Hymn: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Immortal, Invisible, God only wise

In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes

Here is another one of my favorite hymns.  From the first verse it proclaims our God, the one who is endless and timeless.  The one that we may not see in the physical, embodied sense, but rather with our hearts.  The only God.

Light inaccessible.  That is a beautiful image.  It is a radiant light of mystery and a gracious light of guidance.  The idea of God's light being inaccessible might evoke in us a feeling of insecurity or a feeling of despair.  If we can't touch it, or understand it, how can we feel safe?  How can we take refuge if it is intangible?

All of these ideas that the hymn evokes in the first two lines are things that we cannot see or touch.  Immortal: we cannot know the depths of immortality.  Invisible: it is something that our human eyes cannot see.  Inaccessible: it is not within our physical reach, we cannot touch it.

Sometimes I get frustrated with the things that I can't do on my own.  Things that I can't remedy immediately.  Things that my own strength is not capable of.  I find myself praying first for God to give me strength, when my heart still wants to lean on my own capabilities.  Then I try to truly let go, and give up to God what I know I cannot handle on my own.  But I remain scared, because I can see the light, and I know the light goes before me into the unknown, it heads into the mystery.

Part of my recent journey has been learning to take refuge in God's inaccessible light.  It is possible to take refuge and feel safe in His mystery. Psalm 42:7 says "Deep cries out to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me."  When I first read these words, the idea of being covered in water created an image of sinking and drowning.  Terrifying.  But it is not that we are submerged in the great, endless depths; we are covered.  We are safely covered in waters of grace.  We are wrapped in inaccessible light.  

So we do not have to know everything.  We can't know everything.  We have a God that longs to protect us and wrap us in His safe mystery.  He says it is alright not to know it all, because He knows it all, and He will protect us.  

The hymn continues like this:

Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days

Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise    

We can trust in what we don't know, because we do know that our God is great, almighty and victorious.  That is faith.

~SP