Archives for February 8, 2015

Devotion

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.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
stoop down and 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.

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.

This lovely melody by Thomas Tallis is so enchanting that Ralph Vaughn Williams set it to a beautiful symphonic setting. Here, however, we have a hymn of three stanzas that establishes a biblical dialogue in which Jesus calls us and we find rest in him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

Call: You who are weary, lay down your head upon my breast.(Matthew 11:28)

Response: I came to Jesus, and he has made me glad.

Call: Behold, I freely give the living water, thirsty one (John 4:14)

Response: I came to Jesus and I drank, and now I live in him.

Call: I am this dark world’s light, look unto me (John 8:12)

Response: I looked to Jesus, and I found in him my star, my sun.