Slideshow image

I grew up singing this hymn.  It has always had a special place in my heart.  But it is just one of those things…

I was ruminating (my seminary mentor would always ask when I said that, “Oh, you were chewing the cud?”  I loved him anyway.) on what to write in the next “Sanitizer.”  I was[ skimming through the Psalm (no way you can “skim” through Psalms!) when I opened to another boyhood favorite, Psalm 24.  The little commentary on this said it is thought that this Psalm is the basis for the hymn, “Come Thou Almighty King.”  For probably the first time in my life I just read the hymn.  I shut the music out of my mind and just read the poem, the lyrics.  Just one of those things…

Here it is:

Come, thou Almighty King,
Help us thy name to sing,
Help us to praise!
Father all glorious,
O'er all victorious!
Come and reign over us,
Ancient of days!

Come, thou incarnate word,
Gird on thy mighty sword -
Our pray'r attend!
Come! and thy people bless,
And give thy word success,
Spirit of holiness
On us descend!

Come holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear,
In this glad hour!
Thou who Almighty art,
Descend in ev'ry heart,
And ne'er from us depart.
Spirit of pow'r.

To the great one in three
Eternal praises be
Hence - evermore!
His sov'reign Majesty
May we in glory see,
And to eternity
Love and adore![4]

What do you think?  Is this not magnificent?  Notice how it presents the Trinity?  Almighty King, God the Father, incarnate word, God the Son, and holy Comforter, God the Holy Spirit.  To the great one in three, eternal praises be.”

I always loved the words, “in this glad hour.”  Now I’ll admit that when I was a kid I was something of a clock watcher, but I nevertheless did love the time in worship.  And I did listen to the sermons.  Honest.

“Descend in every heart, and never from us depart, Spirit of power.”  Wow.

There is so much more in these verses.  But just look at the ending.  It is the promise of God’s final kingdom:  “May we in glory see, and to eternity, love and adore.”

You and I appreciate the hymnbook for the music, but we also love it because it is a theology book.  You can be sure that I am going to spend some substantial devotion time just reading the hymns again to see what I have been missing in the great lyrics!

Please pray with me.  “Thank you, God that you never stop showing us new things.  In things we think we know so well you offer us fresh revelations.  You truly are awesome.  When we get rusty or turn away from your newness, call us back.  Grind off the rust and tear down the walls of foolishness we erect between ourselves and you.  Come!  And thy people bless.  And give thy word success.  Spirit of holiness.  On us descend.  Amen.”