Of all the hymns that The Church sings today this hymn, “There’s A Sweet, Sweet Spirit” touches me as no other does. I feel what this hymn has to offer ought to be sung at each and every service of worship! Now I realize that this is a stupendous statement to make in this day because of the many Churches there are in the World! Yet if I had my way, even though there are many hymns that I really love to sing and hear, this one goes to the top. It is thought that the composer used Psalm 133.1 as her inspiration: “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!”

Perhaps I feel such an affinity for this hymn because the first time I ever heard it was while attending a “Pastors of New Start Church” conference being held in Phoenix, Arizona. We met at the Church of the Beatitudes in Arizona. There were fourteen of us attending from Monday to Friday, and every evening we would gather for a much inspiriting worship service. It was at one of our services that I heard this hymn sung by a lady whose voice sounded, like I can imagine, a heavenly angel.

“There‘s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place, and I know that it’s the Spirit of the Lord; there are sweet expressions on each face, and I know they feel the presence of the Lord.” 

You see it is only as we put the Spirit of our Lord first in our lives that we can live as God would have us. The preacher at this service used this illustration: The Rev. Dr. I. M Exalted died, his spirit went up to the Pearly Gate. He thought “surely I will be highly welcomed into heaven.” The angel Gabriel opened the Good Book, but could not find I. M. Exalted’s name anywhere. “Well, the good Rev. said, look again because I have saved 1000s, I have built 12 churches, I have written 20 books, I have taught thousands.” But it didn’t matter where in the Good Book Gabriel looked, I. M. Exalted’s name could not be found. Gabriel said, “I’m sorry, you’re not in the Good Book.” As the good Rev. Exalted with head bowed turned to leave, Gabriel said; “Wait you can come into heaven, I found your name in the Good Book, under “Feeding God’s Birds!”

Prayer

Sweet Holy Spirit, stay with us always, filling us with Your Love, guiding us to serve God’s Kingdom to His glory and not ours. Amen.