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.
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Standing On The Promises
Russell Carter grew up in a solid Christian home in Baltimore, Maryland. His father sent him off to a military academy and he accepted Christ into his heart at a prayer meeting there. He was 15 years old.
Like many of us, it took some time for Russell to start living like a believer. He was an accomplished athlete, excelling in baseball and as a student. Unfortunately, he let the influence of his friends get the best of him. Russell struggled to live out his commitment to Jesus.
That all changed in 1872. A heart condition forced Russell to examine his life. His health took a turn for the worst and his doctors feared that he would not make it. Russell knew that he had to get serious about God. He turned to prayer and Bible study and asked God for healing. He felt the truth and power of God’s Word as he drew closer and closer to Him.
Russell slowly regained his strength. It wasn’t a dramatic or sudden event but he soon was back at work as a professor at the academy. He would live another 50 years.
He turned to medicine, studying to become a physician but he also served as an ordained minister. It was in this last profession that he made his lasting mark. While pondering his past, and God’s faithfulness to him, he began working on a hymn. The song focused on the story of his own life where he stood on the promises of God and allowed God to give him some direction and order in his life.
That hymn, known as “Standing On The Promises,” is the product of a young man who finally learned what a life with God is supposed to look like. Russell Carter found his way back to God by standing on God’s Word.
