Hymns of the Church - I know who holds tomorrow – 5 September 2023, Anno Domini (In the Year of our Lord)

T

HE ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.  (Luke 12:15-21)

 

This Gospel song was written in 1883 by its author Ira F. Stanphill. It begins with the Mortals’ lack of certainty of future days but ends with the certainty of God’s perfect knowledge and wisdom. It is not a classic hymn in its character since it is more representative of a personal testimony rather than the application of God’s Word to all singers. It reveals a life of faith from a personal standpoint. Of course, such faith can be shared with others as an example to benefit those who are facing difficult circumstances.

 

I know who holds tomorrow

 

I don't know about tomorrow,

I just live from day to day.

I don't borrow from its sunshine,

For its skies may turn to gray.

I don't worry o'er the future,

For I know what Jesus said,

And today I'll walk beside Him,

For He knows what is ahead.

Refrain:

Many things about tomorrow,

I don't seem to understand;

But I know who holds tomorrow,

And I know who holds my hand.

 

Every step is getting brighter,

As the golden stairs I climb;

Every burden's getting lighter;

Every cloud is silver lined.

There the sun is always shining,

There no tear will dim the eye,

At the ending of the rainbow,

Where the mountains touch the sky. 

[Refrain]

 

I don't know about tomorrow,

It may bring me poverty;

But the one who feeds the sparrow,

Is the one who stands by me.

And the path that be my portion,

May be through the flame or flood,

But His presence goes before me,

And I'm covered with His blood. 

[Refrain]

 

            1 I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day. I don't borrow from its sunshine, For its skies may turn to gray. I don't worry o'er the future, For I know what Jesus said, And today I'll walk beside Him, For He knows what is ahead. At the human level, who can know with certainty what tomorrow, or much less, the next minute may hold? But we have the author of time and truth as our Lord and Master who knows the future as well as He knows all things past. A passenger from New York may board an ocean liner with a destination of Tokyo. The passenger has no idea of what course to sail or what conditions to expect on the high seas, but the Captain of the ship knows, and it is in his knowledge and skill that the passenger puts his trust. The Church is like that ship and we are merely passengers who have placed outrtrust in the skill and knowledge of our Captain who is also Maker of the Seas. There will not always be smooth seas on such a long voyage of life, but rest assured, the Master of the Sea can deal with all uncertain waters. It is enough to walk with Him when we know not the way, for He surely does for He is the WAY.

 

            2 Every step is getting brighter, As the golden stairs I climb; Every burden's getting lighter; Every cloud is silver lined. There the sun is always shining, There no tear will dim the eye, At the ending of the rainbow, Where the mountains touch the sky. The walk of the awakened Christian is into ever-increasing Light. Remember, the Narrow Way leads up to the very Gates of Light and Love. As we gain our higher ground, the gravitational pull of the world grows less and less until, at the moment of earthly death, we break the bonds of earthly bondage, reach escape velocity, and travel the ether between the world and Heaven as the Light beckons. It is true that every cloud has a silver lining to the believer, and a treasure will be found at the end of the true Rainbow of God – not the counterfeit six-striped so-called pride rainbow. God’s Rainbow is seven-colored representing the fulness of God’s Creation – six represents the frail power of man. 

 

            3 I don't know about tomorrow, It may bring me poverty; But the one who feeds the sparrow, Is the one who stands by me. And the path that be my portion, May be through the flame or flood, But His presence goes before me, And I'm covered with His blood. Poverty can pose no degradation to the soul whose heart is stayed on God. Only a Christian can be poor and wealthy at the same time. As the old adage goes, He who has much wealth and Jesus Christ, has no more than he who has Christ alone. As David the King has proclaimed, I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. (Psalm 37:25) The Children of Israel followed the Lord in the Pillar of Cloud and Pillar of Fire through the depths of the Red Sea, and the Three Children followed Him through the fires of Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace and emerged unharmed. So may we walk under such threats as long as we walk with the One who has power over flame and flood. 

 

Refrain

Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand; But I know who holds tomorrow, And I know who holds my hand. The world is oblivious to the power of the Might Hand which upholds the believer and directs the affairs of nations. It is a Hand that never let’s go. Regardless of the challenges which arise in our lives from day to day, none can break the grip of that Mighty Hand.