Spirit of the Living God ~ Lucy Adams ~ Pentecost

Image by Peggy Blann Phifer

Spirit of the Living God, a Hymn Story Devotional from Lucy Adams

     Reading God's Word can be a blessing when we are spiritually fed with His revelations.  In John 16:16 one of the most essential parts of the Christian faith guides us.  But when Jesus spoke these words, the disciples were confused:  "A little while and you will no longer see me and again in a  

little while, you will see me."  But we are thankful to understand His message as we continue to read in Acts 1:8 and following, about the coming of the 

Holy Spirit at Pentecost. 

Pentecost Dove from Pixabay.com

    
The glory of God's presence has also been captured in a short hymn of praise and thanksgiving.  It is a short and simple hymn but very powerful, as we sing in expectation:         

             "Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.  Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me." 

    The composer, Daniel Iverson was born in Brunswick, Georgia, on  September 26, 1890.  When he was called into the ministry, he was ordained into

the Presbyterian denomination in 1914 and started his own church which was named Shenandoah Presbyterian Church in Miami, Fla.  After many years of preaching and teaching, he retired in 1962 and moved to Asheville, NC. where he continued his ministry and died in 1982.

    When this hymn was written, Rev. Iverson was attending an evangelistic crusade in 1926 lead by the George Stephens Team of Orlando.  He was  

inspired by the scripture from Acts 11:15 which  reads, "The Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning."  With these thoughts, his heart was stirred for his own rebirth and renewal.

     As soon as the morning service ended, he went alone to the nearby First Presbyterian church.  And with the great teaching still fresh in his ears and heart, he sat at the piano and prayed.  Soon he began to express in music, his desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.  The words and music came quickly as he simply asked God to melt him, mold him, fill him and use him in ministry, forever.

    The song leader for the Stephens Team was touched by the deep meaning of the simple hymn.  It was taught to the congregation that evening and was sung throughout the revival.

    As we read Acts 1:8, we see that Jesus told his disciples to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit.  This was essential in order for those dejected disciples to shout out the good news of the Risen Christ.  "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you will be my 

witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth."

    Praise God!  After more than 2,000 years, Christians continue to ask for the power of God's Holy Spirit.  And with this simple but profound hymn, we can joyfully sing:  "Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me."

             Lucy Adams     (May 2019)

www.52hymns.com

What is the meaning of the day of Pentecost? The Christian holy day of Pentecost, which is celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1–31).