On Stormy Banks

1) On Jordan's stormy banks I stand, and cast a wishful eye,
To Canaan's fair and happy land, where my possessions lie.

2) O'er all those wide, extended plains shines one eternal day;
There God, the Son, forever reigns, and scatters nights away.

Refrain: I am bound for the promised land, I am bound for the promised land;
O who will come and go with me? I am bound for the promised land.

3) No chilling winds nor pois'nous breath, can reach that healthful shore;
Sickness and sorrow; pain and death, are felt and feared no more.

Refrain:

4) When Shall I reach that happy place, and be forever blest? 
When shall I see my Father's face, and in His bosom rest?

This hymn was written by Samuel Stennet (1727-1795), who had never seen the Jordan. Apparently folks who had seen the Jordan wanted to change the name to "muddy banks" or "rugged banks." I suppose all of those work, but Stennet wasn't exactly going for geographical accuracy. Instead, he is referring to what the Jordan represents, which is the boundary of the promised land. For us, the promised land is God's eternal rest. Our life is in the wilderness, to extend the metaphor, and when God calls us home, we have a seat with Christ who "scatters night away."

I know I haven't been exactly doing a hymn a day. Lately it has been a few hymns a week. This week has been a difficult one, as the Lord called home a close friend of the family. I love and miss Uncle Al. It is comforting to know that he is with the Lord and the rest of the saints looking down, but comfort doesn't mean there is no sorrow. In the last stanza, Stennet asks, "When shall I see my Father's face, and in His bosom rest?" We never know when the Lord will call our journey to an end, but when we finish, He is there to greet us. That is our hope, that is our joy.