Throw Out the Life Line Across the Dark Wave – Lyrics
Throw Out the Life Line Across the Dark Wave – Hymn with Lyrics
Introduction
This powerful hymn, “Throw Out the Life Line Across the Dark Wave,” is an urgent call to rescue perishing souls around us. Throw Out the Life Line means we cannot stand idle while brothers and sisters are sinking in the dark waves of sin.
Someone is drifting away from God today, and someone else must dare to throw the line of salvation to them. The season of rescue will soon be over, and souls will drift to eternity’s shore without hope forever. Let us meditate on these words and answer the call to throw out the lifeline without any more delay.
Throw Out The Life Line
Throw out the Life Line across the dark wave
There is a brother whom someone should save
Somebody’s brother! Oh, who then will dare
To throw out the LifeLine his peril to share?
Refrain:
Throw out the LifeLine!
Throw out the LifeLine!
Someone is drifting away
Throw out the LifeLine!
Throw out the LifeLine!
Someone is sinking today
▶ Throw Out the Life Line
Throw out the LifeLine with hand quick and strong
Why do you tarry, why linger so long?
See! He is sinking, oh, hasten today
And out with the Life Boat! Away then away!
Throw out the LifeLine to danger-fraught men
Sinking in anguish where you’ve never been
Winds of temptation and billows of woe
Will soon hurl them out where the dark waters flow
Soon will the season of rescue be o’er
Soon will they drift to eternity’s shore
Haste then my brother no time for delay
But throw out the LifeLine and save them today
by Edwin S.
1. Throw Out the Life Line Across the Dark Wave
The opening line of this hymn paints a dramatic picture of urgent rescue in dangerous waters. Throw Out the Life Line means we must take action, not just feel pity for those who are sinking around us. Across the dark wave refers to the sea of sin and despair that separates lost souls from the safety of God’s shore.
There is a brother whom someone should save, which means every sinking person is someone’s brother, someone’s loved one. Throw Out the lifeline because if you do not throw it, who will? The dark wave is rising, and the time to act is now, not later, when it may be too late for them.
2. Somebody’s Brother: The Personal Call to Rescue
The hymn emphasizes that the sinking person is not a stranger, but somebody’s brother who needs immediate help. Somebody’s brother means this is personal, this is family, this is a soul that God loves and created for eternity. Oh, who then will dare to throw out the LifeLine? Courage is required because rescue is not easy or comfortable.
To throw out the Life Line his peril to share means we enter into the danger with them, we risk something. Throw Out the lifeline because that somebody’s brother could be your brother, your neighbor, or your friend. Look around you today and see the brothers and sisters who are sinking and need someone to dare to save them.
3. The Refrain Cries Out Throw Out the Life Line
The refrain repeats the command Throw Out the Life Line multiple times to show how urgent this mission truly is. Throw out the LifeLine repeated twice shows that God is not whispering this command, but He is shouting it with passion. Someone is drifting away means the drift is gradual, but it ends in disaster if no one intervenes.
Someone is sinking today, which means the danger is not tomorrow, but today at this very moment. Throw Out the lifeline because every moment you delay, someone sinks deeper into the dark waves. The refrain is the heartbeat of the hymn and should become the heartbeat of every believer who cares about perishing souls.
4. Throw Out the Life Line With Hand Quick and Strong
The second verse describes how the lifeline must be thrown with both speed and strength without any hesitation. Throw Out the lifeline with a hand quick and strong; no weak, hesitant, or half-hearted effort will save a sinking soul. Quick means do not overthink it, do not wait for the perfect moment, because the perfect moment is right now.
Strong means put your whole heart into the rescue, because half a lifeline will not reach the one who is drifting away. Why do you tarry, why linger so long is God’s question to every believer who sees the need but does nothing. Throw Out the Life Line today with a quick and strong hand, because tomorrow may be too late for someone you could have saved.
5. See He Is Sinking, Oh, Hasten Today
The hymn continues with a direct command to open your eyes and see the reality of sinking souls around you. See, he is sinking, which means you cannot claim ignorance, because the evidence is everywhere if you are willing to look. Oh, hasten today means speed is essential, because a sinking person cannot wait for you to finish your other plans first.
And out with the Life Boat means sometimes the life line is not enough, and you must go out yourself into the dangerous waters. Away, then away means leave your comfort zone, leave your safe harbor, and go where the sinking souls are crying for help. Throw Out the lifeline today because seeing the sinking and doing nothing makes you part of the problem, not the solution.
6. Throw Out the Life Line to Danger-Fraught Men
The third verse expands the call to include all kinds of sinking souls in all kinds of dangerous situations. Throw Out the Life Line to danger-fraught men means those whose lives are full of danger from every direction around them. Sinking in anguish where you’ve never been means you may not understand their specific struggle, but you can still throw them the line.
You do not need to have experienced their exact pain to offer them the hope of the gospel and salvation. Winds of temptation and billows of woe are the storms that drive souls away from God and toward eternal destruction. Because these danger-fraught men will soon be hurled out where the dark waters flow, and all hope is lost forever.
7. Winds of Temptation and Billows of Woe
This line describes the spiritual storms that batter lost souls and push them farther from safety every day. Winds of temptation are the constant pressures to sin, to give in, to compromise, and to turn away from God. Billows of woe are the waves of sorrow, pain, grief, and despair that crash over drowning souls without mercy.
These winds and billows are not natural disasters, but they are the result of sin and the enemy’s work to destroy human lives. Because the winds are strong and the billows are high, no one can survive them alone without help. Will soon hurl them out where the dark waters flow means the storm is getting worse, and the shore is getting farther away every moment you delay.
8. Soon Will the Season of Rescue Be Over
The final verse of the hymn gives a solemn warning that the opportunity to save souls will not last forever. Soon will the season of rescue be o’er means there is a deadline, a closing door, a last chance that will eventually pass away. God’s patience is long, but it is not endless, and the day of grace will come to an end for every person.
Soon will they drift to eternity’s shore, which means death brings every soul to the edge of forever, with no more chances to be saved. Eternity’s shore has two sides: one side is heaven with God, and the other side is separation from Him forever without hope. Because when a soul crosses to eternity’s shore, it is too late for any lifeline to reach them ever again.
9. Haste Then My Brother, No Time for Delay
The hymn ends with a direct appeal to every believer who hears these words and feels the urgency of the hour. Haste then, my brother means stop waiting, stop planning, stop preparing, and start throwing the life line right now. No time for delay means every excuse you have is not worth the soul that will be lost while you make it.
But throwing out the Lifeline and saving them today means today is the only day you are guaranteed, so act as if there is no tomorrow. Not tomorrow, not next week, not when you feel more ready, but today without any more delay. The hymn does not ask you to save them in your own power, but to throw the line that reaches them with God’s power and love.
10. Throw Out the Life Line: What Is the Life Line?
The life line in this hymn represents the gospel of Jesus Christ, the only message that can save sinking souls. The line of life is the good news that Christ died for sins and rose again to give eternal life to all who believe. It is the word of God that cuts through the dark waves of confusion and reaches the drowning heart with truth.
It is prayer, it is witness, it is a kind word, it is a helping hand, it is any act of love that points to Jesus. Throw Out the Life Line means use every means available to reach the lost with the saving message of the cross. Do not hold the lifeline in your hands while others sink, but throw it out as far and as wide as you can reach.
11. Throw Out the Life Line: Who Is Responsible?
The hymn makes it clear that the responsibility to throw the lifeline belongs to every believer, not just to pastors. Somebody’s brother means each of us knows someone who is sinking, and each of us can throw them the line of hope. Oh, who then will dare mean God is looking for volunteers, not for excuses or reasons why someone else should do it instead.
You have the lifeline of the gospel in your hands right now, and you know people who are drifting away from God, because if you do not throw it to them, who will? And if you wait for someone else, they may sink before that someone else arrives. You are responsible for the lifeline in your hand, and God will hold you accountable for what you do with it today.
12. Throw Out the Life Line Before It Is Too Late
The entire hymn comes down to one urgent message: the time to rescue souls is now, and it will not last forever. Across the dark wave means the wave is dark, but the line of salvation is bright with the hope of Christ. Someone is drifting away today, and someone is sinking today, and you are the one who can throw them the line.
Soon will the season of rescue be o’er, and soon will they drift to eternity’s shore without any hope of salvation at all. With a hand quick and strong, and do not tarry or linger for even one more moment of delay. Haste then, my brother, no time for delay, but throw out the LifeLine and save them today, because tomorrow may be too late for someone you love. Now, before the dark waves close over another soul forever.
Recommendations
- First, pray every morning, “Lord, show me who is sinking today and give me courage to throw them the life line.”
- Second, memorize the refrain and let it remind you daily that someone is drifting away and needs your help.
- Third, look around your family, workplace, and neighborhood for someone who is sinking in anguish or temptation.
- Fourth, share the gospel with at least one person this week, and consider it throwing them the lifeline of salvation.
- Fifth, support missionaries and evangelists who are throwing the life line to those you cannot reach yourself.
- Sixth, never delay when you feel God prompting you to speak, to help, or to pray for someone who is drowning in sin.
Conclusion
This powerful hymn, “Throw Out the Life Line Across the Dark Wave,” is an urgent wake-up call to every believer who has become comfortable. Throw Out the Life Line means we cannot stand safely on the shore while brothers and sisters sink into eternal darkness.
Someone is drifting away today, and someone is sinking today, and we are the ones who have the lifeline of the gospel. The winds of temptation and billows of woe are strong, but the lifeline of Christ is stronger than any storm they face.
Soon will the season of rescue be over, and soon will they drift to eternity’s shore, so we must hasten today without any delay. Now, with a hand quick and strong, save someone today before it is too late for their soul to be rescued from the dark waves forever. Amen.
More Hymns
- Trust and Obey
- Break Every Chain
- Fairuz – Give Me The Flute and Sing
- Fairuz – You’re Still on My Mind
- Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty
- In The Garden – I Come to the Garden Alone
- Take the Name of Jesus
Where Could I Go But to the Lord?
