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I like the Appalachian fiddle instrumental version of the old song Just a Closer Walk With Thee. Here are the lyrics, written by an anonymous or unknown author
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Refrain:
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
The only mention of anything sovereign is the word 'kingdom' in the last line.
I've been watching the biography of Queen Elizabeth II, called The Crown. It's an excellent biography, by the way, well written, well acted, with sumptuous production values. It is Netflix's most expensive series to date. They spent a lot of money replicating the surroundings of the kings and queens depicted, and nearly exactly replicated the events they lived through.
One thing that this first season's series has firmly shown, is that while the crown is a successive institution, the people inhabiting it alternate. Yet the people inhabiting it are still distinct from the commoners. The Queen, her mother, her sister, her father, any of the sovereigns, are isolated. They live behind fences and high walls. When they appear in public they are again shielded. If they are walking, there is always a large distance between the rows of people and the Queen (or the King as it may be). They might walk past the people, but they do not walk with the people.
Jesus is our King. He is King of KINGS and Lord of LORDS! He is the highest of the high. Has any King ever invited the commoners to walk with Him? No! Did King Ahasuerus (Esther's husband) invite people to walk with Him? No! He decreed that anyone entering his throne room without him having called them there would be put to death! Did King Herod go out and stroll around with Lydia and Timothy and James? No!
Jesus invites us to be His friend, He is our Father, our Brother, our Intercessor, our Priest, our Redeemer, and our Savior. Yet...walking with the King is unheard of!
We sing that song in a lively fashion when we hear it on the radio, because it's familiar to us and it's sweet. But think about the words, really think about them. We ask Jesus to walk closer to us And He will!
None of this is news to any of you. But it does us good to think about Him once in a while as the amazing Person He is, King, who does not isolate Himself behind fences and walls. In what other kingdom at any time or anywhere, does the King invite His people to walk with Him? The King who does not dismiss the commoners, but invites them to participate with Him in his sovereignty is to be praised in wonder and awe.
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Refrain:
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
The only mention of anything sovereign is the word 'kingdom' in the last line.
I've been watching the biography of Queen Elizabeth II, called The Crown. It's an excellent biography, by the way, well written, well acted, with sumptuous production values. It is Netflix's most expensive series to date. They spent a lot of money replicating the surroundings of the kings and queens depicted, and nearly exactly replicated the events they lived through.
One thing that this first season's series has firmly shown, is that while the crown is a successive institution, the people inhabiting it alternate. Yet the people inhabiting it are still distinct from the commoners. The Queen, her mother, her sister, her father, any of the sovereigns, are isolated. They live behind fences and high walls. When they appear in public they are again shielded. If they are walking, there is always a large distance between the rows of people and the Queen (or the King as it may be). They might walk past the people, but they do not walk with the people.
Jesus is our King. He is King of KINGS and Lord of LORDS! He is the highest of the high. Has any King ever invited the commoners to walk with Him? No! Did King Ahasuerus (Esther's husband) invite people to walk with Him? No! He decreed that anyone entering his throne room without him having called them there would be put to death! Did King Herod go out and stroll around with Lydia and Timothy and James? No!
Jesus invites us to be His friend, He is our Father, our Brother, our Intercessor, our Priest, our Redeemer, and our Savior. Yet...walking with the King is unheard of!
We sing that song in a lively fashion when we hear it on the radio, because it's familiar to us and it's sweet. But think about the words, really think about them. We ask Jesus to walk closer to us And He will!
None of this is news to any of you. But it does us good to think about Him once in a while as the amazing Person He is, King, who does not isolate Himself behind fences and walls. In what other kingdom at any time or anywhere, does the King invite His people to walk with Him? The King who does not dismiss the commoners, but invites them to participate with Him in his sovereignty is to be praised in wonder and awe.
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| Walking the long road with the King |
I have always loved that song...as long as I can remember. My Grandma Magdelyn would sing it.
ReplyDeleteIt seems more so these days I think a little more& have to wonder, "how could so many people actively choose to walk life's road alone? What do they honestly have to lose by not trusting a Heavenly Father who loves them more they can comprehend?" I feel saddened that so many are lost to this world, that for them this world is all that there is. Such hopelessness grieves my spirit... I have hope though! I pray& thank the good, good Lord that I CAN see. He DOES give sight to the blind, it is true! I have learned through life's experiences to pray His will, not mine...and that He will set my feet & words to those who need to hear about Him. So often people see us as different & know who our King is... and not a single word is spoken.
Side note: sour-puss Christians, please go home& pray...your hurting your testimony.
I really appreciate your writing, Miss Elizabeth. It has caused me to dig deeper, think more& question those in authority all the more.
~Melissa in Churubusco, IN