‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.
“’Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free / ‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,”
This well-known Christian song penned by Joseph Brackett in 1848 originates from the Shakers, an early group of believers who chose a simple way of life. It was written to celebrate the virtues of this simple living in God’s creation, which allowed them to see the Creator behind everything. Today, we are surrounded by perpetual busyness and countless conveniences, making it difficult for us to live in true simplicity or to see the Creator. But to true believers, it is truly a gift to be simple and to be free to see Him in everything, to serve and follow without calculation.
While this song is simple, not many people can truly understand it because it can only be unlocked through experience. It doesn’t tell us who sets us free, where we turn to, where “the place just right” is, or to whom we bow and bend! And yet, in our experience as believers—in our spirit— these answers are all clear. Why do we need to “come down” where we ought to be? Why don’t we “come up”? As fallen human beings, we by default think we are in a position where we are above; as prideful people we often don’t want to be “where we ought to be.”
“And when we find ourselves in the place just right, / T’will be in the valley of love and delight.”
But where ought we to be? Where is the “place just right”? It is not about morality, logic, or right and wrong; it is about “fitting” just right, like a jigsaw puzzle—we only have one place we are meant to be, and no other place will do. We were created to be in this spot, and when we finally come to this place, we feel it is “just right.” We are no longer resisting our Creator’s design for us. We are not opinionated. We are “just right.”
When we come back to His design, we find ourselves in the valley of love and delight. This is supposed to be our experience every time we find ourselves in “the place”—in the Lord. Our being just right is the key to our moment-by-moment life as a believer. When that sense—or reality—comes in the place just right, then this place is the valley of love and delight. And this love is not an ordinary love; this love comes from understanding the sovereignty of where we are placed, and the delight is the joy of accepting the environment that has been arranged for us.
In this song, the phrase “you will be in the valley” carries a specific meaning to our spiritual experience. The term “valley” usually carries a negative connotation, representing a low point in our life. Who wants to be down in a valley? We all want to be on the peak. However, the Bible says that the valley is where the water is gathered (Isaiah 41:18)—it is where we find ourselves in the plentiful supply of the streams. The song says “you will be in the valley”—not in difficult times, challenges, depression, loneliness, or in the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4). This valley is in the valley of love and delight. In our experience, this is how the Lord always approaches us.
“When true simplicity is gained / To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,”
True simplicity is the fruit of fellowship—the fruit of the building between us and God. We find ourselves just right in His love and delight, and this true simplicity becomes constituted within us. This “gain” is not a theoretical simplicity; true simplicity gives us the power to bow and to bend. When true simplicity is gained, then “to bow or to bend, we will not be ashamed.” “To bow” doesn’t mean to bow to the world. To bow is related to our recognition of the Lord’s authority. It is not about our being subdued; when in this simplicity, we love and enjoy to bow before Him. We recognize that He is the Author of all and He is the sovereign God. Bowing is not about our gain or our pride—it is not even just to show respect or deference in a religious way. It is about the Lord’s sovereign domain and authority. “To bend” is to be flexible. It does not mean we lose our integrity or dignity. We feel no shame, especially when it comes to serving the Lord. When we get up in the morning, we touch the sovereign Lord with that absolute victory. We should be very secure in His love.
“To turn, turn will be our delight, / Till by turning, turning we come round right.”
The last line of this song gives us the secret to how we can live in this simplicity in our daily life. In every moment of our day, we should exercise to turn. But turn from what and to whom? We turn away from the world and its current and turn to our Lord. Every morning, when we open our eyes, we can turn to the Lord. We can call on His name, live in His presence, and see Him everywhere we look. Each time we turn away from the world and turn to Him, we come round right. Turning is the way we can come back to the “just right” position. We find ourselves in the position that we were created to be in. So why not turn faster? This is our delight.
The more we are in the church life, living this corporate life, the more we gain the daily experiences behind this song, and gain power and constitution to live this life. Throughout church history, all true believers have touched this same experience of turning to and loving our Lord in such a sweet way. Truly, Joseph Brackett and many other brothers and sisters before us on this line of life found the secret to living—’Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free.”
(Above are notes of fellowship taken from a gathering on 4/7/2019, not reviewed by the speaker.)