Lenten Theme Hymn: "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say," ELW 332
Devotion
1I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto me and rest;
lay down, O weary one, lay down
your head upon my breast."
I came to Jesus as I was,
so weary, worn, and sad;
I found in him a resting-place,
and he has made me glad.
2I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
stoop down and drink and live."
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.
3I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world's light;
look unto me, your morn shall rise,
and all your day be bright."
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in him my star, my sun;
and in that light of life I'll walk
till trav'ling days are done.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808-89 (Public Domain)
Verse 3 of our theme hymn reminds me of another hymn: "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." As much as I love that one (and I do!), it calls to my mind a spotlight or flashlight shining so brilliantly in one's face that one can see nothing off to the side. Is Jesus' glory like that? Maybe sometimes. But as no one metaphor perfectly describes God, I also appreciate our Lenten hymn.
The words of verse 3 portray Jesus as a light shining from above, like the sun, illuminating our path forward, pushing away the shadows, and empowering us to see not only Jesus but the world around us—the world God loves so much that God gave Godself to and for it. Traveling with Jesus, we find our days brightened—not because we ignore the darkness, but because we walk with "the light [that] shines in the darkness, and the darkness [does] not overcome it" (John 1:5).
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for being the light of this world, the light of our lives, the light that even brightens the tomb and illumines the way to everlasting life. Amen.