Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family!

Let me share a passage from the Bible with you.  “For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me” (Psalm 31:3 – ESV).  2016 is here and I want to share about a hymn that will give you comfort and hope for this New Year.  The hymn’s name is “He Leadeth Me!”

It was written by Joseph Gilmore, a pastor of Philadelphia’s First Baptist Church.  He was the
pastor of this church during the Civil War, and people in his congregation and everywhere else had a hard time to find peace.  Because of that, pastor Gilmore prepared a sermon based on Psalm 23, with the lesson that no matter how bad the situation might looks around us, He will lead us.

After the service, he went to visit a deacon where they have a good conversation about the blessingS of being led by God.  As others went on talking, pastor Gilmore took a pencil and wrote the lyrics of this beloved hymn, gave them to his wife and forgot about it.

Three years later, he was a candidate for a pastoral position in a new church.  He was not familiar with the hymnal that this church used for its worship time, and while he was looking through its pages he found the hymn “He Leadeth Me” – his own hymn!  Secretly, Mrs. Gilmore had sent the words to a Christian periodical, which had them set to music.  Pastor Gilmore said once, “That was the first time I knew that my hymn had found a place among the songs of the church.”
If we let God lead us, He will give us delightful surprises.

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Refrain:
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes ’mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

​In His service,
Israel