“O Dearest Jesus, My Heart is Rejoicing”
O dearest Jesus, my heart is rejoicing,
when I am close by Your side.
O hear the prayers which my heart now is voicing,
Forgive and with me abide.
I am Your child, ever keep me from wand’ring;
O let me with You abide.
I am so weak and so tempted to flound’ring
When I am far from Your side.
Do not reject me, for danger lies near me.
O save me, save me from death.
I am so poor and so wretched, I fear Thee.
Sinful, I’m lacking in health.
But I desire new life filled with power;
And I desire to obey.
All that’s forbidden I gladly surrender.
This is the prayer that I pray.
Take, Lord, my hopes and my greatest desire;
Take now my heart for Your throne.
Wand’rer from truth, cleanse my spirit with fire;
Correct me, for I’m Your own.
For You, dear Father, my powerful Savior,
Ne’er will abandon Your child.
And I’ll remain always in Your good favor,
For I’ll be close by Your side.
And all God’s people said, “Amen.”
Devotion
We missionary children grew up learning and loving the Malagasy people and their hymns. Anna Thunem, a Norwegian Lutheran missionary, wrote a particularly enduring hymn in Malagasy. My 2-½ year old sister Adelaide died in my father’s arms singing this hymn. She had the voice of an angel and loved this hymn, which invites us to draw near to Jesus. I share this with you as we, the saints here below, sing our prayers and our praises to God today.