This post contains the lyrics of John Newton’s hymn, I Asked the Lord That I Might Grow, to emphasize two things: 1- that his perspective is on the level of human experience; and, 2- he wrongly views God’s work in seeing it as something to be escaped (this hymn is so relevant because that is how humans typically view affliction, testing from God’s hand). Afterwards, scripture verses are used to convey God’s purposes in the work of refining. Then two versions of the song are provided, the first is a Country / pop version; the second, traditional hymnal version.
