Hello OCBC family. Let me share a passage that is very familiar and might be the favorite one of many of you. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7 – ESV). Paul is having an explosion of praises toward God and he encourages us to rejoice in the Lord. We might have difficult times but our joy is in the Lord. Henry van Dyke knew how to rejoice in the Lord.
Van Dyke was a Presbyterian minister who wrote many books, including the best-selling “The Other Wise Man.” He was a professor of literature at Princeton University. He was a Navy chaplain during World War I, and ambassador to Holland and Luxemburg under President Woodrow Wilson.
One day, he was serving as guest preacher at Williams College in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. It was during this time, while he was enjoying the creation of God, that he had an explosion of praises, rejoicing in the Lord, like Paul said in the book of Philippians. He wrote a hymn and the next morning he gave it to a professor of Williams College, saying, “Here is a hymn for you. Your mountains were my inspiration. It must be sung to the music of Beethoven’s ‘Hymn to Joy.’”
This hymn became very popular (and still is), and its message is that we can trust in the God who created everything; He is a God who is near to us, and who saved us. The name of this hymn is “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” Enjoy, once again, the lyrics of this powerful hymn.
1 Joyful, joyful, we adore You,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow'rs before You,
Op'ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!
2 All Your works with joy surround You,
Earth and heav'n reflect Your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising You eternally!
3 Always giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Loving Father, Christ our Brother,
Let Your light upon us shine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.
4 Mortals, join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
God's own love is reigning o’er us,
Joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.
In His service,
Israel
Van Dyke was a Presbyterian minister who wrote many books, including the best-selling “The Other Wise Man.” He was a professor of literature at Princeton University. He was a Navy chaplain during World War I, and ambassador to Holland and Luxemburg under President Woodrow Wilson.
One day, he was serving as guest preacher at Williams College in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. It was during this time, while he was enjoying the creation of God, that he had an explosion of praises, rejoicing in the Lord, like Paul said in the book of Philippians. He wrote a hymn and the next morning he gave it to a professor of Williams College, saying, “Here is a hymn for you. Your mountains were my inspiration. It must be sung to the music of Beethoven’s ‘Hymn to Joy.’”
This hymn became very popular (and still is), and its message is that we can trust in the God who created everything; He is a God who is near to us, and who saved us. The name of this hymn is “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” Enjoy, once again, the lyrics of this powerful hymn.
1 Joyful, joyful, we adore You,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow'rs before You,
Op'ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day!
2 All Your works with joy surround You,
Earth and heav'n reflect Your rays,
Stars and angels sing around You,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Praising You eternally!
3 Always giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Loving Father, Christ our Brother,
Let Your light upon us shine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.
4 Mortals, join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
God's own love is reigning o’er us,
Joining people hand in hand.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.
In His service,
Israel
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