The number of comments and shares on A.W. Dicus’ hymn, ‘Our God He is Alive’ calls for an encore- Dicus’ follow up song of profession of faith, ‘Lord, I Believe’ published in 1970. I have a copy of the Sacred Selections hymnal where both ‘Our God, He is Alive’ and ‘Lord I Believe’ are pasted inside the back cover. Anyone remember the job of putting the sticky pages into the hymnals? Then, later additions of Sacred Selections had them printed in red inside the back cover. I am looking at one that someone wrote the hymn numbers “666” and “667” in pen to add them to the 665 numbered songs.
The two hymns spread and were embraced enthusiastically, even ahead of the next publication of the hymnals for a reason. They are about the fundamental driving force of our service to God. And both of them proclaim that there is a reasonable and a scientific basis for faith. Faith is not blind. Faith is based upon evidence – faith in God, faith in the Bible, and faith in Jesus.
I once studied with a man in prison, who in his teenage years, had asked “why” questions which he needed answered in order to make the decision to become a Christian. He was told by family and other church members that he just had to accept that Christianity was true without question. He said that if he had been presented with the evidence that I showed him, he would never have ended up in prison because he would have become a Christian.
There is reason to believe! Dicus expresses this so well: in God- the wonders of creation leave no doubt; in the Bible- no finite mind could frame the truths revealed within His word; in Jesus- prophecy shows us heaven ordained our salvation and eyewitness testimony tells us our Lord redeemed and paid the bitter cost. This evidence was true yesterday, is true today, and will be true tomorrow. These truths are true in times of joy and times of tribulation. Be with us Lord, lest we forget them.
May Dicus’ hymn of affirmation of faith continue to inspire service to God, from generation to generation:
LORD, I BELIEVE (©1970)
When we behold the wonders of creation,
The flowers that bloom, the raindrops as they fall;
The spacious skies, and life’s perpetuation,
We cannot doubt that God controlled it all. (Chorus)
No finite mind by mortal calculation,
Could frame the truths revealed within His Word,
In every trace of nature’s operation,
Thy voice, O God, in mystery can be heard. (Chorus)
When we perceive the state of alienation,
In which the soul from Thee, O God, was lost,
We must believe, by heaven’s ordination,
Our Lord redeemed and paid the bitter cost. (Chorus)
Some days are filled with joy and expectation,
Some days are dark with cares we are beset,
In hours of joy, or hours of tribulation,
Be with us Lord, lest we, lest we, forget. (Chorus)
Chorus:
Lord I believe, yes I believe,
I cannot doubt, or be deceived
The eye that sees each sparrow fall,
His unseen hand is in it all.
Aaron Wesley Dicus 