Lord Speak to Me

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Daughter-Jo gave me a present – a 1925 edition of a Golden Bells hymn book. The ‘Foreword’ states: ‘For thirty-five years ‘Golden Bells’ has occupied a position that is unique amongst the collections of hymns now in use. It has been the special purpose of this book to put ‘the songs of Zion’ into the lips of boys and girls… Nearly four million copies have been circulated… The time has come when a new and revised edition is called for…’ New songs – 1925 style!!  

It took me back to my childhood. This was ‘our hymnbook’. I’ve been remembering some of the old hymns, particularly those of Francis Ridley Havergal from the 1870s – perhaps her best known is ‘Take my life and let it be’… This is one that I’ve often recalled:

Lord, speak to me, that I may speak
In living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou has sought, so let me seek
Thine erring children lost and lone.

Oh, lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wand’ring and the wav’ring feet;
Oh, feed me, Lord, that I may feed
Thy hung’ring ones with manna sweet.

Oh, strengthen me, that while I stand
Firm on the rock, and strong in Thee,
I may stretch out a loving hand
To wrestlers with the troubled sea.

Oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words, that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.

Oh, give Thine own sweet rest to me,
That I may speak with soothing pow’r
A word in season, as from Thee,
To weary ones in needful hour.

Oh, fill me with Thy fullness, Lord,
Until my very heart o’erflow
In kindling thought and glowing word,
Thy love to tell, Thy praise to show.

Oh, use me, Lord, use even me,
Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where,
Until Thy blessed face I see,
Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

This hymn is a prayer of commitment to my God and to those around me. I love the beauty of the old English – the ‘thee, thou and thy’ – it somehow gives it a greater reverence. It’s about passing on what I have to others – listening so that I can speak, receiving so that I can give, learning so that I can teach, being led so that I can lead.

I remember particularly the image of the third verse: standing strong on a secure rock by the sea, reaching out to ‘wrestlers with the troubled sea’. And, without remembering its context, I’ve used the final verse as a morning prayer many times over the years.

It’s my prayer this morning.

12 thoughts on “Lord Speak to Me”

  2. Good afternoon Malcolm
    Golden bells. Yes that takes me back. I have an old music copy.
    I found a Getty’s re music words He will hold me fast.
    Of course my dad wanted the old tune but I think he is coming round to the newer one.
    There nothing new under the sun someone said many years ago.
    Cahch up soon I hope haven’t been up your way for a bit.
    Every blessing Mark

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  3. I think, Mark, that rediscovering Golden Bells reminded me of songs that we sung 60 years ago that blessed me then. Rediscovering them I certainly see them in a fresh light! I hope to see you soon.

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  5. I too enjoy references to Golden Bells and to its successor, “Hymns of Faith”. We were being reminded today that it is 350 years since the birth of Isaac Watts, to me one of the greatest of hymn writers. He has 27 in Hymns of Faith, but with no music copy of Golden Bells I can’t check how many of his are included there. He has the great gift of writing, in many cases, 18th century English which is not dated today.

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    1. Thanks, Bryan. It has been so long since I’d looked through a ‘Golden Bells’. It brought back many happy memories. Receiving this 1925 edition – a ‘CSSM edition for children’ – and learning that it was first published in 1890 was also interesting…

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