Where can you communicate while you eat? Where can you enjoy real fellowship sweet? Where can you laugh with friends who are neat? At the table.
Where can you pour out your heart and soul? Where can you explain what is taking its toll? Where can you share your vision and goal? At the table.
Where can you dialogue and sift through ideas? Verbalize thoughts and yet still be at ease? Discover new subjects to debate if you please? At the table.
Where can your hearts be knitted as one? Where can you yarn and old stories be spun? And feel accepted so you don’t have to run? At the table.
This is the cross of death, the instrument of cruel death! On this cross the Lord Jesus suffered Himself to be nailed. He had at His disposal many legions of angels who would have instantly come to His rescue. No doubt they would have slain every bloodstained hand that dared to lift itself against their Creator. But even in such pain, He held them back by His powerful word and by His great love.
On which the Prince of Glory died...
This was no ordinary human. This was Almighty God. This was He who formed all things. This was the Prince of Heaven who had created man, but was now allowing man to slay Him. As those cold, hard nails were cruelly driven through His hands, He did not so much as speak a word or protest. It overwhelms us to see such love, but at the same time, it makes us fearful to disobey such a one’s least command, lest we should feel the wrath of the Father who dearly loves Him who died.
My richest gain I count but loss...
Indeed, what can be compared with such? What is there on earth that is worthy to be thought of at the same time? It is but dung! Who could want to stay here on earth gaining filthy lucre when one can obtain such riches as those that are from above? O friends, let us hasten on our way; let us not pause to ponder upon this world and how to gain its riches. We have a higher calling than that.
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Yes, contempt is what pride needs! Such love pleads that one would utterly loathe such an ugly thing—and not as in pouring cupfuls of water on a campfire, but rather as in taking a high pressure fire hose to a raging fire!
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast...
Forbid it, Lord, that I should glory in any other. Forbid it, Lord, that I should think of my own righteousness. Forbid it that I should do anything but wholly lean on Thee.
Save in the death of Christ, my Lord...
Yes, indeed, of that I shall boast: that my God so loves me that He died in my place, that He, the perfect One, would suffer the sentence of my crime. Let us always be mindful of this. Let us not forget how the Judge took His own death sentence for us upon Himself, how He willingly went to the gallows and hung there in our place. Let us not deceive ourselves; we richly deserve to suffer!
All the vain things that charm me most...
What is it that charms us most? Is it our business? Our earthly dreams? Those things which we longingly hope to obtain? Is not even our life unworthy to be compared?
I sacrifice them to His blood.
Yes, with glee I sacrifice my new car, my house, my bank account, fame, or approval of man. I willingly accept with joy the contempt of a scornful world. Oh, that we would rather eat bread and water and keep peace with Jesus, than abound in earthly treasure and be counted an enemy of His!
See from His head, His hands, His feet...
Yes, gaze upon them and ponder much. Be amazed at the sight of them. Marvel at such patience How the thorns did pierce this beautiful Rose! How He spills forth His blood, patiently suffering the buffetings of sinful man, patiently suffering the buffetings of my own hands! Such beauty there is to be seen there. Oh, that tongues were not so feeble and could do justice to it! Surely man did not know that he was buffeting God...or did he?
Sorrow and love flow mingled down...
Yes, sorrow that man had fallen, sorrow that man had gone the way of devils, sorrow that He had lost that intimate fellowship with man, sorrow that man had gone his own way. Yet He demonstrates His great love by offering to buy man back, offering to make a new covenant with man. His love is an earnest longing for man to come back to Him. Are we not called to be His disciples? Is it not true that a disciple does that which he sees his Master doing? How should we then live so as not to grieve Him more? Sorrow and love flow mingled down: of which is there more?
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet...
Was anyone else ever willing to suffer so? Was anyone else ever able to pay the cost of our sins? Could anyone bear such grief but Him alone? In spite of being offered the world, He chose to suffer. Do we truly follow Him?
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Surely man’s hatred must have been great to so severely abuse and mock his King! Surely pride is a very deadly poison if it would cause one to be so blind as to crown Him in such a cruel manner. Brethren, let us not deceive ourselves; that is self-righteousness in action. Let us ever be mindful of those things, and let us not return to doing such deeds.
Were the whole realm of nature mine...
What words these are! This speaks of all we have, all our earthly things. What if we were able to gain the whole world? What if we were able to cause all things to become ours? Yet, even then...
That were a present far too small...
Indeed, even that gift would not suffice to bring before the King of Kings; it would yet be far too small. No amount of earthly treasure will do, no matter how vast. What little we do have is hardly worth being counted, yet we think at times that we are giving up a lot.
Love so amazing, so divine...
Yes, this is no ordinary love—this is God’s amazing love! Perhaps one would dare to die for his friend or for a good man, but that one would die for His executioners...
Demands my soul, my life, my ALL!
Yes, such love constrains me to give my all! It constrains me to despise my own life. Such love cannot be contained and must be returned, no matter how small it may seem in return. Such love must not be kept to oneself because it is altogether lovely and good. Such love makes me want to follow Him.
At any cost, O Lord, for any price And may I never call it sacrifice There is one grace, one thing I must possess Humility is what I need, I’ve none, I must confess.
This wretched pride I fear possesses me And keeps my Lord from drawing close to me It causes me to serve myself, and yet Turn away when others cry, “Help.”
This evil vice corrodes the soul within We cannot call it less than godless sin Too oft ignored in many a Christian’s life It is the source and root of every strife.
Root out destructive tares that pride has sown I would possess a nature like Thine own Wilt Thou not, Lord, to me, impart This my prayer: A humble servant’s heart?
A heart with not a thought for me or mine No praise, or honor, which are Thine Make me a lowly vessel in Thy hand Ever waiting Thy command.
When others meet me, may they see The meek and lowly Lamb in me. Laying down his life again To save the people from their sin
As much as pride now possesses me So make me possess, in full, humility At any cost, O Lord, for any price And may I never call it sacrifice.
Yes, that is it! Jesus, You are the Fountain that every soul thirsteth for. There is no other—it is You! It is Jesus!
“Come, O come, with us abide; lest we meet together in vain, labor, serve and naught betide. Thou hast promised those Thee trusting, that Thou wonders wilt display; and Thyself be manifesting; oh, this now perform, we pray.”
Yes, Lord, yes! As Thou hast promised to those Thee trusting: manifest, illumine to us, simply and only Thyself! And in Thee alone, what wonders would be displayed, such love for Thee, such love for my neighbor. Perhaps, this world would be turned upside down.
“Lord, we bear Thy name as Christians...”
Oh Lord, what a beautiful privilege, what a sober responsibility. Help us dear God to pause and ponder, and to place an eternal bookmark right here, and daily return with honesty.
“Lord we are baptized in Thee; for Thy seed, with Thy subsistence, purchased with Thy blood; set free!”
Hallelujah we have found You, Whom our souls so long have craved. Yes, it is you Jesus. Through Your blood we are free! Free? Yes free! Free to love You, free to serve You, free to praise You, free to obey You! Hallelujah, free!
“Oh, help us to fully know Thee; come, illumine Thou Thy Word, that we rightly Master call Thee, and Thee ever serve as Lord.”
Yes, Lord, illumine to us Thy Holy Word, that we might fully know Thee and properly serve Thee!
“Art Thou in their midst still staying who for Thy salvation yearn? With united sighings, praying? Oh, so too, be our concern. Teach us singing, teach us praying, with Thy Spirit fill, control.”
Yes, fill us with Thy hallowed presence, cause us to walk in Your ways.
“That we may the Father praising, come and childlike Him extol! Gather in the minds far straying; heal the instability; help us, light and strength conveying, live true Christianity!”
Lord, this true Christianity. Please Jesus, illumine it to us that we may see! Heal our blindness, our instability.
“Oh, Thou Head of faithful members, us receive as such we pray; bring again the strayed offenders to Thy joyous, heavenly way.”
We have been purchased. We are free. We have been baptized into Thee! Lord, could it be that if our heavenly way is not joyous that we are yet still “strayed offenders”? For Thy heavenly way is full of joy. Our confidence is always in Thee!
“Grant us seeing, grant us hearing, grant us hearts, Lord, like Thine own; make us newborn, true, God-fearing, for Thy kingdom, Lord, alone. Yea, do help us to be Christians, Christians ever this world’s light; Christians, salt in all earth’s distance; yea, Lord, pleasing in Thy sight!”
Amen! For Jesus sake, for the Lamb’s sake, Amen.
Submitted by Brother David Markwood from Corinth, Vermont. (Based on the hymn Jesus, Jesus, Life the Fountain, #398 in The Christian Hymnary.)
He created me for Him—then bore my sin. He bore my sin to set me free, To give me holy liberty, To be to Him a bosom friend, Cleansed from all sin.
He wants fellowship with me—“Lord, can it be? Can it be, that this is true, That it’s not me pursuing You, Rather, You’re pursuing me? Lord, can it be?”
“No high and mighty work to do? Just me—for You? My laboring is all in vain; You’ve borne the toil, endured the pain. I choose this one great work to do: Here’s me—for You!”
“I lay my heart before Your throne—rule there, alone. My Savior…Father…my Best Friend. Sweet fellowship that has no end, No greater joy I’ve ever known: Just You, alone!”
“Amazing love, how can it be—that You want me? I look into Your precious face; I rest inside Your warm embrace. My greatest blessing, this I see: That You want ME!”
Will you listen, friends, for a moment, While a story I unfold; A marvelous tale, of a wonderful sale Of a noble lady of old: How hand and heart, at an auction mart, Soul and body, she was sold.”
Will you listen, friends, for a moment,