From: Paul Gage
LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD JANUARY 19, 2023
Philippians 1:2-6 Inspired Version
2 Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine, for the steadfastness of you all, making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 Being confident of this very thing: that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ
My greetings to each of you as well. Probably no one reading this is in Phiippi, but God’s lovely Saints are in their places all around the globe, and God knows exactly where you are. Isn’t that a most marvelous thought? The God of all creation knows where each of his creation is, every moment of every day and He knows all the things we have to deal with. Philippians 1 was the Daily Devotional scripture on Monday, January and I felt that would be a good base for the article this week.
The hymn that day was # 413 in “Hymns of the Restoration” 2007 edition, “Higher Ground.”
I have always enjoyed searching for information about a hymn, its writer, their motives or life situation that prompted them, by the Holy Ghost to write the hymn. And so, I found the following information about “Higher Ground,” and the author, Johnson Oatman Jr.
As we are past the middle of January, perhaps some have already become discouraged and discarded any resolutions they have made. We all know how easy it is to become discouraged, depressed, anxious, nervous and sometimes offended. That which follows is some information found on the internet. I think it contains thoughts that are universal and not restricted to any particular group of people
The spiritual aspect of humans is what sets them apart from the rest of Gods creations. As humans, therefore, we must not only seek for physical growth but more importantly, spiritual progress. Otherwise, we’ll be on a journey to spiritual decay and life would be of no meaning for us. When God created humans, it’s His desire that we are united with Him. Thus, He is continuously working in us on this aspect. The only way for us to fully appreciate His great efforts and unconditional love is by allowing Him to nurture our spiritual being. His words are an important means by which we could grow spiritually. As what the Holy Bible says,“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
Therefore, it’s not enough that we accepted Jesus as our personal savior. Increasing our knowledge of His words should be part of our daily living. Let us further enhance our understanding of this subject through this featured hymn, “Higher Ground.”
A great expression of one’s desire for a more profound spiritual life, growing further with Christ is the hymn “Higher Ground.” Johnson Oatman, Jr. penned the moving lyrics which became a well-loved hymn since its first publication in 1898. It’s a hymn filled with optimism and great aspiration to be fully consecrated to God. It’s indeed a great help for anyone who aspires to take their spiritual goals to a higher level. Moreover, the hymn offers a fitting way of renewing our passion for the Lord. Along with elevating our spiritual goals, let us press on to higher ground.
Johnson Oatman, Jr., a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a businessman. His father was an exceptional singer. Inspired by his father’s talent, Oatman would later embark on writing gospel songs. Since he started in 1892 until he passed away in 1922, he was able to write over 3,000 hymn lyrics. One of his greatest compositions was “Higher Ground” which became a favorite among many Christians.
It is so sad to look back upon your life and realize that you've never reached your potential because you didn't fully apply yourself or set high enough goals for your life. It is sad that many older people now live with this realization, but it is even more tragic when we see it happening to the younger generation, many of which have no goals and no motivation for living. Similarly, it is disappointing to see a Christian fail to evidence spiritual growth of any kind. Scripture teaches that Christian maturity or Christ-likeness is a process in which we advance from one level to the next, step by step. But the secret of such development is to have an intense desire to fulfill the purpose God has for our lives. Unfortunately many believers never grow out of the infant stage. But this should not be the story for any true believer.
This week's hymn choice expresses so well the desire for a deeper spiritual life, continuing on a higher plane of fellowship with God than we have ever before experienced. This hymn, penned by Johnson Oatman Jr. (1856-1922), has been a favorite with many Christians since it was first published in 1898. In his early life, he was actively involved in the family's mercantile business, and, upon his father's death, entered the insurance business. In 1892, he started writing gospel songs, and, from then till his death, in 1922. It is reported that Oatman generally averaged four to five new texts each week, throughout this period of his life, receiving no more than $1.00 for each of his songs. He got $5.00 for Higher Ground. His texts were always in great demand by the leading gospel musicians of his day. 'Higher Ground' has been a favorite with many Christians since it was first published. It expresses so well this universal desire for a deeper spiritual life, continuing on a higher plane of fellowship with God, than we have ever before experienced. How are you growing spiritually? Do you have a daily thirst for His Word and for Him? Are you pressing on the upward way each day, or have you grown content with where you are? If that is the case, this week ask the Lord to renew your passion for Him and for spiritual things. Set your spiritual goals high and press on to higher ground. AA
As the Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:14 “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Pressing is an action word. “I’m pressing on the UPWARD WAY, NEW HEIGHTS I’M GAINING EVERY DAY.” Pressing means there is no time or place to stop or slack off because we then depress to lower ground.
God bless you as you live in the Kingdom of God while waiting for the KING OF KINGS to make His appearance.
Paul Gage
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