Hymn: “No, Not Despairingly” – Horatius Bonar (1808-1889)
Tune: KEDRON
This is one of THE most powerful devotional hymns out there anywhere. The text is so thoughtfully deep that most congregational worship leaders avoid it… partly because it can hardly be taken in. Churches who lean more toward the contemplative will find it more useful in public worship. However, it is a text we should all read regularly to keep us in check with our relationship with Christ – who here is called the “loved Unseen.”
The invisibleness of our Savior makes him more difficult for some to believe in. I think I get that; but at the same time, it is his concealed nature that intrigues me and causes my faith to work overtime. Though unperceived by others, his presence is fully realized.
According to this hymnline from the final stanza, when we walk with the Lord in the light of his Word, all is at peace… and “thus” (in that way) we journey alongside Christ.
The next line in this hymn: “Leaning on thee, my God, guided along the road, nothing between.” How beautifully put. Another hymn-writer said, “Nothing between my soul and my Savior.” I think we get the picture: a relationship so tight that nothing comes between us – attached at the heart, so to speak.
Unlike Jimmy Stewart’s made-up friend “Harvey,” my unseen companion is real, and I don’t mind walking along life’s road, knowing full well that he is ever with me and that I find myself near to the heart of God.
P.S. – We’ll visit this hymn several times, so get to know it well!
I couldn’t find an online recording of this hymn. That’s sad in itself.
Surely Cynthia Clawson has recorded it!
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