God is near

Today’s poetry is found in another hymn. Although having a language of another era, it contains an important spiritual lesson for we would be pilgrims; that of purposeful surrender to the covenantal loving God who is always near us. In the lovely Old Testament story of Ruth we find a situation of unfettered devotion. Naomi, having lost her sons tried to persuade her daughters-in-law to return to their homelands, but Ruth in a wonderful heart felt outpouring says; ‘Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” 

This hymn by Fanny Crosby expresses a similar depth of devotion to God that perhaps is as worthy of emulating as is Ruths declaration of allegiance to Naomi.

 

1 I am Thine, a Lord, I have heard Thy voice,

And it told Thy love to me;

But I long to rise in the arms of faith,

And be closer drawn to Thee.

Refrain:

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

To the cross where Thou hast died;

Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,

To Thy precious, bleeding side.

2 Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,

By the pow’r of grace divine;

Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,

And my will be lost in Thine. [Refrain]

3 Oh, the pure delight of a single hour

That before Thy throne I spend,

When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,

I commune as friend with friend! [Refrain]

4 There are depths of love that I cannot know

Till I cross the narrow sea;

There are heights of joy that I may not reach

Till I rest in peace with Thee. [Refrain]

Thank You Father for the Bible and the wonderful truths that is contains. Thank You for using people like Ruth, to demonstrate such devotion to You, leaving every trace of this world behind in order to seek after the one true and living God. Keep me low at the cross so that I may worship You in humble devotion all the days of my life, and thank You that You loved me so much that the Lord Jesus became my Kinsman-Redeemer and bought me back from slavery to sin into the family of God - to Whom be all praise and glory, AMEN.