Hymns are one of the most precious part of Christian worship. They contain praise, worship, glory and adoration to the Lord and Jesus Christ. They also contain exquisite poetry and personal heartfelt emotions of the hymnwriter. The hymn Draw Me Nearer by storied hymnwriter Fanny Crosby differs from many hymns in that it does not focus on praise, worship, glory or adoration; it expresses the desire in the true Christian’s heart to have a closer walk with God.
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
As a Christian grows in his spiritual life he more and more hears the voice of the Lord through prayer, bible reading and worship. As we continue on growing in grace the love of God becomes more and more real. Our lack of faith prevents us from coming closer to the Lord, resulting in the longing we have to increase in faith.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
Sanctification is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the Christians life. We draw on the grace of God and its power to help us purge our lives of sin and change our perspective from earthly to heavenly. The subordination of our will is the most difficult yet most rewarding step of all. Accepting the will of a sovereign God and subjecting our will to him. This is the goal that all Christians should strive to attain. To pray as the Master did in the garden, “Not my will, but thine”. Our human will is one of the most difficult parts of the old man to control. We naturally want what we want, we resist things that do not appeal to us or cause us grief and pain. We despise suffering and we yearn to be accepted. Yet God most often leads his children through times of suffering, pain, and rejection. Submission in these times brings the sweet reward of God’s grace. As our soul depends on him our will is lost in him for it becomes submitted completely to the Father.
Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!
Prayer is the special right that we as believers have to come before the throne of God. Before the death of Christ only the high priest could come into God’s presence as we were separated from God because of our sin. Now that Christ has redeemed us to him we now can come into God’s presence through prayer. Yet the hymnwriter here reveals the difference between the mature Christian and the immature one in the object of their prayers. An immature Christian dwells on requests; asking for things he needs or lacks. The mature Christian spends time in confession, intercession, communion and worship. Prayer becomes more of a communion with God; they sense his presence, they know that they are being heard and that he loves them with the tender love of a Father, a friend and a dear one. The prayers of a mature Christian are powerful because they are predicated on his faith, submission, and humility.
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
Finally the hymnwriter arrives at the plain of Christian maturity. The Land of Beulah spoken of by John Bunyan in Pilgrim’s Progress. This is a place attained by few and mostly inhabited by Christians who have been in the faith many years. They walk with God daily, they know the love of Christ, yet they yearn for that perfect love that we will only know when we cross into eternity. This is not so much the love of God that the hymnwriter speaks of, but the perfect love commanded by him: loving him with all our hearts, soul, mind and strength. The body of sin we are still burdened with here on earth will not allow us to love God perfectly, but when we cross over to heaven we will know him and love him as we should. We will know the depths of love that God has for us in their glorious fullness. In the same way we will be transported to heights of joy in him that we cannot know here on earth. To live in the glory of God and enjoy him perfectly. The hymnwriter realizes in her walk with God that the next step is eternity and that there her love and joy will reach the place she longs for.
The powerful refrain, from which the title comes: Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord, to the cross where thou hast died. Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord. To thy precious bleeding side. How was the great love of God manifest to us? Through the death of Christ on the cross. How can we see and understand the vast love of God? Through considering the great suffering and agony of Jesus on the cross. Here he gave himself a sacrifice for the world and took our sins upon himself. Here he atoned for the saints and redeemed them unto God. Here our pardoned was purchased. It was the most monumental event in history; and the completion of God’s plan for redemption. His blood for our sins, and his sacrifice for our redemption.
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
Oh, the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend with friend!
There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea;
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with Thee.
