Keeping First things FIRST...

In all the "blog blather"--and I read alot of it, and enjoy a lot of it--I hear the Holy Spirit gently whispering these precious words in my heart. These words were penned by the late Ira Stanphil many years ago, and the title of his song/poem is "Follow Me":

I traveled down a lonely road,
And no one seemed to care,
The burden on my weary back,
Had bowed me to despair,
I oft complain to Jesus,
How folks were treating me,
And then I heard Him say so tenderly,

"My feet were also weary,
Upon the Calvary road;
The cross became so heavy,
I fell beneath the load,
Be faithful weary pilgrim the morning I can see,
Just lift your cross and follow close to Me.

"I work so hard for Jesus,"
I often boast and say,
"I've sacrificed a lot of things,
To walk the narrow way,
I gave up fame and fortune;
I'm worth a lot to the Thee,"
And then I hear Him gently say to me,

"I left the throne of glory,
And counted it but loss,
My hands were nailed in anger,
Upon on a cruel cross.
But now we'll make the journey,
With your hand safe in Mine,
So lift your cross and follow close to Me.

Oh, Jesus if I die upon,
A foreign field some day,
'Twould be no more than love demands,
No less could I repay.
"No greater love hath mortal man,
Than for a friend to die,"
These are the words He gently spoke to me:

If just a cup of water,
I place within your hand,
Then just a cup of water,
Is all that I demand,

But if by death to living,
They can Thy glory see,
I'll take my cross and follow close to Thee.


Precious words indeed. In a time when people want to follow just about everything under the sun, and will buy just about any idea that someone will feed to them, our Lord still calls us to "follow" Him. He tells us that we will die, that we will suffer, but also that HE will raise us up, and that HE will be glorified.

O God, grant it be so!