Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah, HFW 441
Devotion
Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy pow'rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more,
feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain
where the healing stream doth flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv'rer, strong deliv'rer,
be thou still my strength and shield,
be thou still my strength and shield.
When I tread the verge of Jordan,
bid my anxious fears subside;
death of death and hell's destruction,
land me safe on Canaan's side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee,
I will ever give to thee.
This hymn describes the Hebrew people's journey through the Wilderness after escaping from slavery in Egypt. Guided by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, the people arrived after 40 years at the land of Canaan.
This hymn is an allegory of the Christian's journey here on earth. This journey requires the guidance of the Redeemer. The journey ends at the "verge of Jordan," heaven's gate. Both death and hell are destroyed.
In this week's devotional journey we will read portions of Revelation 22, where we will be given an image of the new heaven and the new earth, a place where Christ invites us to drink of the water of life.
Prayer
God, with you as my guide, I do not need any other guide in life. Your powerful hand holds me; you feed me with word and promise. I rejoice in you and praise your holy name. Amen.