirit of Christianity.” But critics gave mixed reviews of the book. Some declared it brilliant while others pointed out mistakes. Charged with being an inaccurate student, Matheson felt defeated and broken. When Matheson saw that his blindness could possibly be a fatal hindrance, he withdrew from his pursuit of theology and went into pastoral ministry.
Finally, Matheson was led to a church where he regularly preached to a congregation of over 1,500. But he was only able to do this because of the care of his sister and now she was married and gone. His sister’s marriage brought a fresh reminder of his own lost love and he despaired over how he would manage to minister to his congregation without his sister’s help.
In the midst of intense sadness, the Lord inspired Matheson to pen the beautiful hymn—written, according to his account, in five minutes! Listen to the words—the images they paint. Though Matheson had long since lost his sight, he had not lost the memories of God’s beautiful creations!
“O light that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to thee; My heart restores its borrowed ray, That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day May brighter, fairer be.” Matheson seems to be saying that he yields his darkness to his Savior with the knowledge that his sight was only a borrowed blessing and the real light comes from his salvation. He claims the promise that he will one day know a brighter, fairer day in Heaven.
Looking back over his life, Matheson once wrote that his was “an obstructed life, a circumscribed life… but a life of quenchless hopefulness.” Hopefulness! Matheson saw his suffering not as a hopeless situation, but as a mere obstruction. How could he maintain such hope in the midst of such trials?
What a lesson for us! Matheson starts the hymn by saying he will rest his weary soul in the arms of his loving Savior. And he gives his life back to the one who created him so that his life may be fuller and richer. Then he says “I trace the rainbow in the rain, and feel the promise is not vain” The rainbow image is not for Matheson! He is claiming God’s promise and testifying to the Lord’s faithfulness even in the midst of great hardship!
Precious Jesus, may I rest my weary soul in Thee at those times when I feel despondent. May I give you the life You’ve given me to use it as You will, knowing that Your love will never let me go!
Years before, Matheson had been engaged to be married himself. Plans were being made for his own wedding when he began to experience problems with his vision. After seeing several doctors, Matheson was told that nothing could be done to save his sight. When his fiancé learned that her future husband was going blind, she told him she could not go through life with a blind man and broke the engagement.
Matheson, now alone and facing a future without even a hint of light, continued his studies for the ministry. According to some theologians of his time it was believed that Matheson might have been the leader of the Church of Scotland had it not been for his blindness. He had written a learned work on German theology as well as a book, “The Growth of the Spirit of Christianity.” But critics gave mixed reviews of the book. Some declared it brilliant while others pointed out mistakes. Charged with being an inaccurate student, Matheson felt defeated and broken. When Matheson saw that his blindness could possibly be a fatal hindrance, he withdrew from his pursuit of theology and went into pastoral ministry.
Finally, Matheson was led to a church where he regularly preached to a congregation of over 1,500. But he was only able to do this because of the care of his sister and now she was married and gone. His sister’s marriage brought a fresh reminder of his own lost love and he despaired over how he would manage to minister to his congregation without his sister’s help.
In the midst of intense sadness, the Lord inspired Matheson to pen the beautiful hymn—written, according to his account, in five minutes! Listen to the words—the images they paint. Though Matheson had long since lost his sight, he had not lost the memories of God’s beautiful creations!
“O light that followest all my way, I yield my flickering torch to thee; My heart restores its borrowed ray, That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day May brighter, fairer be.” Matheson seems to be saying that he yields his darkness to his Savior with the knowledge that his sight was only a borrowed blessing and the real light comes from his salvation. He claims the promise that he will one day know a brighter, fairer day in Heaven.
Looking back over his life, Matheson once wrote that his was “an obstructed life, a circumscribed life… but a life of quenchless hopefulness.” Hopefulness! Matheson saw his suffering not as a hopeless situation, but as a mere obstruction. How could he maintain such hope in the midst of such trials?
What a lesson for us! Matheson starts the hymn by saying he will rest his weary soul in the arms of his loving Savior. And he gives his life back to the one who created him so that his life may be fuller and richer. Then he says “I trace the rainbow in the rain, and feel the promise is not vain” The rainbow image is not for Matheson! He is claiming God’s promise and testifying to the Lord’s faithfulness even in the midst of great hardship!
Precious Jesus, may I rest my weary soul in Thee at those times when I feel despondent. May I give you the life You’ve given me to use it as You will, knowing that Your love will never let me go!