The Trinity Devotionals

By Cameron Frank, Preston Norman and Nathan Drake

For the first time, all three books of The Trinity Project are collected in one volume.

Experience the fullness of God's character and the richness of church history by spending three months learning about each member of the Trinity through the lens of classic hymns of the faith.

Each day will focus on a different hymn, including the hymn's text, a brief history and testimony about the hymn, and a devotion based on truths found in the hymn and corresponding Scripture.

Each week is structured to take you through a specific element of God's character and reflect on Him, while each volume focuses on a specific member of the Trinity. Over the course of three months, you will learn about the Scripture, inspiration, and history of some 60 hymns, with extra days added for devotions, reflections, and prayer.

As you dwell on the Father, you will reflect on His attributes: His work of creation, His amazing grace, His enduring faithfulness, and then respond to Him through worship.

Creation

• All Creatures of Our God and King
• This Is My Father's World
• Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
• Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
• For the Beauty of the Earth

Grace

• Amazing Grace
• Grace Greater Than Our Sin
• Here Is Love Vast as the Ocean
• Nearer My God to Thee
• Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Faithfulness

• O God Our Help in Ages Past
• Great Is Thy Faithfulness
• Now Thank We All Our God
• A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
• Revive Us Again

Worship

• To God Be the Glory
• All Glory Laud and Honor
• O For a Thousand Tongues
• Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
• Holy Holy Holy

When you consider the Son, who is Jesus Christ, consider His work of salvation, His sacrifice on the cross, how He opened the door for our sanctification, and the relationship we can have with Him.

 

Salvation

• Man of Sorrows
• When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
• Nothing but the Blood
• The Old Rugged Cross
• I Stand Amazed in the Presence

Sacrifice

• Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted
• Rock of Ages
• He Died for Me
• O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
• Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Sanctification

• Jesus Paid It All
• Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior
• Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy
• There Is a Fountain
• Blessed Assurance

Communion with Christ

• What a Friend We Have In Jesus
• 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
• My Hope Is Built
• All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
• Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Finally, dwell in the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives in us and reflect on His restoration, His role as our comforter and helper, and the way He provides the continued revelation of God in us.

 

Restoration

• I Surrender All
• Just As I Am
• Jesus Thine All Victorious Love
• I Am Resolved
• Breathe on Me Breath of God

Comforter

• How Firm a Foundation
• It Is Well With My Soul
• He Leadeth Me
• Day by Day
• Be Still My Soul

Helper

• Take My Life and Let It Be
• I Am Thine O Lord
• I Need Thee Every Hour
• Near the Cross
• Abide with Me

Revelation

• Be Thou My Vision
• Come Thou Fount
• O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus
• The Love of God
• Doxology

Order today and begin your unique devotional journey with the hymns of the faith you know and love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A Frank Voice Publishing
• Release date: Apr 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223586296

Book preview

The Trinity Devotionals

THE TRINITY DEVOTIONALS

THE COMPLETE HYMN DEVOTIONAL COLLECTION

CAMERON FRANK

PRESTON NORMAN

with

NATHAN DRAKE

A Frank Voice

Copyright © 2022 Cameron Frank and Preston Norman.

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All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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Published by Cameron Frank in the United States of America.

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Published with A Frank Voice

www.afrankvoice.com

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Cover Design: Cameron Frank

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Also used: Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

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ISBN:

Paperback: 9798352476567

Hardcover: 9798352476734

CONTENTS

Hymns of the Father

Introduction

Week I

Day 1

All Creatures of Our God and King

Day 2

This Is My Father's World

Day 3

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Day 4

Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee

Day 5

For the Beauty of the Earth

Day 6

Devotion

Day 7

Prayer

Week II

Day 8

Amazing Grace

Day 9

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Day 10

Here Is Love Vast As the Ocean

Day 11

Nearer My God to Thee

Day 12

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Day 13

Devotion

Day 14

Prayer

Week III

Day 15

O God Our Help In Ages Past

Day 16

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Day 17

Now Thank We All Our God

Day 18

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Day 19

Revive Us Again

Day 20

Devotion

Day 21

Prayer

Week IV

Day 22

To God Be the Glory

Day 23

All Glory Laud and Honor

Day 24

O For A Thousand Tongues

Day 25

Praise to the Lord Almighty

Day 26

Holy Holy Holy

Day 27

Devotion

Day 28

Prayer

Hymns of the Son

Introduction

Week I

Day 1

Man of Sorrows, What a Name

Day 2

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Day 3

Nothing but the Blood

Day 4

The Old Rugged Cross

Day 5

I Stand Amazed in the Presence

Day 6

Devotion

Day 7

Prayer

Week II

Day 8

Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted

Day 9

Rock of Ages

Day 10

He Died for Me

Day 11

O Sacred Head Now Wounded

Day 12

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Day 13

Devotion

Day 14

Prayer

Week III

Day 15

Jesus Paid It All

Day 16

Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior

Day 17

Come Ye Sinners

Day 18

There Is a Fountain

Day 19

Blessed Assurance

Day 20

Devotion

Day 21

Prayer

Week IV

Day 22

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Day 23

’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

Day 24

My Hope Is Built

Day 25

All Hail the Power of Jesus Name

Day 26

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Day 27

Devotion

Day 28

Prayer

Where Are You?

Hymns of the Spirit

Introduction

Week I

Day 1

I Surrender All

Day 2

Just As I Am

Day 3

Jesus Thine All Victorious Love

Day 4

I Am Resolved

Day 5

Breathe on Me Breath of God

Day 6

Devotion

Day 7

Prayer

Week II

Day 8

How Firm a Foundation

Day 9

It Is Well With My Soul

Day 10

He Leadeth Me

Day 11

Day by Day

Day 12

Be Still My Soul

Day 13

Devotion

Day 14

Prayer

Week III

Day 15

Take My Life and Let It Be

Day 16

I Am Thine O Lord

Day 17

I Need Thee Every Hour

Day 18

Near the Cross

Day 19

Abide with Me

Day 20

Devotion

Day 21

Prayer

Week IV

Day 22

Be Thou My Vision

Day 23

Come Thou Fount

Day 24

O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus

Day 25

The Love of God

Day 26

Doxology

Day 27

Devotion

Day 28

Prayer

Notes

7 Days of Holiness

Also from A Frank Voice

Why stop at reading the lyrics?

Hymns of the Father Album

Listen to the music from each of the Trinity Devotionals, arranged and performed by Nathan Drake of Reawaken Hymns.

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Find the albums wherever you listen to music, or scan/tap the code above.

For a truly unique and powerful experience, find the audiobook at your favorite audiobook retailer and enjoy the music and narration of this devotional in one incredible package.

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Visit www.thetrinityproject.online for more.

Publisher’s note: there may be differences between the printed lyrics of the hymns in this devotional and the recorded music for the audiobook and album.

HYMNS OF THE FATHER

Throne imagery to represent God the Father

INTRODUCTION

Call me old-fashioned, but there’s just something different about these old hymns. Not that there isn’t great music written every single day now, but it just seems like you have to look a little harder for it.

Much of the mainstream music of today’s world is filled with empty encouragement that feigns a profound message. But when you really break it down, you find a lot of filler. For those willing to look, there are incredible new songs published that explore the deep facets of God’s infinite character. Why is there such a disparity between what would appear to be the deep and the shallow?

This may seem like a recent phenomenon, but as we study the history and stories behind these treasured hymns, we find a familiar pattern. Some of these hymns only made it into the mainstream long after their writers had passed away. Others may have avoided the spotlight altogether.

But one common thread holds this collection and this devotional journey together: we can learn something valuable about the character of the Father.

We believe in the Triune God. That is, we believe in the distinct Trinity made up of three persons: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This volume is centered on finding the Father through the hymns of our past.

As we explore hymns written to celebrate creation, grace, and faithfulness, we see the Father’s hand at work. In all of this, we joyfully sing the words of truth, founded in Scripture, to echo the Father’s character. We culminate our time together in a week focused on setting aside distractions and simply worshiping Him for who He is: the God of creation, the God of grace, and the God who is faithful.

Take time to rest in the familiar, while also reveling in the unknown. Over the next month, allow yourself to be inspired by the stories and testimonies of those who came before and left us some of the most poignant expressions of praise.

Meditate on the questions throughout each day. Soak in the Scriptures that tie the themes together. Pray along with the prayers that close each week.

In all things, seek the Father’s heart. The promise of Scripture is that our searching will never be in vain.

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

WEEK I

CREATION

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

DAY 1

All Creatures of Our God and King

All creatures of our God and King

Lift up your voice and with us sing

O praise Him, Alleluia

Thou burning sun with golden beams

Thou silver moon with softer gleam

O praise Him, O praise Him

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

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Thou rushing wind that art so strong

Ye clouds that sail in heav’n along

O praise Him, Alleluia

Thou rising morn in praise rejoice

Ye lights of evening find a voice

O praise Him, O praise Him

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

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Let all things their Creator bless

And worship Him in humbleness

O praise Him, Alleluia

Praise praise the Father, praise the Son

And praise the Spirit, three in One

O praise Him, O praise Him

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia

History

In the late 1100s and early 1200s, the Crusades were in full force. To reach acclaim in society would mean adopting one of two avenues: chivalry and knighthood, or pure mercantilism. Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone was born into a legacy of the latter. But he would choose a different path. Rather than Giovonni Bernardone, the silk magnate, we remember him in history as St. Francis of Assisi.

St. Francis was born the son of a wealthy silk merchant, rising through the merchant class. He would inherit a life of excess and ease, as long as he stayed the course and honored the family name. Ultimately, he would do neither.

He served a short term as a soldier, where he was eventually held captive for a year. When he returned to his home, he made a pretty radical claim: that he’d had a vision from Jesus, and that his job was to rebuild and restore the church. This began a new phase of unbridled generosity in St. Francis’ life.

Known for his benevolence and adherence to a life of poverty, St. Francis renounced his family and sold everything in his possession. His father grew upset and tried to dissuade the young St. Francis from the life he was choosing, even to the point of beating him, but he wouldn’t recant his new direction.

For the rest of his life, he was noted for his complete adherence to a life of poverty. It was said that he heard a sermon from Matthew 10, where Jesus sends out the disciples with the command to not take anything with them, and not accept any payment. Taking the words of Jesus at face value, he carved those words into every action of his lifestyle and lived them. He preached the gospel of repentance at every opportunity and to any who would listen.

He was also a lover of nature and creation—most depictions of him include some sort of animal that he is caring for. His love for all living things was so great, there are many accounts of him preaching even to birds, reminding them that God loves even the smallest of His creation, and then compelling them to lift their songbird voices to the heavens to praise God.

It would be from this sentiment that he would compose the words to the poem, the Canticle of the Sun, that Englishman William Draper would later paraphrase and set to music. Though not included in the original text, the repeated Alleluia in our modern versions further reinforces our imperative to lift our voice and sing praises to the Creator.

Devotion

The image of an Italian friar preaching to a flock of birds, reminding them of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 and imploring them to lift their songbird voices in worship may be amusing, but there’s also a beautiful simplicity in that kind of faith. In a similar way, when St. Francis heard Jesus tell His disciples to give up everything, accept no payment and simply preach the gospel, he took Jesus at His word and lived that way for the rest of his life.

One could maybe argue that he took the words a little too literally, or ignored later teachings from the New Testament on similar subjects, but I think we would all agree that it’s easier said than done to apply the Bible that simply to our lives.

Throughout the Psalms, the psalmists implore us to make the worship and exaltation of the Father a part of everything we do—even our very breath. We are told to make much of meditating on the Word, allowing it to fill every space of time and every nook and cranny of our thought. The apostle Paul encourages us at least three times to be in continual prayer, a picture of a communal, living relationship with God.

Despite these examples and more, it’s far too easy to make our faith simply a part of our life instead of the very foundation of our life. Not that we should embrace a legalistic checklist of ways that we can hope to make God happy; that’s absolutely not the answer. But as the beloved children of God, we should be able to look at creation and see a promise.

The more we recognize that promise as the Creator of everything who loves us and made a way for us to be with Him for eternity through the blood of a perfect sacrifice, the more we should be compelled to exalt Him. It’s not legalism or duty that calls us to worship. It’s the simple beauty of recognizing that we are His, He is good, and taking those truths for the simple facts they are.

As we begin this journey and explore a powerful legacy of worship through song and poetry, reflect on the good God of creation. The same creation that our spiritual ancestors marveled at for centuries is what we see around us that compels us to worship our Creator.

Let all things their Creator bless.

Read

Psalm 145:1-7; Psalm 148

Respond

Is there a teaching from the Bible that is really easy for you to overcomplicate or overlook?

In what ways can you rest in the simplicity of worshiping the Father for who He is?

DAY 2

This Is My Father's World

This is my Father’s world

And to my list’ning ears

All nature sings, and round me rings

The music of the spheres.

This is my Father’s world:

I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas

His hand the wonders wrought.

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This is my Father’s world:

The birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white,

Declare their Maker’s praise.

This is my Father’s world:

He shines in all that’s fair;

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,

He speaks to me everywhere.

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This is my Father’s world:

Oh, let me ne’er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father’s world,

The battle is not done:

Jesus who died shall be satisfied,

And earth and Heav’n be one

History

I am going out to see the Father's world.

Maltbie D. Babcock would often tell this to his wife Katherine before enjoying a long walk along the Niagara Escarpment. Babcock was known for his love of nature and walks such as these, often making it a priority to find time in the world. He often marveled at God's creation, and even more, marveled at the Creator who designed it.

Born the grandson of a famous Presbyterian minister of the day, Babcock began his pursuit of a career in ministry early, graduating with his theology degree from Auburn Theological Seminary at just 24. After graduating, he began the ministry back in his home state of New York, where he was born and raised.

It was in Lockport, New York, where he served for five years that he likely penned the words to this poem that would eventually become a hymn. Nestled within a few miles of both Lake Ontario and Niagara Falls, it was the perfect place for a nature-loving young pastor to experience the beauty of creation.

Unfortunately, Babcock would never know how his words might live on and draw others to connect the beauty of creation to the beauty of the Creator.

After serving in Lockport for five years and Baltimore, Maryland for another 13, Babcock was called to serve the famous Brick Church in New York City. Though more separated from the openness of nature than he'd ever been, he was resolved to serve the church and the community to the best of his ability. As a gift from the congregation, the church sent their pastor on a long trip to the Holy Land to see the wonders of Israel first-hand.

On the return trip, Babcock caught an unknown infection in Naples, Italy, where he passed away quickly. His widow soon gathered some of his writings and published them in a collection entitled, Thoughts for Everyday Living in 1901. It was here that the 16 stanzas of his poem, My Father's World, were published.

Years later, his good childhood friend Franklin Sheppard arranged a familiar English melody to fit Babcock's poem and published the hymn as we know it.

Devotion

When you look at the world around you, what do you see? I think it's safe to say that Maltbie Babcock looked at the world a little differently than most of us. He saw creation with a kingdom perspective. He was moved by creation, and here's the important part: he was moved to worship the Creator.

Can you say the same? It's really easy to walk through life and completely miss so much of the beauty around us, and by extension, we miss the design of the Father. When He created everything and set the stars in motion, He repeatedly called His work good.

God delights in His creation and so should we. We are created in the image of God, and as His image-bearers, we should delight in what delights Him. In addition to that, we should delight in anything that reflects Him and points us to Him. Romans 1:20 reminds us that all of creation points toward God: his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.

In our daily lives, we may be busier as a society than ever before. There are so many different things fighting and clawing for our attention at every turn, it's so easy for us to miss the significance and beauty of creation. But when we see a great piece of art or a well-designed structure, we have no problem marveling at the creativity or ability of the artist. It's natural for us to recognize beauty and appreciate the source, but we often forget to exalt the Father for the world that He created.

As you go through your busy day, look for reflections of the Father. Even in the small things—remember when Elijah met with God on the mountain? His presence wasn't in the wind or the earthquake or the fire: His presence came in the whisper. Listen for the whispers today, and exalt the Father in what you hear.

Read

Genesis 1:26-28; 1 Kings 19:11-13; Psalm 65:10-13

Respond

Think about the things you see every single day that you take for granted—maybe the sunrise on your commute, or the tree in your front yard. Make a list and remind yourself to worship God when you see those things.

How can you find ways to slow down throughout your week and listen for the whisper of God's presence amidst the chaos of life?

DAY 3

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,

In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,

Most blessed, most glorious,

the Ancient of Days,

Almighty, victorious,

Thy great name we praise.

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Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,

Nor wanting, nor wasting,

Thou rulest in might;

Thy justice, like mountains,

high soaring above

Thy clouds, which are fountains

of goodness and love.

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Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,

Thine angels adore Thee,

all veiling their sight;

Of all Thy rich graces

this grace, Lord, impart

Take the veil from our faces,

the vile from our heart.

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All laud we would render; O help us to see

’Tis only the splendour of light hideth Thee,

And so let Thy glory, Almighty, impart,

Through Christ in His story,

Thy Christ to the heart.

History

Who has looked upon the face of the Father? How do you begin to describe the indescribable? How can you make visible the invisible?

Walter Chalmers Smith, inspired by the words of 1 Timothy 1:17, gave us the incredible words to this hymn. He was born the son of a Scottish cabinet-maker, and after completing a college degree in his local town of Aberdeen, he sought ministry training from New College in Edinburgh.

He was ordained in 1850 and became a life-long minister in the Free Church of Scotland, where he served in many pastorates over his 44 years of vocational ministry. His ministry career culminated with the honor of serving as the Moderator of the General Assembly, the highest position in his denomination.

Throughout his ministry life, he would often seek rest and solace in writing poetry and hymns. In his day, he was known as a prolific poet. His poems were often thought-provoking and deeply meditative, exploring challenging concepts that few other hymn-writers of his day would dare to take on.