Written by Jim Guffey January 5, 2006

As we ride along the roadway of life we experienced many things. Sometimes the road is smooth, flat and straight and we sail along effortlessly. We look out at all the wonderful scenery and take it all in, thankful to be alive. Other times we find ourselves in places where the road is so bumpy, crooked and uphill that we just want to stop and get out. We want to quit.

Often times as we go through these experiences we listen to songs. Songs can influence a variety of feelings and emotions. Some songs are indelibly ingrained in our memory and take us back to places in the past. I believe that many times God uses these songs among other things to speak to us. And sometimes we are guilty of singing the words time after time without ever realizing their significance. What is the message? What was the author trying to convey?

Fanny J. Crosby was blind shortly after birth and remained blind throughout her life. She never wrote down the lyrics she created. She committed each line to memory and, until completely finished, it was never written down. Surely she had some incredible experiences which led her to write the song which follows. The words speak volumes but until today I never really reflected on what they truly said. Please take a moment to read the comments following the verse and see what you think. Perhaps you need this song like I do today.

I am Thine O Lord

(Fanny J. Crosby - William Howard Doane)

I am Thine oh Lord, I have heard Thy voice
And it told Thy love to me
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.

God told us of his love for us in John 3:16. He sent his only son to die in our place while we were yet lost in our sins, turning our backs against him. If that isn't love, what is? And those of us who follow him and have given ourselves to him (I am thine O Lord) must naturally want the next step: to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to him. But how does one rise in the arms of faith?

Ro 4:20, 21 Yet he [Abraham] did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

This passage written by Paul in Romans is referring to the promise of a son made by God to Abraham. Though Abraham’s body was " as good as dead-- since he was about a hundred years old-- and that Sarah's womb was also dead", he did not falter in his belief and was thereby strengthened in his faith. We may thereby say he rose in the arms of faith and was drawn nearer to God because of this. But I long to rise in the arms of faith And be closer drawn to Thee.

Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To the cross where Thou has died
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord
To Thy precious bleeding side.

OK, now this is interesting. Why would Fanny say she wants to get near the cross and nearer to the precious bleeding side of the Lord? At the time of his crucifixion most of his followers wanted just the opposite, to get away from him and the cross. Their fear compelled them to hide. But in this chorus Fanny actually is asking Jesus to draw her nearer to the cross and his bleeding body hanging thereon. Why?

Lu 9:22, 23 And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Read this carefully. Jesus says he must suffer, be rejected, be killed and finally rise to new life. Then he says whoever (us) chooses to follow him must do as he did. They must suffer, be rejected and killed, and rise to new life. This is our cross which we must carry daily to follow him. When we die to ourselves and to all those things we put before God we are crucified, killed and risen to a new life. This new life is where we follow him. It comes with more rejection and suffering, and at its completion, we receive eternal life with him where there is no more death, rejection or suffering. But in this new life here on earth which we are currently in, there will be suffering and rejection which we can endure because he gives us strength in the hope of the Resurrection. Hope as in faith, not as in wishing.

Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

But what about Heaven, what about our "Mansion over the Hilltop"? That comes later, after our work on earth is completed. Now we carry our cross; later we celebrate with Jesus. Now we trust and obey. And when we do we draw nearer to Jesus. And that is our joy and peace here on earth as we trust and obey. Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord To Thy precious bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to Thy service Lord
By the power of grace divine
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine.

Consecrate. What does that mean? Webster defines it as " dedicated to a sacred purpose". Dedicated. What does that mean? Webster defines it as "to set apart to a definite use”. She says Consecrate me now to Thy service Lord By the power of grace divine.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God…

The grace of God is provided for our salvation. Once we accept it through faith we follow Jesus to Heaven. Fanny is asking that she be set aside to a sacred purpose, that purpose being to trust and obey her Lord. Did you get that? She is asking that her life be "consecrated to thy service". That is to say she is asking Jesus that all of her life be set aside to a definite use, dedicated to a sacred purpose: serving him. This is the entirety of following Christ, of serving God and of denying self. And my will be lost in Thine.

Ps 37:3,4 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

What a beautiful passage! And so often misquoted and misused. Trust in the Lord and do good and you will dwell in the land and be fed. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you your heart's desire. Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope. This is trust in the Lord. A steadfast hope is a Blessed assurance based upon faith which saves us, which is trust in the Lord. And my will be lost in Thine. Losing my will in his will means I no longer have a will. I now have his will because his will overrides my will. In fact, I have lost my will because I am so caught up in his. I am delighting myself in him, in what he wants, in his will. And when I am fully there he will give me the desires of my heart. But if I've lost my will I’ve lost my desires. And if I'm living in his will, then I'm living in his desires. That means the desires of my heart are actually the desires of his heart. And my will be lost in Thine. So that he can give me the desires of his heart.


There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.


Php 1:21 ¶ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.


Ps 73:28 But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD…

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