Hide Thou Me

Sometimes I feel discouraged….and I think my work in vain….
I’m tempted oft to murmur, to grumble, and complain….
But when I think of Jesus…and what He’s done for me…..
Then I cry to the Rock of Ages…..Hide Thou me…..

Chorus:
O Rock of Ages….Hide Thou me…..
There’s no other refuge….none can save but Thee…..
Through life’s dark vail I wander….so far, far from Thee….
Then I cry to the Rock Of Ages….Hide Thou me…..

I have a friend in Jesus….blest anchor of my soul….
I feel His presence ever….when stormy billows roll…..
And when I think of Jesus…and what He’s done for me….
I cry to the Rock of Ages…..hide Thou me…..

Sometimes I feel I cannot…go one step farther on…..
My body’s growing older….and faltering steps begun….
But when I think of Jesus and what He’s done for me….
I cry to the Rock Of Ages….hide Thou me..

This is another red-back hymnal tune.  I don’t recall singing it growing up, but heard the following version by the Gaither Vocal Band and decided to include it as a Hymn of the week.  If you aren’t familiar with the tune, take a listen:

There are a couple of phrases that I wanted to spend some time on because they reminded of specific passages of Scripture.  I think that is definitely one of the benefits of hymns.  Not only do they teach good theology, but they also reinforce or point us back to specific verses and promises found in the Word:

• “To murmur, to grumble, and to complain” – I was reminded of Phillipians 2:14 when reading this line of the song.  I thought I would share it in three different translations/versions of the Bible:

1. KJV – “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.”
2. NIV – “Do everything without complaining or arguing.”
3. The Message – “Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed!”

• This verse has become a favorite of mine to use with my children.  Unfortunately, I am convicted by my own words because I find myself doing the exact opposite of what Paul commands us to do in this verse.  I think to myself “Can’t we just remove the “out” from “without” in this verse because that is how many of us live our lives?” It seems like we do everything with complaining.  We complain when we have things.  We complain when we don’t.  We complain when we have a job.  We complain when we are unemployed.  We complain when it is too dry, and we complain that we have too much rain.  However, as this song says, when we think of Jesus and what He’s done for us, I hope it puts those kinds of things in perspective, and removes the temptation to murmur, grumble, and complain.

• “There’s no other refuge” – Psalm 18:2 says “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”  This Psalm was written by David when he was delivered from the hands of his enemies and from Saul.  During difficult times in our lives, I hope we can say with confidence, as David did, the Lord is my rock.  The Lord is my refuge.  The Lord is my shield.  He promises to be those things for us, but it is our job to look to Him to be those things.  The world often seeks refuge in other things.  Entertainment, money, “things,” drugs, alcohol.  Those are not places of refuge.  This hymn reminds us that there is no other refuge – none can save but Him.  What a powerful truth!

Have you ever noticed that some kids games seem to endure?  In the modern world of Nintendos, Play Station 3’s, and Wii’s, I am always encouraged to see kids playing “old school” games like Dodgeball, “Chase”, and “Hide and Seek.”  Those games seem to have a staying power.  I’ve always wondered, though, why “Hide and Seek” wasn’t called “Hide or Seek,” since one can’t do both at the same time.  You are either hiding or you are seeking, right?  I have also noticed that most people tend to want to do one or the other.  I always preferred to “Hide” because I thought I knew where the good places were, and that I could be quiet and still, and not get caught.  For the “hyper-active” kids I knew, they always wanted to “Seek.”  They had too much energy to sit still.  They wanted to expend their energy trying to find those of us who thought we were “too smart” to get caught.

This hymn is a prayer that one might find a hiding place in the Lord.  A time to escape the pain and trouble of this world, and be hidden by God’s almighty hand.  I am sure many of us have been at places in our lives where that was our prayer too.  We pray “O Lord.  Be My Refuge.  Protect me by your Hand.  Hide Thou Me.”  The question is, are we more like the kids who prefer to “hide” and not “seek?”  Maybe our prayer is “Hide me from the consequences of my actions.”  “Protect me from my foolishness, folly, or disobedience.”  We are asking to “hide” because we didn’t “seek” His direction in certain areas of our lives.

I hope that we are like David when he wrote in the Psalms about taking refuge in the Lord – finding that hiding place.  But I hope we also seek His face like David did.  We seek His direction for our lives.  We seek to know Him more.  A balanced life of both “Hiding and Seeking.”