Happy Day
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“O Happy Day”, Methodist hymn 744 (GBH 61), was authored by Philip Doddridge.
Philip Doddridge (born in London, England, 1702; died in Lisbon, Portugal, 1751) belonged to the Non-conformist Church whose members were frequently the focus of discrimination, because they were not associated with the Church of England. He was offered education by a rich patron to prepare him for ordination in the Church of England. But Doddridge chose instead to remain in the Non-conformist Church. He pastored a poor parish in Northampton or twenty years,, where he opened an academy for training Non-conformist ministers and taught most of the subjects himself. He was later honored by University of Aberdeen with a Doctor of Divinity.
Doddridge suffered from tuberculosis, and when Lady Huntington, one of his patrons, offered to finance a trip to Lisbon for his health, he is reputed to have said,
“I can as well go to heaven from Lisbon as from Northampton.”
He died in Lisbon soon after his arrival.
Doddridge wrote some four hundred hymn texts, generally to accompany his sermons. His friend, Job Orton, published his hymns posthumously in 1955 as “Hymns, Founded on Various Texts in the Holy Scriptures.”
“O Happy Day” is one of the few hymns composed by Philip Doddridge that are still sung today. Please find the 4 stanza’s of “O happy Day” below.
1) O happy day that fixed my choice
On Thee, my Savior and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
And tell its raptures all abroad.
Chorus:
Happy day, happy day,
When Jesus washed my sins away!
He taught me how to watch and pray,
And live rejoicing ev’ry day;
Happy day, happy day,
When Jesus washed my sins away.
2) ‘Tis done– the great transaction’s done;
I am my Lord’s, and He is mine;
He drew me and I followed on,
Rejoicing in the call divine. [Chorus]
3) Now rest, my long divided heart,
Fixed on this blissful center, rest;
Here have I found a nobler part,
Here heav’nly pleasures fill my breast. [Chorus]
4) High heav’n that hears the solemn vow,
That vow renewed shall daily hear;
Till in life’s latest hour I bow,
And bless, in death, a bond so dear. [Chorus]
“O Happy Day” was based on Deuteronomy 26:17-18.
READ Deuteronomy 26:17-19
“Today you have proclaimed the Lord to be your God, and that you will walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, and His judgments, and that you will obey His voice. Also today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments, and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.”
(Deuteronomy 26:17-19)
Moses was admonishing the Israelites just before they crossed the Jordan to possess the Promised Land (Deut 9:1) and said a whole lot. Then at this point, He takes a break and says what we have in the text before us today. There are two things to note here:
- The Israelites proclaiming the LORD to be their God, and committing to walk in His ways; and, among other things, obey His voice.
- The LORD proclaiming in response that they will be His special people; and He will set them high above all nations.
God always desires a partnership with men. God has His part to play, and man has His part to play. When man plays His part; God, who is sovereign automatically plays His part too; and what a happy day that turns out to be! When God is pleased with men!
May God be pleased with us always! Please sing “O Happy day” with me.
MEMORY VERSE
“When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” (Proverbs 16:7)
QUESTIONS
1. How are you responding to God’s constant call to you?
2. Do you know it is always a happy day when we respond to His call?
PRAYER TIP
Father of all grace; please help us to respond to your call, quickly and willingly.
Written by:
BENNY MALM
For:
TESTIMONY DEVOTIONAL
CREDITS
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URGENT CALL
By nature, we are all sinful, and alienated from God. We ultimately face the wrath of God!
But God in His mercy and love gives us a chance to reverse this trend, join His family, be part of His household, and become His children.
The first step to becoming a member of God’s household is for us to be saved.
Salvation comes through accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Personal Savior.
It is a very personal decision. No one can make for you.
If you make that decision today, there will be great singing and rejoicing in heaven; because one new member has joined the family and household of God!
Do you want to make that decision today?
Please visit “The Believer’s Prayer” for guidance if you want to make that decision.
We will be happy to hear from you through the contact information on that page.
God richly bless you
SPECIAL GRATITUDE
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We thank God for counting us worthy to share in His Great Commission; and we thank you for sticking with us through this journey.
God richly bless you.
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