Nineteenth century songwriter, Annie
Johnson Flint, knew what it was like to live with loss and suffering. She lost
both parents at an early age, began experiencing symptoms of what we would call rheumatoid
arthritis in her first year of teaching, and both of her adoptive parents died
a short time later. Forced to quit her job because of her illness, she was
without a means of support. Yet, out of her great love of literature and
poetry, she began to write her own poetry and hymns by forcing a pen in her
arthritic fingers and writing despite her pain.
Two national publishers took note and
began publishing her work. And God provided for her in this way.
When life becomes overwhelming for me, I
often find myself singing one of her hymns, “He Giveth More Grace.” I thought maybe it was a song only known to someone
of a certain age who has been doing church music all her life, but I was
delighted to find it in a just published hymnal our church recently purchased.
For me it is a standard.
He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,
He sendeth more strength when the labor’s increase
To
added afflictions, He addeth his mercy,
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
Chorus:
His
Love has no limits, His grace has no measure,
His
power no boundary known unto men;
For
out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.
The second verse is just as powerful:
When
we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When
our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When
we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving is only begun.
Taken from James 4:6, “He gives more grace,” Annie Johnson Flint wrote of how when troubles increase, God’s grace also increases. And there is no limit to that grace. We get what we need when we need it and not before because God’s timing is perfect.
When life feels like things are piling on like one of those dogpiles we saw in the football games we watched this past Saturday, remember God’s grace is piling on as well.
Beverly Varnado is an award-winning multi-published author and screenwriter as well as a blogger and artist. Her most recent book is a middle grade historical from Elk Lake Publishing, In Search of the Painted Bunting.
Her blog, One Ringing Bell, has nearly 1,000 posts in its archives. Her work has been featured on World Radio, in the Upper Room Magazine, a dozen anthologies, and other periodicals, and online sites. One of her screenplays was a finalist for the prestigious Kairos Prize in screenwriting. More at link bio.