"LOVEST THOU ME?" Hymn No. 119 - The Olney Hymnal of 1779. Here is my melody for Mr. Newton's sacred poem on John 21:16. I wrote this tune in the dead of winter, in a dark, cold season of spiritual discontentment in my soul. When I read John Newton's hymn poem, I marveled as my heart embraced every word John Newton had written. I said, "That's exactly how I feel!"
Listen to me, dear one! It's easy to be discouraged when we look at our love to God. OUR love to Him is sometimes strongly evident. It comes like sweet perfume sprayed into the air. We are able to decidedly perceive that He is very near and His presence fills all our senses. We take hold of His Word and His promises fearlessly, with ease, as if we are picking ripe fruit from the lowest branches of a fragrant tree. We're filled with joy and the sacrifice of praise flows freely from our hearts. During such blessed times, we experience the reality of having been set free from the captivity of sin and death and are able to sing the Song of Zion with great liberty.
Then suddenly, that sweet perfume wafts away. We feel ourselves to be alone and are filled with confusion. What's going on? Has His Presence really evaporated away? Are we really all alone? Has the LORD left us here to hash it out all by ourselves? Has He forgotten to be merciful to us?
If you are truly a redeemed child of God, a recipient of saving faith and sealed to the promise of eternal life by the Spirit of Christ, then you know that YOUR love to Him fades in and out. Every true believer in this world experiences seasons of wintertime in their soul. These are times of darkness and chilling indifference to the things of God; times of desperation, confusion and doubt.
Please hear me, dear one! We who are His prized possession have a remedy for the winter blahs. We must remember that He loved us FIRST! He came to us with His Great Salvation. He made us to understand that His blood was shed for us. He died that we might live. Why? Because HE LOVED US! Recall and remember! That's our good medicine. He loved us from all eternity past and will continue to love us into all eternity future. Nothing will ever destroy the infinite love that the LORD Jesus Christ has for His beautiful Bride, the Israel of God, Jacob's chosen race.
There will be times when the branch is bare and no fruit can be found on the bough. Then, we run to our refuge from the winter winds. We look away to Jesus Christ our LORD. Even when we cannot see Him, His love to us is unchanging, unfailing. Our soul's safety is not rooted in our emotions, in our feelings, or even in the depth of our spiritual understanding. We believe that Jesus died for us and that simple faith came to us from Him! We are secure in that faith - His faith to us - and can never be plucked out of the Master's strong, mighty, loving, gentle, omnipotent Hand.
For the true believer, there is always hope. Newton said, "When I turn my eyes within, all is dark and vain and wild". None of us will grow in grace looking inside the foul blackness of our hearts. Here's where the free-will crowd stumbles and crashes down to hell! Anyone who depends on their love for God will be eternally disappointed, for judgment awaits such pride! No, no, no! Sinners will only find solace in meditating upon HIS LOVE TO US. Believer, learn this and you will discover the hidden mystery of finding the warmth of the sun that will melt away every frozen inclination of your heart. He is the "Sun of Righteousness" (Malachi 4:2) that shines upon His people, melting their cold hearts into a springtime of love and grace, again and again and again!
Dear friend, look to Jesus and meditate upon His great love to sinners such are we are. Please listen to this wonderful sermon by Pastor Darvin Pruitt of Grace Baptist Church in Taylor, Arkansas, entitled, "On The Backside". The unusual title refers to the glory of the risen Christ AFTER the suffering and death of the Lamb of God, for it was the risen Christ who came to meet His disciples in John 21. With salvation fully accomplished, Jesus asks, "Lovest Thou Me?" http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=2281106397
And I hignly recommend this deeply insightful sermon by Pastor Don Fortner of Grace Baptist Church in Danville, KY. The title of the sermon is, "NO GREATER LOVE", on John 15:13: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=125101642233
And please take the time to listen to another sermon by Pastor Fortner on this subject of God's love to His chosen people, entitled, "WINTER IS PAST" Song of Solomon 2:8 : http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=81102048211 It's one of the best sermons I have ever heard on revival! May the LORD use us to encourage one another and gather in His people at this late hour.
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"Jesus Said, Come Unto Me" Matthew 11:28by sacredmusic1011,520 views
I found this video looking for the song Lovest Thou Me?, but read your words of encouragement and was blessed by them. Thank you for writing this; very helpful to remember when we are in those barren times of the soul. It's His love that never wanes, not ours in this earthly realm of confusion.
kenleycloud 2 months ago
@kenleycloud Thank you so much for your very gracious comment. I am so happy that you were comforted by these truths. Kathleen
sacredmusic101 2 months ago