The hymn Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand contrasts the fleeting and uncertain nature of temporal things with the constancy and dependability of God.
The hymn begins with the words, “Time is filled with swift transition.” Among other things, these words might apply to the ever-evolving moral standards of society. Thankfully, God gives us a steady, reliable guide to direct us. Instead of being tossed to and fro by society’s ever-changing standards, the faithful Christian holds steadfastly to “the Lord’s word,” which “endures forever” (1 Pet. 1:25).
The opening words of the hymn might also bring to mind the brevity and uncertainty of our time on earth. The “swift transition” of one’s physical life could be likened to “a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away” (Jas. 4:14b). The Spirit tells us, “you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow” (Jas. 4:14a).
While such brevity and uncertainty are applied to our physical lives, our spiritual lives need not be filled with uncertainty at all. Those who are right with God can lean on His steady hand, even when life on earth is at its shakiest. Not only do we not know how much longer each of us has on earth, but none of us even know how much longer the earth and temporal things in it will continue to exist. This principle is alluded to in the second phrase of the hymn’s opening verse, which says, “Naught of earth unmoved can stand.”
In 2 Peter 3:10, the Holy Spirit through Peter gives part of God’s answer to those who scoff at the idea of the Lord returning on the Day of Judgment. He says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”
The contrast between God’s eternal power and what 2 Peter 3:10 says about the earth shows the foolishness of building our hope on temporal things and the wisdom of basing our hope on eternal things (Matt. 6:19-20). This principle is well-expressed with the final words in the first verse of the hymn, “Build your hope on things eternal, Hold to God’s unchanging hand.”
The second verse of the hymn says, “Trust in Him who will not leave you, Whatsoever years may bring…” Though future temporal circumstances are unsure, God promises His children that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). God’s faithful children can count on Him to know all that we face (Rev. 2:9), to care for us (1 Pet 5:7), and to ensure that we always have what is needed to serve Him faithfully (1 Cor. 10:13), no matter the trial faced.
A particular trial that highlights God’s trustworthy hand is alluded to in the latter part of the verse’s second hymn. There the song says, “If by earthly friends forsaken, Still more closely to Him cling.” While behavior of others can be unpredictable, God is steady. God’s faithfulness is especially precious to consider when we are forsaken by others (cf. 2 Tim. 4:16-17).
The third verse of the song (omitted in Hymns for Worship) says, “Covet not this world’s vain riches, That so rapidly decay, Seek to gain the heav’nly treasures, They will never pass away!” This compares the value of fleeting earthly riches with lasting spiritual riches (cf. Luke 12:13-21).
The hymn’s final verse digs deeper into the lasting value of being spiritually “rich.” The verse says, “When your journey is completed, If to God you have been true, Fair and bright the home in glory Your enraptured soul will view.”
This home is a guarantee for the righteous because of the constancy and dependability of God, who promises it (Titus 1:2). God’s faithfulness thus gives us a sure foundation on which to build a hope that steadfastly anchors the soul. This gets at the underlying theme of this thoughtful hymn. While life on earth has much uncertainty, God is ever-reliable. May we hold steadfastly to Him.
– Michael Hickox