“We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old” (Psalm 44:1).
TEXT — Psalms 44:1-8
Message
The hymn, O God, Our Help in Ages Past, was written in 1719 by Isaac Watts, an English Congregational minister, theologian and hymn writer, when he was in his 20s. At that time, it was considered too radical to write any hymn of “human composure” (songs that did not directly quote Bible passages). This hymn was, therefore, written as a paraphrase of Psalm 90. Here it goes “O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home…”
The passage under consideration reechoes the same sentiment about God’s mightiness and how He has been the help of His people from ages past and hope for years to come. The psalmist begins by acknowledging that the testimonies about these marvellous deeds, from ancient times, have been handed down to successive generations. He acknowledges also that the preservation and victories of God’s people from ancient times did not come from their bravery or skill, but purely from divine favour and support. Buoyed by the memories of these wonderful divine acts, he expressed confidence in present and future victories over the enemies of God’s people.
Have our fathers not told us these great stories of incredible manifestations of God’s power in defence and care of His own from the beginning of time? These were stories of great awakenings and revivals, irresistible penetration of the gospel and expansion of the church. We are privileged to have them preserved in the form of printed matter, audio recordings and digital formats. The things we have heard, read, witnessed and experienced are sufficient to solidify our faith. The same God, our help in ages past, is still our God today.
Thought for the day
Operate by faith; it is futile to limit God’s mightiness to our knowledge.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
