Overshadowed
How dark and drear my nights and days,
If Jesus’ face I did not see
To brighten all earth’s weary ways.
I’m overshadowed by His mighty love,
Love eternal, changeless pure,
Overshadowed by His mighty love,
Rest is mine, serene, secure;
He died to ransom me from sin,
He lives to keep me day by day,
I’m overshadowed by His mighty love,
Love that brightens all my way.
Dr. H. A. Ironside
I often remember Dr. Howard Hendricks (professor at Dallas Theological Seminary) sharing his conversations with another student. Prof. (the affectionate name the students used for him) noticed that the student looked distressed and asked, “How are doing?” The student answered, “Well Prof, pretty good, under the circumstances?” Prof responded, “What are you doing under there?” Puzzled, the student asked, “Under where?” Prof answered, “under the circumstances?”
Prof wasn’t being rude or insensitive. He really did care for the student. His purpose was to help the student swim above the depth of the burdening circumstances that were drowning him. We do that by reaching for the hand of Jesus. It is Jesus love that pulls us out from under the hardships of life’s burdens. As Dr. Ironside states in the above poem Overshadowed,
How desolate my life would be,
How dark and drear my nights and days,
If Jesus’ face I did not see
To brighten all earth’s weary ways.
Friends, what is it that burdens your heart on this day? Is it health, finances, a stained relationship, or something else that causes you to give up hope? Look into the eyes of Jesus. Take his hand. He is there to pull out of despair. It is “His mighty love” that brightens our way.
May your eyes be fixed on the Jesus. In him alone do we have hope.
