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God Is Love

July 10th, 2023

Psalm 78:9-16

George chose to trust God.

Already losing his sight, George Matheson (1842—1906) graduated from the University of Glasgow at age 19. But he had to tell his fiancée that he was going blind. George was heart-broken by her immediate response: She did not want to be the wife of a blind man.

Instead of yielding to bitterness, George resolved to continue his training for ministry and to trust God for his future. On the eve of his sister’s wedding several years later, George remembered that earlier heartbreak. Then, reflecting on how his life had turned out so far, the words to a hymn formed quickly in his mind.

“O Love That Will Not Let Me Go” might sound like a hound-of-heaven type sentiment, written by a person who finally yields to God’s pursuit. Instead, it was written by one who yielded his disappointments and future to God. Just as God had watched over the Israelites with a “cloud by day” and “fire all night,” George Matheson found God’s love sufficient for everything that life brought him.

Author: Karen Hiner