Saturday, October 19, 2019

Devotion

1 O Jesus, I have promised
to serve you to the end;
remain forever near me,
my master and my friend.
I shall not fear the battle
if you are by my side,
nor wander from the pathway
if you will be my guide.

2 Oh, let me feel you near me;
the world is ever near.
I see the sights that dazzle,
the tempting sounds I hear.
My foes are ever near me,
around me and within;
but, Jesus, then draw nearer
to shield my soul from sin.

3 Oh, let me hear you speaking
in accents clear and still
above the storms of passion,
the murmurs of self-will.
Now speak to reassure me,
to hasten or control;
now speak and make me listen,
O Guardian of my soul.

4 O Jesus, you have promised
to all who follow you
that where you are in glory
your servant shall be too.
And Jesus, I have promised
to serve you to the end;
oh, give me grace to follow,
my master and my friend.

Text: John E. Bode, 1816-1874, alt.

Today is "Evaluate Your Life Day." Prayerful self-evaluation is good. Regarding this week's theme, on a scale of 1 to 10, what is your persistence score? "O Jesus, I Have Promised" provides an opportunity to review our persistence.

"I shall not fear the battle" and "My foes are ever near me, around me and within" resonate with our mental wrestling over concerns. "Wander from the pathway" reflects the psalmist's words for travelers. The phrases "tempting sounds I hear" and "the murmurs of self-will" repeat the warnings about surrounding ourselves with deceptive messages. We recognize the necessity of persistent prayer in "let me hear you speaking" and "now speak and make me listen."

Throughout these persistent concerns, the lyrics remind us that God is persistently "by [our] side" speaking, guiding, shielding, and reassuring us. Our response to God's persistent call also is clear. We "have promised to serve [God] to the end."