Feed on His faithfulness, my soul

1
Feed on His faithfulness, my soul,
  Who chose thee for His own,
Who bears thy name in Love’s pure flame
  Before the heav’nly throne;
Lay at His feet thy fear,
  Thy burdens, thy distress,
Prostrate embrace thy Fount of Grace—
  Feed on His faithfulness.
2
Feed on His faithfulness, my soul,
  Who suffered Calvary,
Who Victor rose o’er all thy foes,
  Who lives, who prays, for thee!
Not thine the battle is,
  Though close the conflict press:
’Tis His alone who wears the crown—
  Feed on His faithfulness.
3
Feed on His faithfulness, my soul,
  Then naught shall thee affright;
His perfect will all fear shall still,
  His wisdom guide aright.
He slumbers not nor sleeps,
  But waits His saints to bless;
Th’ eternal Throne is His alone—
  Feed on His faithfulness.
4
Feed on His faithfulness, my soul;
  So shalt thou see His face,
Transforming thee till all shall see
  The glory of His grace;
Closer to His great heart
  In glad abandon press;
Fling thy soul down upon His own—
  Feed on His faithfulness.
5
Sunny Olatunji

Nigeria

Hallelujah.... AMEN


Ana Lara

United States

E. Margaret Clarkson was born in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1915 and spent most of her life in the area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was a member of the Knox Presbyterian Church of that city. Miss Clarkson was involved in the Toronto Public School System for many years holding a variety of positions. During this time, she wrote books, articles and poems which were featured in Christian and educational periodicals as well as wrote for various publishers. Some of her published books are,

“Let’s Listen to Music, ” “The Creative Classroom”, “Susie’s Babies, ” and “The Wondrous Cross. ”

Margaret also wrote a hymn titled “So Send I You” which became labeled by some evangelical leaders as one of the finest missionary hymns of the twentieth century. It was published in 1954 after having been written sixteen years earlier by Margaret Clarkson. She says the following statement about the writing of “So Send I You. ”

In 1935 teaching jobs became so scarce that I finally had to find my first job as a teacher in a lumber camp some 1400 miles from home, out in the Rainy River District of northwestern Ontario. From there I moved to the gold mining camp of Kirkland Lake, 450 miles north of Toronto. In all, I spent seven years in the north. I experienced loneliness of every kind-mental, cultural, but particularly spiritual, for in all those seven years I never found real Christian fellowship-churches were modern and born-again Christians almost non-existent.

I was studying the Word one night and meditating on the loneliness of my situation and came in my reading to John 20, and the words “so send I you. ” Because of a physical disability I knew I could never go to the mission field, but God seemed to tell me that this was my mission field, and this was where He had sent me. I was then twenty-three, in my third year of teaching. I had written and published verse all my life, so it was natural for me to put my thoughts into verse.

Years later she added this account regarding the hymn :

A few years ago I began to realize that this poem was really very one-sided; it told only the sorrows and privations of missionary work and none of of its triumphs. I wrote another song in the same rhythm so that verses could be used interchangeably, setting forth the glory and hope of missionary calling. These verses are the newer version published in 1963:

1. So send I you-by grace made strong to triumph

O’er hosts of hell, o’er darkness, death and sin,

My name to bear, and in that name to conquer-

So send I you, My victory to win.

2. So send I you-to bear my cross with patience,

And then one day with joy to lay it down,

To hear my voice, “Well done, My faithful servant-

Come, share my throne, my kingdom and my crown. ”

The music for “So Send I You” was composed especially for Margaret Clarkson’s hymn by John W. Peterson, often called the dean of contemporary gospel song writers. The contributions to church music of Peterson’s ministry since World War II became well-known to evangelical Christians. He composed more than 1200 gospel songs, hymns and choruses as well as cantatas and musicals, which have themes from gospel messages. He also co- authored the hymn “Surely Goodness and Mercy. ”

In his book, “The Miracle Goes On, ” Mr. Peterson often mentions his convictions about the power of a gospel song to change a person’s life. He gives the following account:

“So Send I You, ” a song I wrote in collaboration with Margaret Clarkson, was used by God in the life of an actress who had come to know Christ and who had faced an agonizing decision: Should she maintain her professional contacts or give up her career and dedicate her life completely to the Lord for service, wherever He might lead? In the midst of her dilemma she sat listening to a recording of this song, and its challenge came through with stunning impact. The actress fell to her knees and made a total commitment of her life to God, and in due time He resolved the question of her vocation.


Anonymous

Oh the faithfulness of our God.


Pat

United States

Amen. Thank You Lord for suffering Calvary, rising up Victor over all our foes and ever living to make intercession for us as our Great High Priest! Hallelujah, what a Saviour! I love You, Lord Jesus!


Dustene Ella

Uae, United Arab Emirates

amen! another marvelouse song!...ava amahan.....