SOMETHING FOR THEE

       Recently I have faced numerous physical challenges which have limited my ability to do many daily tasks that I have done most of my life.  I've learned to depend upon the help of others, especially my wife. It has been very difficult for me to accept this situation and hard for me accept her sacrifice of her time and energy to help me.  What can I ever do to repay her for her love and support?   There seems to be little that I can do but to offer my love and kindly accept her help with thanks and appreciation

          As I've thought about this it has made me think about the greater love shown to me by the Lord.  "God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8.   But there is more to contemplate than even His "dying love." He is presently our great High Priest, in heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father. There, "He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25). Since He fully understands and sympathizes with us in our struggles, we are invited to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:15-16).  He is always there to provide guidance, strength and all that we need.

       Now what good gift can we give in return to the great God of all the universe that He does not already have or cannot simply create, any time He wants it?  What gift is worthy of His love?

          This essentially is the question raised in this week's hymn written in 1862 by Sylvanus D. Phelps, (1816-1895).  A graduate of Brown University and Yale Divinity School, he served as a pastor for many years and then became the editor of The Christian Secretary, a Baptist newspaper.  Phelps was also coeditor of The Baptist Praise Book for congregational singing.

          His hymn is about doing things for the Lord, in the light of all He's done for us. But we must remember that we can never repay the Lord for His grace, or it would not be grace (Romans 4:4-5). But we should be motivated by the love of the Lord to serve Him, with all we have. The remembrance of Calvary ought to prompt us to live for Him, and seek to please Him.   In a sense, as  expressed it the final stanza, we ourselves are the greatest gift of all that we can give to God. As Paul says of the Macedonian Christians, "They first gave themselves to the Lord" (II Cor. 8:5). We are to present ourselves as "living sacrifices" to Him (Rom. 12:1), and the Bible speaks of "the glory of His inheritance [i.e. His glorious inheritance] in the saints" (Eph. 1:18). "The Lord's portion is His people" (Deut. 32:9)

          Recently I heard a chorus Betsy Dasvand wrote which we used to sing in prayer meetings.  I think it sums up the answer to the question of what we can do for the Lord.

After all He's done for me

After all He's done for me

How can I do less than give Him my best

And live for Him completely

After all He's done for me

          So how are our lives demonstrating our thanks to the Lord for all that he has done and is still doing for us?

1.    Savior, Thy dying love

Thou gavest me,

Nor should I aught withhold,

Dear Lord, from Thee;

In love my soul would bow,

My heart fulfill its vow,

Some offering bring Thee now,

Something for Thee.

2.     O'er the blest mercy seat,

Pleading for me,

My feeble faith looks up,

Jesus, to Thee:

Help me the cross to bear,

Thy wondrous love declare,

Some song to raise, or prayer,

Something for Thee.

3.     Give me a faithful heart—

Likeness to Thee,

That each departing day

Henceforth may see

Some work of love begun,

Some deed of kindness done,

Some wanderer sought and won,

Something for Thee.

4.     All that I am and have—

Thy gifts so free—

In joy, in grief, through life,

O Lord, for Thee!

And when Thy face I see,

My ransomed soul shall be

Through all eternity,

Something for Thee.

Listen to it here.    SOMETHING