O For That Flame of Living Fire

O for that flame of living fire,
Which shone so bright in saints of old!
Which bade their souls to Heav’n aspire,
Calm in distress, in danger bold.

Where is that Spirit, Lord, which dwelt
In Abraham’s breast, and sealed him Thine?
Which made Paul’s heart with sorrow melt,
And glow with energy divine?

That Spirit which, from age to age,
Proclaimed Thy love, and taught Thy ways?
Brightened Isaiah’s vivid page,
And breathed into David’s hallowed lays?

Is not Thy grace as mighty now
As when Elijah felt its power;
When glory beamed from Moses’ brow,
Or Job endured the trying hour?

Remember, Lord, the ancient days;
Renew Thy work; thy grace restore;
Warm our cold hearts to prayer and praise,
And teach us how to love Thee more.

Written in the 1800’s, this particular hymn and another “Hymn of the week” from the past (O for a faith that will not shrink) were written by William H. Bathurst.  Mr. Bathurst was an Anglican minister in the 1800’s who served as rector at the Rectory of Barwick-in-elmet, Yorkshire, England.  Mr. Bathurst served for 32 years as rector and wrote many hymns during his lifetime.  I appreciate these two particular hymns authored by him that I found in “The Church Hymnal” that was published over 70 years ago.  These hymns are prayers for a strong faith and spiritual “fire in the belly.”  A longing for a deeper, stronger, more passionate walk with the Lord like many of the saints of old.  I appreciate the way Mr. Bathurst reminded us of many of the heroes of the faith – Abraham, Paul, Isaiah, David, Elijah, Moses and Job.  These men, although flawed in their own ways, were men of God and men of faith.  They were men whose hearts were changed by the power of God’s presence and the Holy Spirit in their lives.  They talked with God.  They performed miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit.  I echo today the words of this 150+ year old hymn “O for that flame of living fire” to burn inside all of us.

Here’s a link to a version of this hymn:

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• “Calm in distress, in danger bold” – I really like this picture of a quiet confidence in God.  A confidence that Paul exuded in Acts 27 when he told the men on the ship “Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’ Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.”  I am reminded of Job when he says “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him:”  These were men in distress.  These were men in danger.  But their faith in the Lord, allowed them to be both calm and bold.

• “Is not Thy grace as mighty now..” – In Malachi 3:6, the Lord says “For I am the LORD, I change not;”  Is the God who delivered the Hebrews from the hand of Pharaoh still able to part the impassable “Red Sea” in your life today?  Is the same Jesus who fed five thousand able to provide for your daily provisions?  Is the same Jesus who said “Peace be still” and calm the storms able to speak peace into your life today?  I take him at His word – He is the Lord, who changes not.  His grace is as mighty today as it was in the days of Noah and Moses, and His grace is sufficient for you.

• “Warm our cold hearts to prayer and praise”  – With a fire, one needs a spark, a fuel source, and air to start and maintain a fire.  In a spiritual sense, the author reminds us of what we need to warm our cold hearts and to maintain a spiritual fire – prayer and praise.  Prayer to align our thoughts and desires with God’s will in our life, and praise that ignites our emotion because of who God is and what He has done for each of us.

Are there any coffee drinkers out there?  I personally know several on the “Hymn of the week” list that can be very cranky if they don’t have their coffee in the morning.  How ’bout those that need a Coke in the morning to get their shot of caffeine?  Any 5 Hour Energy drink fans out there?  Those that need a little extra kick in the afternoon to finish the work day.

In the second verse of this hymn, the author talks about Paul and the energy that he had – an “energy divine.”  This energy was the power of the Holy Spirit living in him.  Now, it was not a “5 hour energy.”  It was not something that came and went a few hours later.  No, the Holy Spirit indwelt Paul.  The Holy Spirit gave Paul the strength to sing in a jail after a beating.  The Holy Spirit energized him to be bold and preach to the lost.  The Holy Spirit inspired him to write some of the deepest doctrine and the most practical theology in all the Bible.  It was a 24 hour “energy divine.”

My prayer today for you and for myself is that we seek a closer walk with the Lord.  That we seek the Holy Spirit’s leading, guiding, and energizing.  That we seek a “flame of living fire” that would be all-consuming.