I Am Thine, O Lord

"Remember, too, that knowing what is right to do and then not doing it is sin."  James 4:17

As my friends and I continue to pray, asking God to clean out His Church, we ask Him to begin with each of us.  For me, He is cutting out ugly pride, complacency toward my own sins, caring too much about the approval of others, tacit approval of wrong, and so much more.  He is teaching me to completely depend on and follow Him.  In this process and in humiliation, my heart is filled with joy and with the beautiful theology of the old hymns, specifically, I Am Thine, O Lord.

Do we know this Jesus, this beautiful triune God?  Does He know us?  Have we done the hard thing, have we obeyed Him?  When all is said and done and each of us stands at heaven's door, will He say, "Come in, Jessica!  So wonderful to see you!  I have been expecting you!"  Or, will it be, "I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws" (Matthew 7:23).  

May we each examine ourselves before Him as the Scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are still in the Christian faith.  Test yourselves!  Don’t you recognize that you are people in whom Jesus Christ lives?  Could it be that you’re failing the test?"

I AM THINE, O LORD

Lyrics by Fanny Crosby and Music by William Howard Doane

I am Thine, O 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. 

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
  To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
    To Thy precious, bleeding side.

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.

O 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!

There are depths of love that I yet may know
  Ere Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
  Ere I rest in peace with Thee.

Goodnight, Runners.