Let Me Hide Myself in Thee

Monday, November 13, 2006

Today we went on a trip to the beach. (By the way, don't picture some absolutely gorgeous tropical beach. Guyana beaches are mostly clayey brown sand and silty brown water, and garbage :-( But they do have some vestiges of beauty.) We had a quiet, relaxing time and traveled toward home in the glow of a brilliant mass of sunset clouds, silhouetting myriads of coconut trees. Driving on in the deepening dusk, we were all singing, "Rock of Ages" the last verse:

"While I draw this fleeting breath
When my eyes shall close in death
When I soar to worlds unknown
See thee on thy judgment throne"

- Augustus M. Toplady

There was something ahead of us. Daddy slowed to a stop as we saw a motorcycle laying on its side in the middle of the road and people gathered at the scene.

"Talk about 'soaring to world's unknown' I said, and pondered the helmet and stray motorcycle parts clustered by the road's edge.

As we passed by with a hymn and an accident stirring our hearts, we were sobered by the reality of life and death. "While I draw this fleeting breath," Daddy murmured. It's probable that the rider survived, but how quickly life can end if God wills to cut it short. How easily we forget that our life is brief, and our footsteps are ever treading the crumbling brink of eternity.

We never did finish the song; there were two more lines, and I thought about them as we traveled on.

"...When I soar to world's unknown
See Thee on Thy judgment throne
Rock of ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee."

Let me hide myself in Him! Jesus, the atoning sacrifice for my sins. Jesus, my righteousness in the sight of God. Jesus, the everlasting rock of my salvation.

"Nothing in my hand I bring
Simply to Thy cross I cling."

Jesus has borne my judgment, and in the day of judgment I shall be hid in Him. There is no wrath awaiting me at the edge of eternity, but only infinite love and infinite glory and entrance into the infinite joy of the Lord - because of Jesus. Thanks be to Him!

"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." - Revelation 1:5b-6 ESV