Draw me nearer, Lord!

This is the Atlantic Ocean. We had a wonderful day at the beach. Anna was the only one that went in the water. I couldn't get past the sand as the bogging down in it made me lose my balance.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand. It added new meaning to the scripture.


A friend sent me this:

THE OLD PATHS
I liked the old paths, when Moms were at home.
Dads were at work. Brothers went into the army.
And sisters got married BEFORE having children!

Crime did not pay; Hard work did;
And people knew the difference.

Moms could cook; Dads would work;
Children would behave.

Husbands were loving; Wives were supportive;
And children were polite.

Women wore the jewelry; And Men wore the pants.
Women looked like ladies; Men looked like gentlemen;
And children looked decent.

People loved the truth, And hated a lie;
They came to church to get IN, Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly; Sermons sounded helpful;
Rejoicing sounded normal; And crying sounded sincere.

Cursing was wicked; Drugs were for illness;
And divorce was unthinkable.

The flag was honored; America was beautiful;
And God was welcome!

We read the Bible in public;
Prayed in school; And preached from house to house.

To be called an American was worth dying for;
To be called a Christian was worth living for;
To be called a traitor was a shame!

Preachers preached because they had a message;
And Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!

Preachers preached from the Bible;
Singers sang from the heart;
And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!

A new birth meant a new life; Salvation meant a changed life;
Following Christ led to eternal life.

Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God;
Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord;

Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus;
And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!

Laws were based on the Bible; Homes read the Bible;
And churches taught the Bible..

God was worshiped; Christ was exalted;
And the Holy Spirit was respected..

I still like the old paths the best!

Speaking of the old paths. No matter what you can't beat the old hymns. They are histories of people who walked with God and expressed their relationships in song, just like David. The church is missing out by not using these old songs.

We started this week with a history of a hymn. Thought I would continue that this week. The song that came to mind was one of my favorites "I Am Thine, O Lord" written by Fannie Crosby.

According to the 'One Year Book of Hymns,' she wrote this in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was visiting a friend and collaborator William H. Doane in his home. The sun was setting, and though Crosby could not see the changing light because she was blind, she could certainly hear and feel the hush of twilight. Their conversation turned to the nearness of God. Crosby wrote the words of this hymn before she retired that evening. Doane added the music the next morning.

The words say this:

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.

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 cannot know til I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach til I rest in peace with 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.

SUBMIT YOURSELVES THEREFORE TO GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU. DRAW NEAR TO GOD, AND HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU......HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE SHALL LIFT YOU UP. James 4:7, 8, 10

Lord, draw us closer to You. Let us find that rich communion with you that Fannie Crosby wrote about and knew even though her eyes could not see. I draw near to You, Lord, draw me nearer. In Your name I pray. Amen.

Have a rich day today!

Charlotte