January 8, 1956

Emily and Allison brought the offertory this morning at SSB.  The tune Emily played on her viola (Finlandia) sent my mind to January 8, 1956 and the five missionaries and their wives singing words to that tune.  Those five went to their death attempting to bring the good news of Jesus to the Auca Indians, which did happen through the ministry of a wife and a sister of the men slain.

This from Sonomachristianhome.com about Elisabeth Elliott:

Elisabeth believes, “If we want real life, our hearts must be set on glory.”  She set her goals on living for eternity and that has carried her through many trials in life… The wives of the martyred missionaries sang this hymn at the memorial service that was also sung by their husbands before they entered the Auca territory.  

The lines of the verse they sang are:

4 We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
Thine is the battle, Thine shall be the praise;
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days;
When passing through the gates of pearly splendor,
Victors, we rest with Thee, through endless days.

(Thus the title for the book written by Elisabeth in 1957 – Through the Gates of Splendor)

The other verses to the song are:

1  We rest on Thee, our Shield and our Defender!
We go not forth alone against the foe;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go;
Strong in Thy strength, safe in Thy keeping tender,
We rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go.

2  Yea, in Thy name, O Captain of salvation!
In Thy dear name, all other names above:
Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
Our Prince of glory and our King of love,
Jesus our Righteousness, our sure Foundation,
our Prince of glory and our King of love.

3  We go in faith, our own great weakness feeling,
And needing more each day Thy grace to know:
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go”;
Yet from our hearts a song of triumph pealing,
“We rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go.”

Edith Gilling Cherry | Jean Sibelius
© Public Domain

In the material given to the men at the SSB Men’s Advance on Saturday, December 28, were these words of the song by John W. Peterson (1959, Singspiration):

I sought a flag to follow, a cause for which to stand,
I sought a valiant leader who could my love command,
I sought a stirring challenge, some noble work to try,
To give my life fulfillment, my dreams to satisfy.

I found them all in Jesus, the Life, the Truth, the Way,
Beneath His flag I’ll take my stand and follow Him today.

May this be true for each who attend SSB!

May He command our love!

May He be our fulfillment!

May we take our stand with Him and follow Him through all of 2020!