Favorite Hymns/Hymnists Part IV: My Jesus I Love Thee

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know thou art mine,
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign,
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow
If ever I loved Thee my Jesus, 'tis now.
If you're like me, when you hang up with someone with whom you are very close a spouse, child, parent, etc., you tell them, "I love you." You wouldn't want some thing to happen to that one in the interim before you see them again, and for them not to be assured of your love for them.
However, when was the last time you told your Savior that you love Him. This is the reason that I like this song. It is in essence a love song to our Lord. An opportunity to recount the reasons of our love for Him and what the results of that love should be.
I fell in love with my husband eight years ago and when I did, my life changed. I gave up relationships or close friendships with other men. My desires changed too. I no longer planned a life centered on my own wishes, but one designed around our mutual happiness. I quit spending extra income on clothes and pizza, (Yes, that's where all my disposable income went), and started saving for a wedding.
Likewise when we love our Lord our lives should change! We should lay aside the attributes, ie sin, of our former lives. We quit satisfying our own desires (lying, fornicating, hating, greed) and begin living a life that our Savior can take pleasure in: "For Thee all the follies of sin I resign."
I love Thee in life I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath.
And, sing when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.
In mansions of glory, and endless delight,
I'll ever adore Thee in Heaven, so bright.
And sing with a glittering crown on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now
I love the line "as long as Thou lendest me breath." Remember, every moment is one we have been given by God and we are never guaranteed tomorrow. Use this moment for your Lord!
How much do we love our Savior? Will we love Him implicitly when facing the pain of death? Can we say in all of life's ups and downs, "If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now?" Also, look at the sweet reward, the gift from a Lord full of love for us, that we receive after facing death! "For to me, to live is Christ; and to die is gain." -Phil. 1:21
Let's get excited about forever singing praises to the Lord!
And, as a lover of pretty jewelry, I'm excited about the crown!