Adelaide Pollard was a Bible teacher and hymn writer, but her passion was evangelism, and she was convinced her life experiences had molded her to serve as a missionary in Africa. Her burden for Africa was strong, but she was unable to raise the funds to travel there and had to cancel the trip. It was 1902, Adelaide was in her 40’s, and she was very discouraged.
Although discouraged, she attended a Bible study where an elderly woman’s prayer affected her greatly. The lady prayed, "Lord, it doesn't matter what you bring into our lives--just have your way with us."
The woman’s prayer inspired Adelaide, and the Lord led her to the story of the potter from Jeremiah 18:3-6…
“The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”
Adelaide saw that God, like the potter, had to break her when she questioned His will. Only when she put her life plans in the hands of Jesus Christ, the potter, could he mold her life again into His own pattern. At home, that night, she wrote all four verses of the hymn, “Have Thine Own Way Lord”.
Have Thine Own Way Lord
Words: Adelaide Addison Pollard (1862-1934)
Music: George Coles Stebbins (1846-1945)
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will;
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
The basic sin of man is self-will… doing things our own way. Adelaide Pollard’s burden was lifted in submission to God’s will. We can also find peace from submitting to His loving will.
Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Adelaide wrote over 100 other songs, but just how many we can’t be sure of because she seldom signed them, not desiring credit.
Randy McMahon
Credit: “Crusader Hymns and Hymn Stories,” Billy Graham Team
Although discouraged, she attended a Bible study where an elderly woman’s prayer affected her greatly. The lady prayed, "Lord, it doesn't matter what you bring into our lives--just have your way with us."
The woman’s prayer inspired Adelaide, and the Lord led her to the story of the potter from Jeremiah 18:3-6…
“The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”
Adelaide saw that God, like the potter, had to break her when she questioned His will. Only when she put her life plans in the hands of Jesus Christ, the potter, could he mold her life again into His own pattern. At home, that night, she wrote all four verses of the hymn, “Have Thine Own Way Lord”.
Have Thine Own Way Lord
Words: Adelaide Addison Pollard (1862-1934)
Music: George Coles Stebbins (1846-1945)
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will;
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
The basic sin of man is self-will… doing things our own way. Adelaide Pollard’s burden was lifted in submission to God’s will. We can also find peace from submitting to His loving will.
Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Adelaide wrote over 100 other songs, but just how many we can’t be sure of because she seldom signed them, not desiring credit.
Randy McMahon
Credit: “Crusader Hymns and Hymn Stories,” Billy Graham Team
RSS Feed