Hello OCBC family. This week during my devotional I read the passage of Mark 6:7-12, “And he called the twelve and began to send out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff – no bread, no bag, no money in their belts – but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, ‘Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.”

In this passage I can see Jesus sending His disciples with nothing except a staff, which means that He is telling them that they can trust on Him, that He will provide for all their necessities; and He did. We can rest on His promises because they are faithful. Many times we do not understand His plans but we can be sure that He will fulfill His will in our lives. I recall the life of William Cowper, a pastor that was faithful to his church but with mental problems; he suffered from depressions.

He tried to kill himself several times because his depression was severe. His friend, John Newton, when he saw his situation, told William to write down poems, and lyrics for hymns. One of his most well-known hymns is “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” which gave him comfort and peace. This same hymn has been a blessing for many other believers through the centuries. Please, read the lyrics and use them as a devotional.
​
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
​
In His service,
Israel

Hello OCBC family. Paul said, “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8 – ESV). These powerful words were the inspiration for Isaac Watts. You know many of his hymns, like “Joy to the World” or “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” but perhaps “Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed” is his best known text. Yes, Isaac Watts used the words of Paul to create these words, “Well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut its glories in, when God, the mighty maker, died for his own creature's sin.”

This hymn without a refrain is called “Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed” but if you sing it with a refrain its name is “At the Cross.” You may ask “why?” and the reason is that Isaac Watts never wrote this hymn with a refrain, just six four-lines stanzas. The melody for the “just verses” version is called MARTYRDOM, a Scottish folk tune.

The melody of the popular version for many believers is called HUDSON, named after its composer, Ralph E. Hudson. This version has the familiar refrain that starts with the words, “At the cross, at the cross.” The version with a refrain became very popular during tent revival meetings, where the music leader normally sang the verses of the hymn and the congregation (without a hymnal to follow the lyrics) sang the refrain alone.

No matter which version you sing or which version you like more, both have a very deep teaching about the perfect sacrifice that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ made for us. Use this hymn as a devotional and praise the name of the Lord with it.
​
1 Alas! And did my Savior bleed,
 and did my Sovereign die!
 Would he devote that sacred head
 for sinners such as I?
 
2 Was it for crimes that I have done,
 he groaned upon the tree?
 Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
 And love beyond degree!
 
3 Well might the sun in darkness hide,
 and shut its glories in,
 when God, the mighty maker, died
 for his own creature's sin.
 
4 Thus might I hide my blushing face
 while his dear cross appears;
 dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
 and melt mine eyes to tears.
 
5 But drops of tears can ne'er repay
 the debt of love I owe.
 Here, Lord, I give myself away;
 'tis all that I can do.
 
In His service,
Israel