Quotes that Inspire Us: Finding Comfort in the Text of “How Firm a Foundation”
I’ve been going through a challenging time in my life the past few months — not all bad, but challenging all the same. I’ve felt stretched and pushed to grow and to seek the Lord in new ways, to learn to lean on His atonement more than I ever have. I obviously have much still to learn, because a lot of the process is still pretty difficult (like spiritual growing pains), even as it’s amazing to feel my faith deepen.
Consequently, as of late, I have been coming to church in deep need of spiritual nourishment. In sacrament meeting this past week, we sang the hymn called “How Firm a Foundation.” It’s a unique hymn because it’s one of the few that is written as though God is talking to you. And on this day, it felt as though He really was speaking to me. Tears came to my eyes as I read the words:
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee, and sanctify to thee,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine….
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
As I feel the Lord purging my soul, stretching me to what I feel are my limits, I find great comfort in the truth sung in this hymn — that as I lean on the Savior, He won’t forsake me, that His grace will be sufficient to sustain me, and that my trials will indeed be for my benefit and growth.
-by Michelle
Filed under: Our Thoughts, Words that Inspire Us