5 Hymns to Sing on the Finish of Life

A Glimpse of Eternity

I’m usually requested, “What’s essentially the most memorable occasion you could have ever performed?” Anticipating me to say a location just like the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville or New York’s Carnegie Corridor, my response at all times surprises them. “My most memorable occasion was at Arbor Hint Assisted Residing Group in Might 2023.” There have been no lights, no stage, no pre-rehearsed set listing, no viewers per se. The household of my good friend, Carl Wilhelm, requested me to return and sing hymns over Carl and with the household as he was passing to glory. As we sang collectively, our eyes and hearts had been lifted heavenward.

In these late-night moments, we caught a glimpse of eternity, and Carl and his household had been comforted of their time of grief. Hymns had been the soundtrack as they walked that onerous street. However what’s it in regards to the singing of hymns that aided my good friend in releasing his grip on this earthly life and coming into the everlasting embrace of Jesus? How did these songs consolation his household in such a sorrowful season?

Listed here are 5 of the hymns we sang that night, with a short clarification as to why I selected every.

1. “It Is Nicely”

I’ve misplaced observe of what number of occasions I’ve sung this track at funerals and providers of lament. It’s a acquainted basic that speaks to sorrow. First, it reminds us of the reality {that a} soul that’s stayed upon the Lord is nicely, each on this life and the subsequent. Our circumstances might tempt us to despair, however the One who’s in us is bigger than he who’s on the earth (1 John 4:4). Horatio Spafford, within the wake of shedding each his household and his livelihood, penned these phrases, paying homage to Job’s sentiments: “Although he slay me, but I’ll hope in him” (Job 13:15). When our souls are crushed, this hymn provides us phrases to sing, very similar to David in Psalm 34: “I’ll bless the Lord always” (Ps. 34:1). But the hymn author doesn’t simply encourage us to smile and bear it within the sorrow of this life. The final two verses under are the anguished coronary heart cry of each believer who has endured deep ache and loss:

However, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our objective;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed remainder of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when the religion shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled again as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it’s nicely with my soul.

We yearn for the day of the Lord’s return. Every single day he tarries, we remind our hearts that, as these whose lives are hidden within the cross, the sky, not the grave, is our objective!

2. “How Nice Thou Artwork”

This hymn of reward and adoration might really feel like the very last thing we need to sing in a season of grief, however that could be the very cause we want it. John Witvliet describes the Psalms as “scripts” that assist us pray the prayers we have to pray after we can’t discover the phrases. Although I’m definitely not placing man-made songs on the extent of God’s phrase, the precept is identical: Even in our hardest seasons, God is worthy of our reward. Think about the three most-popular verses of this hymn. Within the first verse, the hymn author lifts our eyes from our current scenario to gaze upon the cosmos, the galaxies upon galaxies that our God has usual with a spoken phrase (Gen. 1). “O Lord, my God, once I in superior marvel think about all of the worlds thy palms have made.” But our God didn’t cease there as an impressive, but distant being. In verse two, we think about, “God, his Son not sparing, despatched him to die. I scarce can take it in”. Because the hymnwriter continues to put out the rules of the gospel with such readability and affection, our hearts soar with gratitude as we return to this refrain of adoration. The final verse combines the holiness and majesty of God in verse one with the sacrifice of his Son in verse two, celebrating the glory that awaits us after we come to the top of our lives.

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me residence, what pleasure shall fill my coronary heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
After which proclaim: “My God, how nice Thou artwork!”

These phrases bolster the religion of each the one who leaves and the one who’s left. For the believer who passes from this life, they’re headed residence and can instantly expertise extra pleasure than any of their brightest moments right here on earth. For these left behind, we lengthy for that day as nicely, however we wait in “humble adoration,” trusting God’s good plan and his good timing in all issues.

3. “Be Nonetheless, My Soul”

There may be merely no track that ministers to the grieving soul as this hymn does. Think about the phrases of verse 3:

Be nonetheless, my soul! when dearest mates depart
And all is darkened within the vale of tears,
Then shall you higher know his love, his coronary heart,
Who comes to assuage your sorrow and your fears.
Be nonetheless, my soul! your Jesus can repay
From his personal fullness all he takes away.

This hymn echoes the prayer of David written in grief and anguish, calling upon the Lord to deliver stability to his soul. God, via the psalmist, acknowledges our humanity. God is aware of that we are going to face moments on this lifetime of such fierce loss and loneliness that our hearts will really feel like they’re splitting in half. David wrote as somebody who knew the anguish of shedding a baby, the sorrow of betrayal, and despair that refuses to be lifted.

Even in our hardest seasons, God is worthy of our reward.

However this hymn reminds us, as David does, of our duty as believers to decide on religion over emotions. We should converse (and sing) to our souls the reality of our unchangeable God. He’s nonetheless good. He’s nonetheless loving. He’s “guiding the longer term as he has the previous.” We should remind ourselves of his promise to deliver us safely residence to be with him endlessly.

4. “I Want Thee Each Hour”

One of many prayer practices of the Japanese Orthodox church is one thing generally known as “breath prayers.” Merely put, these are brief prayers spoken all through the day in moments of want. Although this hymn doesn’t provide a theology of dying and lament the best way that others do, its contribution remains to be important because it reminds us of our want for God. Although most believers are comparatively acutely aware of our every day want for God, in our occasions of trial, we are likely to expertise that want extra than simply every day. We really feel our desperation for his presence each second, seeking to him for knowledge and energy to take care of family members, for a holy bracing throughout sudden tragedy, and for braveness to face the rest of our earthly lives with no good friend or member of the family who leaves a gaping gap. This hymn gently reminds us that our deepest want, in each scenario, isn’t solutions to our seemingly limitless why questions; our deepest want is the steadfast presence of the Lord. In Christ, we have now every thing we want, even within the wake of great loss.

5. “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go”

The final hymn on this brief listing is “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go.” This hymn jogs my memory of once I used to stroll alongside the seashore with my firstborn, Josie. As a toddler, she cherished dipping her toes within the surf, having fun with the joy of every breaking wave. And as tightly as she would maintain my hand, her security didn’t relaxation in her means to carry on to me, however my means to carry on to her.

Grief could be difficult for many who are attempting their finest to hunt God. Some days we get up feeling hopeful, and the subsequent day is full of despair. Some mornings we are able to learn our Bibles with readability and say our prayers with confidence; but on different days, we really feel too weak and despondent to even converse his identify. But the great thing about belonging to the Lord is that our “closeness” to him isn’t reliant upon our efforts. Sure, there are methods we are able to expertise his presence extra absolutely, however the chasm between us and God has already been bridged. Regardless of how we really feel, the Lord is shut even when he feels far-off. He’s close to to the brokenhearted (Ps. 34:18), and his grip upon our wavering souls is secured by Christ’s work on the cross, not our efforts in direction of spirituality. In our time of grief, we belief the better hand that holds us. And we sing of his goodness, his guarantees, and his presence till our weary souls start to really feel it once more.

This brief collection of hymns is a sampling of how God can use hymns in occasions of grief. As our hearts sing of the nice truths of God’s faithfulness, his character, and the peace of mind of the longer term that awaits us, we all know our belief is just not misplaced.

Different Favourite Finish of Life Hymns, Previous and New:

“Like a River Wonderful”
“I Set My Hope on Jesus”
“He Will Maintain Me Quick”
“’Tis So Candy to Belief in Jesus”
“Come Unto Jesus”
“In Christ Alone”
“When We All Get to Heaven”
“Nice Is Thy Faithfulness”
“Abide with Me”
“I Want Thee Each Hour”
“Blessed Assurance”

Laura Story is a contributor to The Sing! Hymnal created by Keith and Kristyn Getty.

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