O Say But I’m Glad

There is a song in my heart today,
Something I never had;
Jesus has taken my sins away,
O! say, but I’m glad.

Chorus:
O! say, but I’m glad, I’m glad,
O! say, but I’m glad,
Jesus has come and my cups overrun;
O! say, but I’m glad.

Wonderful, marvelous love He brings,
Into a heart that’s sad;
Through darkest tunnels the soul just sings,
O! say, but I’m glad.

We have a fellowship rich and sweet,
Tongues can never relate;
Abiding in Him: the souls Retreat,
O! but say, I’m glad.

Won’t you come to Him with all your care,
Weary and worn and sad?
You, too, will sing as His love you share,
O! say, but I’m glad.

Glad is one of those funny words.  It is a simple word that we all know the meaning to, but it is not a word I hear much anymore, nor do I use very often.  Other than at Christmas when you hear the phrase “glad tidings” there aren’t many times I hear or use this word.  One of the times I can remember regularly using that word is when I am talking to my kids, and I quote a phrase I heard many times from my mother growing up.  She had a phrase she would say to me when I was mad about something.  It went something like this “You can get glad in the same britches you got mad in.”  You don’t hear that kind of parenting psychology much anymore, do you?

In the Bible, the word glad is used lots of times, especially in the Psalms.  Gladness should be a part of the Christian’s walk.  Here are a few examples of what the Bible has to say about gladness:

Psalm 9:2 “I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.”

Psalm 16:9 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.”

Psalm 30:11 “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;”

Psalm 64:10 “The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.”

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• “Jesus has come and my cups overrun” – As you probably noticed, this line is a reference to Psalm 23 where David writes “my cup runneth over.”  David communicates in many ways what the Lord does for His flock in this psalm.  Psalm 23 is packed full of the blessings that come from being one of His sheep, and the benefits that come from having Him as a shepherd.  There are two New Testament passages that I thought about when I thought of this psalm.  The first being Jesus’ statement “I am the Good Shepherd.”  We can take that statement and marry it with the statements in Psalm 23 to get a picture of what a Good Shepherd really does.  Secondly, I was reminded of Jesus words in Luke 6:38 where He said “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.”

• “the soul’s retreat” – When I think about a retreat, I think about a place to get away.  A place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world.  A place to be alone with God and listen to what He is trying to say to me.  The Bible often refers to this as a “refuge.”  When God gave the Promised land to the Hebrews, He commanded them to have cities of refuge.  You will find these “cities of refuge” described in Numbers and Deuteronomy.  But I like what the Psalmist had to say about a place of refuge.  He wasn’t looking for a city.  He wasn’t looking for a mountain cabin, or a house on the lake.  Hear his words in Psalm 9 “The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” Or in Psalm 18:2 “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 song, and the Scriptures remind us that the Lord is our refuge, and our retreat.

What kind of trash bags do you use?  Are you a “Hefty” trash bag person, or a “Glad” trash bag person?  (Or are you cheap like me and use generic Walmart brand…but I digress).  I have always thought “Glad” was a funny name for a trash bag.  “Hefty” as a name for a trash bag makes tons of sense.  It is strong.  It is big.  It is durable.  It is “Hefty.”  But why would anyone call a trash bag “Glad?”  I then thought to myself, “When you have stinky trash piled up in your kitchen, aren’t you “glad” you have a bag to take the trash out with?”

The hymn today is ultimately about the day the author’s sin “trash” was taken out.  The day his sins were atoned for.  The day the filthiness and the grime in his heart was washed away by the blood of Jesus.  That day, for him, was a glad day, and you can tell by the words of this hymn that he was truly glad about it.  I pray that each of you have had your “trash” taken out too.  I hope that you can say your sins have been atoned for and that Jesus is your personal savior.  If not, I hope you bow your head today and pray a simple prayer of repentance, and I am confident that Jesus will make you glad.

Finally, the next time you are taking the trash out, I hope that you are reminded that your sins and the penalty for your sins have been carried away.  That as a Christian, you no longer have to carry that “trash” around.  Thinking of the great salvation we have received should make us glad.  “O! say, but I’m glad!!” aren’t you?