I will sing of my Redeemer
and his wondrous love to me;
on the cruel cross he suffered,
from the curse to set me free.
I will tell the wondrous story,
how my lost estate to save,
in his boundless love and mercy,
he the ransom freely gave.
I will praise my dear Redeemer,
his triumphant power, I’ll tell:
how the victory he gives me over
sin and death and hell.
I will sing of my Redeemer
and his heavenly love for me;
he from death to life has brought me
Son of God, with him to be,
Sing, O sing of my Redeemer!
With his blood, he purchased me;
on the cross, he sealed my pardon,
paid the debt, and made me free.Philip P. Bliss, ca. 1876
Some experiences are just unexplainable – you just know! If the author of ‘I Will Sing of My Redeemer’ – Philip P. Bliss was a Gen-Z poet, he might’ve tagged the hymn with #iykyk. Confident in his eternal hope, he’d probably include #iykj #ykfsys – if you know Jesus, you know for sure you’re saved 🙏
I may not know this hymn well, but its lyrics speak profoundly of God’s transformative grace and redeeming love through Jesus Christ. How many of us can, with unwavering confidence, declare Jesus as our Redeemer, unafraid to stand firm in our faith amidst a world that often seeks to silence or shame us?
2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
May the story of this hymn encourage you, as it has encouraged me to set our sights on the eternal rather than being distracted by temporary, earthly things that will one day perish: sourced from Hymns Volume 1, Daily Grace Co.
Phillip P Bliss concluded an evangelistic meeting in Chicago in 1876 with the words, “I may never pass this way again.” On his trip home, the bridge under his train collapsed, and the back half of the train fell into the icy waters below. Bliss escaped, but upon realization that his wife was caught in the fire, he reentered the scene. Both of them burned in the flames, and neither of their bodies were ever found.
Later, in one of the front train cars that made it over the bridge, they found Bliss’s belongings. Inside, this newly written verse gives the idea that he knew his time was short. This song is akin to the verse in Isaiah that says, “Rejoice, heavens, for the Lord has acted; shout, depths of the earth. Breakout into singing, mountains, forest, and every tree in it. For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, and glorifies himself through Israel. This is what the Lord, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb, says: “I am the Lord who made everything’ (Isaiah 44:23-24a).
Worship is not simply an act of praise for the present but a preparation for what is to come. We do not know the future, but by reading and meditating on God’s Word, we can set our souls in a place of solace and peace for what is ahead. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, but we can be confident that our souls are always in the care of our loving Redeemer.Study by Cara Cobble Grantham, Daily Grace Co.
Proverbs 23:4-5 NIV
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.
To God be the glory always 🙏❤️
Idau Hahine 