I love the hymns. Many people consider church hymns to be stodgy and old- fashioned, but the hauntingly beautiful melodies and the passionate poetry sing in my soul. Just what is a “hymn”? I think that each and every hymn is a prayer, set to music. Can you claim it as your own? When you hear it, can you say to yourself, “That speaks to me and for me.”? Then it’s your hymn, your prayer. You don’t simply sing it to yourself; you sing it to the Lord”.
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine;
Now hear me when I pray,
Take all my sin away,
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
Here’s a request that the Lord will see our sin and take it away. All of us are generally self-centered. Many times our relentless selfishness not only victimizes others; it victimizes ourselves. We cannot change our attitudes or behavior, but we can implore the Lord to change us so that we may be His.
The second verse says
May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As Thou hast died for me
O may my love to Thee,
Pure, warm and changeless be --
A living fire!
The third verse says:
While life's dark maze I tread
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow's tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.
The last verse says:
When ends life's transient dream,
When death's cold sullen stream
Shall o'er me roll,
Blest Savior, then, in love,
Fear and distress remove --
O bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul.
As an octogenarian I resonate with this verse. It speaks both to me and for me. It becomes my heart-felt prayer as I humbly ask the Lord to take me in His arms and bear me “safe above, a ransomed soul”.
