Just a Closer Walk with Thee (ELW 697)
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.
1I 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
2Through 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
3When 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
Text: North American traditional
This whole week I've paid attention to the scripture readings with discipleship in mind. The truth that Jesus died and rose for sinners like you and me so that we might know that God loves us unconditionally is good news indeed. Yet we still need to wrestle and struggle with our walk with Jesus in light of that good news. Like the reformer Martin Luther we ask, "What does this mean?" Our answers don't change our standing with God, but they do matter, particularly to those "who have not yet heard."
Yet as we wrestle and struggle in our walk of discipleship, we must remember—we don't walk alone. That is the gift of Christian community—God's gift to us so that we can be held accountable and be supported as we wrestle and struggle. That gift of community—and the people who make it up—helps us walk closer with God.
Prayer
Help us to walk, O God—not run, not sprint, but simply walk—in humility, trust, and grace with you. Amen.