One of the phrases that I’ve been praying a lot over the past year since my baby was born is, “We’re in your hands, Lord, and that’s a good place to be.” It’s not a phrase that’s found in scripture, but the idea is Biblical. I’ve found that it serves as a good reminder to help me find calm amid anxieties and refocus on God’s goodness, faithfulness, and promises.
Today’s post is going to be quite a bit different than usual. As I was praying about this topic earlier in the week and planning how to write about it, I started writing song lyrics instead of an article. I haven’t tried songwriting since high school, and I rarely write poetry, so it caught me off-guard. A while ago, I’d prayed that God would help me write songs (the reason why is a long story we don’t need to get into now), but I’d assumed the answer was “no.” Apparently, though, it was, “not yet” and suddenly I have one completed hymn and two others drafted.
I’m not a musician (though I do have some musical training, I focused mainly on voice), and I didn’t write the tunes for these pieces. The one I’m sharing today is set to the traditional Irish tune “Slane,” which you might know as “Be Thou My Vision.” I love these old traditional melodies, and since they’re in the public domain I can freely use them and add my own lyrics.
Hold Me In Your Hands
Hold me in your hands as long as I live;
Nothing else matches the comfort you give.
With you, Lord, beside me my eyes finally see
Dwelling with you is the best place to be.When I am sinking in life’s stormy waves,
You stretch your hand out and surely do save.
You say “Have no fear” and slowly I learn
We can rest easy where you are concerned.God of all comfort you still hold us all.
Lyrics by Marissa Martin. Set to the traditional Irish tune “Slane” (“Be Thou My Vision”)
When we’re in your hands then we’ll never fall.
Uphold your people with your righteous hand,
In your great power we surely will stand.
Here’s a really good piano version of “Be Thou My Vision.” The pianist plays four verses and I only have three, but you can see what the music sounds like and maybe sing along with my lyrics. I’m releasing my lyrics under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-SA) and the music is already public domain, so if you want to use them for something you don’t have to worry about copyright restrictions. The sheet music is at the end of this post.
Scripture References
I reference quite a few scriptural phrases in my song, but there were three verses in particular that I was thinking about as I wrote these lyrics:
So do not fear, for I am with you;
Isaiah 41:10, NET
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:30-31, NET
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NET
One of the many reasons that I love music is because it makes things easier to remember. I want my daughter to learn phonics, so we listen to “Sing the Alphabet.” I want to strengthen my French speaking and listening skills, so I listen to French music. And when I want to memorize scripture and/or scriptural truths, it’s a whole lot easier for me to do that when it’s set to music.
Featured image by Ben White from Lightstock
Like An Anchor 