Bible Reading: Romans 5:9-21
Key Verse: Verse 20 - “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”
Key Words: where sin abounded, grace did much more abound
Did you know that the hymn, “Amazing Grace,” was once the number one song on the hit parade? I’m not joking. Here is the story.
William Cowper wrote, “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.” We can see His “mysterious workings” in connection with this great hymn since its writing over 200 years ago (1779). For years “Amazing Grace” has been a favorite, particularly in our Southern churches and no convention, especially a Baptist convention, is ever complete unless it has been sung at least once.
But a few years ago, through an “accident,” it became the number one song of the recording world and it stayed on top for weeks. This so-called accident, in which I can see the hand of God, occurred when a young woman made a pop recording and needed a back-up for the flip- side; preferably something on which no copyright fee would have to be paid. She suggested a song she learned in Sunday School. “It was a religious song but no one would play that side anyway.” And so, “Amazing Grace” became the flip-side, or so they thought; for when the record was released, for some unknown reason the disc-jockeys began to use the flip-side. Soon every radio station in the country was playing “Amazing Grace.” In a matter of a few short weeks, it had become the number one on the hit parade and millions were hearing the testimony of John Newton written 200 years before.
“Amazing Grace” is really the life story and testimony of John Newton. It was in 1779 while working on the hymnal “Olney Hymns” with William Cowper, author of “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood” that he wrote this gem of hymnology using as its title “Faiths Review and Expectation.”
It’s interesting to me that all of the hit parade listeners got to hear about God’s amazing grace.
What to do:
✞ Thank God today for His amazing grace that saved a wretch like you and me.
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