The following is a hymn written by Horatius Bonar, the 19th century Scottish Puritan. I like the hymn because it so succinctly, poetically, and properly attributes to God what belongs to God and to me what belongs to me. A good meditation for some “closet time” (Matt 6.6).
A Spiritual Song based on 1 Cor XV.10
All that I was, my sin, my guilt,
My death, was all my own:
All that I am I owe to Thee,
My gracious God alone.
The evil of my former state
Was mine, and only mine;
The good in which I now rejoice
Is Thine, and only Thine
The darkness of my former state,
The bondage,- all was mine;
The light of life in which I walk,
The liberty is Thine,
The grace first made me feel my sin,
And taught me to believe;
Then, in believing, peace I found,
And now I live, I live.
All that I am, e’en here on earth,
All that I hope to be,
When Jesus comes and glory dawns,
I owe it, Lord, to Thee
Awesome. Is this the same guy that wrote “This Is the Air I Breathe”? Both songs are obviously on par theologically.
Ah…so you’re familiar with his work!
I was going to say my favorite was “What’er My God Ordains is Right”. However, he didn’t write that one. We used to sing “not what my hands have done” and “i heard the voice of jesus say” at a former church. here’s a good modern rendition of “not what my hands…l”. Awesome, awesome lyrics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-VbUQdJy0Y&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL078C0D4C12C50121
Danny,
Bonar or Smith or different hymn ????
Breathe
——Michael W. Smith
this is the air I breathe
this is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me
this is my daily bread
this is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me
And I, I’m desperate for you
And I, I’m I’m lost without you
this is the air I breathe
this is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me
this is my daily bread
this is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me
And I, I’m desperate for you
And I, I’m I’m lost without you
And I, I’m desperate for you,
And I, I’m lost without you,
I’m lost without you,
I’m lost without you.
I’m desperate for you.
I’m desperate for you
this is the air I breathe
this is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me
this is my daily bread
this is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me
And I, I’m desperate for you
And I, I’m lost without you.
I am so hungry to sing this one in a worship service I listen to this one on youtube 3-4 times per week.
[...] recently posted a hymn from Horatius Bonar here. One of the commenters proposed another Bonar hymn, “Not What My Hands Have Done,” as [...]
Jim, it’s hard being and alpha male and singing “i’m desperate for you”. I know that offends some folks. I can’t sing to Jesus like he’s my boyfriend. What has happened to the testosterone in modern evanjellycalism.