Just a Closer Walk With Thee

JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE

Most hymnbook indexes will separate songs by subject matter. Almost all hymnals will have one section under the heading of "aspiration." The songs in that category will push us to think about "aspiring" to a better walk with the Lord. Our hymnal at FBC has songs of aspiration like "Close to Thee," "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," "More Love to Thee, O Christ," and "Just a Closer Walk with Thee."

These songwriters expressed in the lyrics of their songs what many of us sense in our own spirits. We aspire to be more like Jesus in our daily lives. Something within us pushes us to walk in that yoke with Jesus.
We know a hunger for more of God in all we do. Many who read these Freedom Fighters also feel frustration because the "more of God" doesn't seem to happen.

Let me encourage you. Just the fact that you sense those aspirations is cause for hope! Those of us who are hungry for that "closer walk with Thee" wouldn't have that hunger apart from God's Spirit working in us.
Acting on that hope is the next step.

I just finished reading a wonderful little book by Calvin Miller. "The Table of Inwardness" is Miller's effort to encourage readers to nurture their inner life in Christ. It's about communion with Jesus. He creates a beautiful word picture of a table set for two. Just Jesus and you. Just Jesus and me. At that table, Jesus meets with us, loves us, and helps us become all we're designed to be.

The table is of no benefit to us, however, until we choose to sit down.
"Choose" is the operative word. Many of us have unfulfilled aspirations because we "choose" not to act on them. We "choose" other things that push the aspirations for fellowship with Jesus to the back burner.
Until we "choose" the table with Jesus, our aspirations will remain unfulfilled.

Jesus says to us "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20) That's not an invitation to salvation; it's an invitation to Jesus' followers to sit down at the table reserved for two. Jesus and you. Jesus and Me. Will you spend time at that table in 2008? You and I have to make that choice. It's the only way to fulfill our aspirations for a closer walk with Jesus.
(Pastor John Strain - First Baptist of Toms River)

Great Quote: The sovereign God wants to be loved for Himself and honoured for Himself, but that is only part of what He wants. The other part is that He wants us to know that when we have Him we have everything - we have all the rest. A. W. Tozer