Soft Rains of Spring Flow ~ Hymn 680

Devotional Thoughts Based on the Glory to God Hymnal

Jeremiah 29:11

Before the events of the past few weeks drew me away from reflecting on scriptures and songs and got me searching the Bible for words of hope, I was looking at hymns and the book of Jeremiah. To my surprise, the Glory to God Hymnal only had one hymn (#680) that is connected to one of the most often quoted passages in Jeremiah – 29:11

¹¹ For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

Before I sound too critical of the editors of our current hymnal for only suggesting one song to couple with this scripture, the Blue Presbyterian Hymnal that came right before our current songbook didn’t suggest a match for any hymn with Jeremiah 29:11. And neither did the old maroon Hymnbook, the old Methodist hymnal, nor the Cokesbury Hymnal.

That’s a little hard to believe, especially as graduation time is approaching and Jeremiah 29:11 will be appearing on cards and banners and baccalaureate bulletins. God does have a plan for us, that includes our welfare and not harm, and a hopeful future.

But that’s what hymn 680 also celebrates:

God sends soft rains to help love take root in our hearts.
God watches and cares for the tender plants (and our tender lives.)
God’s grace overflows in blessings for all our days.

Even nature, especially nature, reflects the plans that God has for the world and for us. There is a hopeful future.

Prayer

Thank You, Dear God, for watching us so closely in the past, for caring for us in the present, and for promising us a future of love and grace. Amen.