By Sandra Gilkerson
I stand On The Promises Of God, do you?
After singing a hymn at church, my granddaughter Lydia, asked her mom, “Why are they singing about grandma? ” ” I didn’t know that they were singing about grandma,” her mom replied. “Yes, they are, listen -”
and she sang this song…….”Sandy, Sandy, Sandy on the promises of Christ my Savior. Sandy, Sandy, I’m standing on the promises of God.” What a great reminder that I am indeed standing on the promises of God.!
STANDING ON THE PROMISES
Standing on the promises of Christ my King, through eternal ages let His praises ring; glory in the highest, I will shout and sing;
standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises that cannot fall, when the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
by the living Word of God I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord, bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord, overcoming daily with the Spirits sword, standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises I cannot fall, listening every moment to the Spirit’s call, resting in my Savior as my all in all, standing on the promises of God.
Standing, standing, standing on the promises of Christ my Savior; standing, standing, I’m standing on the promises of God.
The composer of the music and the lyrics of this song was R.Kelso Carter, born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 18,1849. He became an outstanding athlete at Pennsylvania Military Academy, also, being a member of that school’s first graduating class in 1867. He returned to teach a number of subjects – chemistry, natural science, civil engineering, and mathematics- over several years.
R.Kelso Carter became an ordained Methodist minister (1887) at the age of 38. A year earlier while teaching at the Academy, he wrote a hymn, “Standing On The Promises, ” after reading one of Apostle Paul’s letters in Second Corinthians. It was Chapter 1, verse 20 that caught his attention: “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” This hymn has been a favorite with God’s people for over a century.
Besides being an active minister, writing songs, and several textbooks and novels, he spent some time in California as a sheep rancher. Later, he studied medicine and became a practicing physician in Baltimore.
Carter died August 23, 1928 at Catonsville, Maryland.
Some see in the music…of this piece…..a sense of the drum-beating, rhythmic military marching-style music…which he would have heard frequently at PMA. This hymn has been widely used in…”great evangelistic crusades.” It is a reminder of a Christian’s daily dependence upon the promises of God.
(Material taken from an article by Stan Griffin, Workers For Jesus.)
