Still Waters

You know the saying, “One thought leads to another?” In my world, it is “one song leads to another!”

In my post, Random Moments, I talked about the 1971 song “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” I also quoted Billy Graham, who said that personal peace depends on what each person does about Jesus. This sparked my memory of another song, “Put Your Hand in the Hand.”

The Canadian group Ocean released the song “Put Your Hand in the Hand” in 1971, and it peaked at number 2 on the Billboard charts. The band received fan mail for the song from religious figures such as Billy Graham and the Bishop of Toronto. Written by Gene MacLellan, you can read the lyrics, and have a listen here:

Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself, and you can look at others differently
By puttin’ your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee

Every time I look into the Holy Book, I want to tremble
Or when I read about the part
Where the carpenter cleared the temple
For the buyers and the sellers were no different fellas than what I profess to be,
And it causes me shame to know we’re not the people we should be

So, put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself, and you can look at others differently
By puttin’ your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee

My mama taught me how to pray
Before I reached the age of seven
She said, “There’ll come a time when there’ll probably be room in Heaven”
But I’m feeling kinda guilty
‘Bout the number of times to do what we must do
But we forget what He said
When we figure that He’ll still make room

So, you gotta put your hand in the hand
Of the man who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself, and you can look at others differently
By puttin’ your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee

Everybody, come along
Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea
Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently

Both songs came out of the Jesus Movement, a spiritual revival of young people from 1967 to 1974. When the Movement made the cover of Time Magazine, they called it The Jesus Revolution, which began during the 60s counterculture, led by those disillusioned with the drug scene. Popular radio played at least 80 faith-based songs during the Movement, which also paved the way for today’s contemporary Christian music.

The Movement’s message is still relevant today: the closer we get to Jesus, the more we change. Our thought patterns shift, regulating our emotions, the way we think about people and situations, how we deal with problems. With Jesus, there is a foundation of hope, surety, peace. Reading the Bible helps us discern how negativity can distort our thinking and divide us. The path of living without Jesus becomes so chaotic that we quickly return to Him if we wander away. Like a good Shepherd, He is there waiting, hand extended, guiding us back beside the still waters of His love and care.

Will you take the hand of the Man who stilled the waters and open your heart to Him?

“When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”Mark 4:39-40

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,” John 10:14

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.” Psalm 23:1-2