This is the God We Adore

Heather Allington

Heather writes for Sunday Song Book on behalf of the The Salvation Army Oshawa. As a lifelong member of the Army, she has loved these familiar - and some less familiar - songs for many years, and enjoys researching and writing about their origins. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired elementary school teacher who likes trying her hand at watercolour painting and poetry writing.

This, this is the God we adore,
Our faithful, unchangeable friend,
Whose love is as great as His power,
And knows neither measure nor end.
‘Tis Jesus, the first and the last,
Whose Spirit shall guide us safe Home;
We’ll praise Him for all that is past,
And trust Him for all that’s to come.

As we begin the new year of 2019, we can find reassurance that all will be well, as our lives are in God’s loving hands. Of course, we have to acknowledge that there have been trials as well as blessings in our past, and we know we will face more challenges in our future. How wonderful that God is unchanging! Although it can be hard to trust Him when we are experiencing dark times, we need to cling to the fact that “His love is as great as His power.” He will bring us through!
What troubles did Joseph Hart experience back in his lifetime of 1712 to 1768? What a different world we live in today! Joseph Hart grew up in a Christian home, was well-educated and became a teacher of languages. He spent many years being uncertain about his faith, but came to definite trust in the Lord when he was forty-five years old. This was the result of hearing a sermon based on Revelation 3:10, which says, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation.” This seems like an unusual verse to bring someone to faith in Christ, doesn’t it? Later, Joseph Hart became a minister at Jewin Street Chapel in London, England, and published a collection of his hymns.