LBW 497; ELW 332 and 611, “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say”
1 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto me and rest;
Lay down, O weary one, lay down
your head upon my breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
So weary, worn and sad;
I found in him a resting place,
And he has made me glad.
2 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water, thirsty one;
Stoop down hand drink and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.
3 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s light;
Look unto me, your morn shall rise,
And all your day be bright.:
I looked to Jesus and I found
In him my star, my sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk
Till trav’ling days are done.
Devotion
With thoughts of Psalm 23 and sheep who recognize the voice of their shepherd, this song speaks to me. It comforts and consoles my aching heart. It gathers me in the arms of Jesus like a sheep protected from the world in the arms of its shepherd. I am safe in this song.
Church ought to be a place of refuge from the world. When it isn't, something is wrong. We church leaders do our best to protect the rejected, the forlorn, the wandering, the lost and the angry among us. But we will always fall short. Help your church, Lord, to be a beacon of hope in a dark world.
Prayer
Dear precious Lord, without your comfort we are lost. Let your light shine through your communities of faith to be welcoming places in the world. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.