God is our strength and refuge,
Our present help in trouble;
And we therefore will not fear,
Though the earth should change!
Though mountains shake and tremble,
Though swirling waters are raging,
God the Lord of Hosts is with us ever more!
There is a flowing river,
Within God’s holy city;
God is in the midst of her,
She shall not be moved!
God’s help is swiftly given,
Thrones vanish at His presence;
God the Lord of Hosts is with us ever more!
Come, see the works of our Maker,
Learn of His deeds all powerful;
Wars will cease across the world
When He shatters the spear!
Be still and know your Creator,
Uplift Him in the nations;
God the Lord of Hosts is with us ever more!
We sing this to the theme from the Dambusters march. For those who aren't familiar with the story, during World War II, there was a man who realized what a target the dams in the Ruhr valley were. Destroying them would not only deal a blow to the German war effort, but would be a huge boost for morale among the British. Barnes Wallace studied the dams, and came to the realization that bombs could be bounced along the water, avoiding the torpedo nets, and dropped immediately in front of the dams. On the 16th of May, 1943, Squadron 617 launched the raid. Three dams were attacked, the Mohne, the Eder, and the Sorpe. 19 aircraft left the ground, only 11 of them would return. Two dams were breached, the Mohne and the Eder. The Sorpe was damaged. Photos taken the next morning still show the power of water rushing through. On that night indeed, mountains were shaking and trembling, and waters were raging. The Dambusters March was written to commemorate it, and it really fits with these words.
And now again, nearly 67 years later, the mountains are again shaking, the waters again are raging. Pray for the people of Japan, pray for those who have lost loved ones. It's hard to imagine the sheer scale of what has happened, but we know that, even though the earth shakes and the waters rage, "God the Lord of Hosts is with us evermore".
1 comment:
If anyone is interested in learning more about the raid on the dams, there is an excellent book about it by Paul Brickhill (though you would want to have the white-out handy). There is also a movie based on the book that is very true to actual events, and very clean for a non-Christian movie. If you're interested in more detailed information about either, please leave a comment and I'll get you more information.
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