Sunday, February 16, 2014

Devotion

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.

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)

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. (Refrain)

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. (Refrain)

My favorite arrangement of this hymn is done by the Barbary Coast Dixieland Band, a fantastic group out of the Twin Cities. It's got rollicking clarinet riffs, slide trombones, and a jazzy snare drum undercurrent that always gets my toes tapping. And perhaps that's the point: Our life of faith is meant to be on the move. Christians are not supposed to sit still. They're supposed to be active, busy sharing God's love with the world.

This week's lessons have called us to a closer walk with Jesus. That walk involves recommitting ourselves to Christ each day as we choose life in him. It continues when we intentionally look to God's word and Christ's teachings as our source of strength and inspiration. Do we know where this walk will lead us? Not necessarily. But we know who we're walking with on our way, and that makes all the difference.