New hymn

An old hymn, written by William Sleeper (what a fabulous name!) in 1887, that I just heard anew last week at a conference. Go to iTunes and hear the Shelly Moore Band sing it.

Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of my sickness, into Thy health,
Out of my want and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of earth’s sorrows, into Thy balm,
Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress to jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy blessed will to abide,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love,
Out of despair, into raptures above,
Upward for aye on wings like a dove,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the joy and light of Thy home,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

I thought I knew what freedom was. How good it is to discover new layers of it. I did not realize how deep the bondage to fear goes until Jesus sets me free of it. To have the weight lifted is a wonder. Thank you Lord for your tender and persistent grace.

My favorite line:
"Out of myself to dwell in Thy love..."

The older I get, the more I see that all of life is really about learning how to shed our self-obsession. Denial of self, with its fear, its sin, and its smallness, sets us free to be who we were created to be. Glory.