The Music & the Spoken Word broadcast airs live via TV, radio, and internet stream on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. mountain time. For information on other airtimes, visit “Airing Schedules” at musicandthespokenword.org.

Music

Conductor: Mack Wilberg
Organist: Richard Elliott
Announcer: Lloyd D. Newell

“In Hymns of Praise”
Music: Alfred Beirly
Lyrics: Ada Blenkhorn
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

“All Things Bright and Beautiful”
Music: John Rutter
Lyrics: Cecil Frances Alexander

“Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah” (organ solo)¹
(Cwm Rhondda)
Music: Welsh hymn tune
Arrangement: Paul Manz

“If Ye Love Me”
Music: Mack Wilberg
Lyrics: from the Gospel of John

“For I Am Called by Thy Name”
Music: Crawford Gates
Lyrics: from Jeremiah 15:16

“Let Us All Press On”²
Music and lyrics: Evan Stephens
Arrangement: Richard Elliott

“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”³
Music: American folk hymn
Lyrics: Robert Robinson
Arrangement: Mack Wilberg

1. ¹ From the album Now Let Us Rejoice.
2. ² From the album Let Us All Press On.
3. ³From the albums The Sound of Glory, America’s Choir, and Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

The Spoken Word

Let Us All Press On

The scriptures give wise and loving counsel for all kinds of situations we might face in life. Even so, when those situations get to be particularly thorny or complex, we naturally worry about doing the wrong thing. We might ask, “What does God want me to do?”

Long ago, the Old Testament prophet Micah offered a clear and simple answer: “What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8).

These three principles—be just, love mercy, and walk in humility with God—are like a road map that can lead us toward peace, happiness, and harmonious relationships. Think how our lives and the lives of others would change with more fairness, mercy, and humility.

Recently, a family had their hearts broken by one of their own. Trust was shattered, and feelings were hurt—and sadly, it wasn’t the first time. They felt helpless and hopeless. How should they move forward? They found that those three biblical principles—justice, mercy, and humility—showed the way. They turned to the Lord in humility and sought His peace and larger perspective. In justice and fairness to themselves, they carefully set boundaries and took precautions to protect themselves. But they did so with merciful hearts, not with the intent to punish or retaliate. They humbly sought to walk with God, to do what they felt He would want them to do.

In all their efforts, they were inspired by the words of a favorite hymn of The Tabernacle Choir:

“Let us all press on in the work of the Lord,
That when life is o’er we may gain a reward. …
An unseen pow’r will aid me and you. …
If we do what’s right we have no need to fear,
For the Lord, our helper, will ever be near."¹

We may not always get everything right as we try to balance justice, mercy, and humility. But we can press on, confident in help from above and reassured by the promise that God will be with us as we do our best to do what’s right.

1. “Let Us All Press On,” Hymns, no. 243.