Still, My Soul Be Still

I stumbled across this song at a time when I really needed to hear it.

You can hear at least a sample of it, and read all the lyrics here. It's so easy for me to get my heart in a tizzy, to where my perception of the truth is distorted. Then I become a good candidate for some kind of breakdown.

I love how this songs aludes to scripture throughout. "No longer dread the fires of unexpected sorrow" reminds me of Proverbs 3:25; "Do not be moved by lesser lights or fleeting shadows," reminds me of James 1:17. I love the blending of ideas in the chorus: "Lord of peace renew a steadfast spirit within me to rest in You alone." Of course that is an allusion to Psalm 51, "Renew a steadfast spirit withi me,"in response to David's own remorse over sin. I often experience remorse for not believing God steadfastly, and need the Lord to renew my heart to rest in Him. I wonder if you can relate.

The last verse may be my favorite:

Still my soul be still
Do not forsake
The Truth you learned in the beginning
Wait upon the Lord
And hope will rise As stars appear when day is dimming

I am reminded of how believers who love the truth when they learn to love the Lord at first, and how that is the glue that holds them to the Lord. So many things could potentially take my heart away from Him - I have to hold to what I know is true. Holding to the truth is kind of like waiting - and I love the reference to the familiar words of Isaiah 40 in a way that you hardly notice it.

Love this song... I sing it to myself to still my heart.

Psalm 131:2
"But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me."

The Divine Progression

So, my progress through this book is only to chapter 3. Still, I am aided by some of its insights. In particular, the thought that thanksgiving is a natural lead-in to praise. The necessity of thanksgiving in the Christian life was born down on me through a study of Romans, in which in one of the earlier chapters thanklessness is mentioned as one of the characteristics of the ungodly. I have a lot to be thankful for, and this book reminded me to do it. McMinn notes that thanks is often for the physical, for the this-worldy things that the Lord provides. Praise would perhaps be for the intangible, theoretical, principle-wise things. We'll see - I haven't arrived at that point in the progression yet.

So what are your thoughts on the book, on worship, on music? I'm curious to know. We don't all just get to sit around and talk about these things, so I thought a blog might meet that need.

KMM