I was reflecting on a hymn today that I remember singing frequently in my youth, but it didn’t become significant to me until I was older. The title of the hymn is “Savior, Redeemer of My Soul.” The lyrics of the hymn are as follows:
- Savior, Redeemer of my soul,
Whose mighty hand hath made me whole,
Whose wondrous pow’r hath raised me up
And filled with sweet my bitter cup!
What tongue my gratitude can tell,
O gracious God of Israel.
- Never can I repay thee, Lord,
But I can love thee. Thy pure word,
Hath it not been my one delight,
My joy by day, my dream by night?
Then let my lips proclaim it still,
And all my life reflect thy will.
- O’errule mine acts to serve thine ends.
Change frowning foes to smiling friends.
Chasten my soul till I shall be
In perfect harmony with thee.
Make me more worthy of thy love,
And fit me for the life above.
It’s a struggle for me to always keep my faith in Jesus Christ at the center of my life. I’m afflicted with all of the weaknesses and frailties that pertain to this mortal life and our fallen state. I hope that someday I will reach a point where the love I have for the Savior will be my constant joy by day and dream by night, but I’m admittedly not at that point yet.
This has been driven home very much by the events of the past few months. I have yet to see frowning foes become smiling friends, but my soul has been chastened at times, as it has throughout my life. Charity and love are not attributes that are simply inherited in life, however, and there is no more effective way to obtain them than through the chastening that comes in life.
Perfection is a lofty goal indeed, for so many of us, and it’s a goal that the vast majority of us most likely will not achieve in this period of probation. The author of the song, Orson F. Whitney, was very familiar with this struggle. It’s a beautiful tribute to his relationship with our Lord, and a proxy tribute to the relationship that I hope to have with Him as well. I hope you all have a wonderful week.