Hymn: “Speak to My Heart” – B. B. McKinney (1886-1952)
Tune: HOLCOMB
This hymn-line opens with a word of submission. To some that
will sound negative, but I hope you’ll stay with me for a minute here. In its
list of definitions, yield can mean to relinquish control, to surrender, to
give up in an argument, or to cease resisting – among many others. It can also
go toward bringing forth fruit, but I don’t think that one would apply here.
The second important word here is “still.” For my east
Tennessee friends, when I first Googled for a definition, it brought up a
description of moonshine still, but I somehow don’t think that’s the direction
B. B. McKinney was headed in this case. He more likely had in mind subdued,
quiet, calm, motionless. It could also be a poetic device where the second word
restates the first: in other words, it would be like when a child has fought
like crazy and suddenly just gives up – gets immediately still – he/she yields.
The place I’m most familiar with “yield” is in traffic. At
an intersection or a merge-point, for my own safety and the safety of others, I’m
instructed to allow the other vehicle(s) to move ahead of me – to surrender or
submit. Unless I’m the bullying type, it’s the better choice in heavy traffic.
As I sing these words in worship, they sort of startle me,
sort of like “I Surrender All,” and for a fleeting moment I wonder if I am
singing truth or mimicking some spiritual platitude. Am I willing to give up
the fight and in great stillness relinquish control of my life to the One who
is being addressed in this prayer song? I also realize that in order to truly
seek God’s will, I have to quieten myself and submit to a deeper level than I
might usually opt for.
I’m big on proper punctuation. Parenthetically, why is it
that the projected songs in worship are never punctuated correctly? But
I digress yet again! In this hymn-line, if the comma were moved back two words,
the truth of the phrase still holds up: “Yielded, and still seeking thy will.”
In this case, still becomes an adverb
meaning that I continue to seek God’s will. Just an observation: I’m not trying
to rewrite the hymn – this time!
In my experience, “Finding God’s Will for Your Life” or
similar phrases have been the title of countless books and sermon-series. They
constitute some of the best-sellers at the Christian bookstores and draw some
of the best audiences to workshops and preaching events – second only to topics
centered on the book of Revelation I would guess.
In a mere six words, McKinney has saved us a lot of time. We
don’t have to purchase yet another book or be herded into an arena for a
talking head to over-explain a simple truth: acquiesce to God, calm down and
wait – then you will more likely find his will clarified.
I hope we will always be found still doing this.
Listen to This Hymn
(Not a great example,
but I know this hymn is
not common in
some worship traditions)
(Not a great example,
but I know this hymn is
not common in
some worship traditions)
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