Gadsby #3

3 L.M. R. Burnham
The Power of God. Exod. 15:6; Ps. 62:11

1 God is my everlasting King;
God is my Strength, and I will sing;
His power upholds my feeble frame,
And I’m victorious through his name.

2 Devils retreat when he appears;
Then I arise above my fears,
And every fiery dart repel,
And vanquish all the force of hell.

3 Through the Redeemer’s precious blood,
I feel the mighty power of God;
Through the rich aid divinely given,
I rise from earth, and soar to heaven.

4 [Dear Lord, thy weaker saints inspire,
And fill them with celestial fire;
On thy kind arm may they rely,
And all their foes shall surely fly.]

5 Now, Lord, thy wondrous power exert,
And every ransomed soul support;
Give us fresh strength to wing our way
To regions of eternal day.

6 [There may we praise the great I AM,
And shout the victories of the Lamb;
Raise every chorus to his blood,
And triumph in the power of God.]

"God is my strength and I will sing," reminds me of how Tolkein described the army of Rohan coming to the aid of Gondor at Minas Tirith, "And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and the sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City" (Return of The King, Book 5, Chapter 5). Christians sing throughout their lifelong battle because their victory is secure and they wield a great Power, or rather are wielded by the one who is Power, as they ride into battle. Song is inevitable.

Perhaps the most shocking thing is that God's manifests power most clearly through the death of the Son. Power through death, who would have thought!