Hymns of the Church – Tell Me, My Savior – 30 June 2020, Anno Domini

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Y beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.  3 I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.  (Song of Solomon 6:2-3)

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HE LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. (Psalm 23:1-4)

This is a little known, but theologically sound, hymn by Charles Seymour Robinson, DD. Most of the author’s work involved the illustration of hymns both old and contemporary to his time (1829-1892). The tune is a very popular one, especially to me – it is the tune to which the West Point Alma Mater is sung – LYNDE, a Thuringian Folk tune.

Tell Me, My Savior

Tell me, my Savior! where Thou dost feed Thy flock,

Resting beside the rock, cool in the shade.

Why should I be as one turning aside alone,

Left, when Thy sheep have gone, where I have strayed?

Seek me, my Savior! for I have lost the way.

I will Thy voice obey; speak to me here!

Help me to find the gate where all Thy chosen wait;

Ere it shall be too late, oh, call me near!

Show me, my Savior! how I can grow like Thee;

Make me Thy child to be, taught from above;

Help me Thy smile to win; keep me safe folded in,

Lest I should rove in sin, far from Thy love.

            1 Tell me, my Savior! where Thou dost feed Thy flock, Resting beside the rock, cool in the shade. Why should I be as one turning aside alone, Left, when Thy sheep have gone, where I have strayed? The true Shepherd will always be found wherever the Sheep are – not because He follows them, but because they follow Him! The query in this verse is pointed – ‘why should I, or any other, turn aside’ except when falling victim to the temptations of the flesh and the world. The faithful sheep will not lose focus of the Shepherd but will follow hard on wherever He leads. If we would know of the Bread of Heaven and the pastures of plenteous delight, we need not ask ‘where dost Thou feed they flock?’ We need only follow where He leads. As the Psalm says, 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  What could be more spiritually opulent than being led to a place of perfect peace and provender, beside the Waters of Life, receiving a renewed heart and soul, led in all right ways, and even at the moment of our physical death, He is with us to comfort us in our passage to the bosom of Abraham.

            2 Seek me, my Savior! for I have lost the way. I will Thy voice obey; speak to me here! Help me to find the gate where all Thy chosen wait; Ere it shall be too late, oh, call me near! Do we drift from the Narrow Way in which the Lord leads from time to time? Yes, we all do so. We may drift away due to lack of attention to the Shepherd, or led off by the tempting foliage beside the way, or due to some hurt which we have not addressed to the Shepherd. When we drift, the Lord desires to hear our own voice of appeal in prayer. He will then come into the rocks and crevices of the wilderness to rescue us. WE know the Shepherd’s Voice and will respond when He calls: he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. (John 10:3-5) It is the Lord that calls His own to the gate, not the dead sinner.

            3 Show me, my Savior! how I can grow like Thee;  Make me Thy child to be, taught from above; Help me Thy smile to win; keep me safe folded in, Lest I should rove in sin, far from Thy love. The Lord has already showed us in unmistakable ways how we may grow closer to Him. All of the Laws and the Prophets have directed our study to that way. We have the Commandments of Sinai and the Lord’s command, 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16) (see also, Leviticus 19:2) Christ reminded us of the ancient Commandment of the Old Testament:  36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40) (this was a restatement of the Old Testament – see Deut 6:5 & Lev 19:18) This was not a new Commandment given by our Lord, but rather a counsel to remember it as given of old. So, what new Commandment did our Lord give to help us be more like His divine Person?  34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

            With our Good Shepherd, we shall always be safely folded in, for He loses none that the Father has placed in His hands. Of course, the glaring answer to all our doubts, disobedience, and roving is related to that one element that joins together all of the Ten Commandments – LOVE. That is the mystery revealed in the Two Great Commandments given by our Lord. Love is not an automatic response – it is a willful decision of the soul. It is also learned as we become more able to relate to the pain and suffering of others with compassion. Have you mastered the gift of LOVE?