I had the heartwarming privilege of hearing the song Jesus Loves Me sung yesterday. It brought tears to my eyes. It was sung by an older member of our church, John. He played his accordion as he sang several delightful older Christian songs. But this song, in its simplicity and in the aging voice of a long-time believer whose family has undergone a year of tragedy through deaths, spoke volumes to my heart.
Here are the words to the song, just to jog your memory:
Jesus loves me!
This I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak but He is strong.
Jesus loves me!
Loves me still,
Tho I'm very weak and ill,
That I might from sin be free,
Bled and died upon the tree.
Jesus loves me!
He who died
Heaven's gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.
Jesus loves me!
He will stay
Close beside me all the way.
Thou hast bled and died for me;
I will henceforth live for Thee.
Chorus:
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.
Yes, this is a children's song, but it simply confirms to us that we are God's children if we are in relationship with God the Father. We are to come to Him as little children. We are to drop the walls we have built around our hearts that keep us safe from the harshness of the world and enter into relationship with Jesus because He loves us.
It is God who provides our strength in difficult times. You could see that strength in John. We might think we can handle things on our own, but some day we will find out otherwise. It is only through allowing God access to our hearts and souls that we truly find the proper strength. It is strength born out of love for us.
Jesus died on the cross for us. Even Jesus needed His Father's strength to endure. He loved us so much (John 3:16) that He was willing to do this despite all the sins of every man being upon Him as He hung there, bruised and battered. The pain He endured was so we could live in relationship with Him. We will have pain in our lives, like John and his family have gone through. But through it all, we can know in our hearts that He is seeing us through our difficult moments.
John also sang the senior version of the song. Here are just a few verses from it:
Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow.
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.
Though I am no longer young,
I have much which He’s begun.
Let me serve Christ with a smile,
Go with others the extra mile.
When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song.
Telling me in words so clear,
“Have no fear, for I am near.”
When my work on earth is done,
And life’s victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I’ll understand His love.
I saw the joy in John's eyes as he sang. Oh, the childlike simplicity. It was the joy of the Lord that has kept him strong through this difficult season. And I know he will continue to sing despite any other personal problems his life might bring. He knows that Heaven's gate was opened wide for the family members he lost; he knows that the sins of these people were washed away by the blood of Christ. He has lived a life in the loving arms of Jesus and instilled the knowledge of Jesus into his family's lives. He knows a day will come when he will be with his family again in Heaven. That's why he sung with joy unspeakable this simple song.
We can all experience this joy in the midst of sorrow. The first step is to turn to Jesus. Call on Him and ask Him to turn your heart toward Him. Allow Him to enter in and show you who He is. Let Him take away your sorrow and fear. John truly had turned his mourning into dancing. I believe without realizing it he was living out Psalm 30:
No matter what ... He truly does.
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