More Love

"Love is the fairest bloom in God's garden."

Unknown

 

It's walking on leaves time . . . a royal carpet!

The other day I finished a hymn study on the beautiful hymn "More Love to Thee, O Christ." The hymn was written by Elizabeth Prentiss, who wrote the bestselling book, "Stepping Heavenward." 

More love to Thee. It's really very simple. We are to give more love to Christ. Every day. But is it simple to do?

It's clear in Scripture: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength, Deuteronomy 6:5."  It's not part of the Ten Commandments. It's in the next chapter. But it's very clear.

To love God is written throughout the Scriptures. Mark 12:33 says it this way: "To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifice."

A fall sunrise.

I got stuck on Prentiss words: "More love to Thee." Not because I didn't want to do that or didn't believe it. But because it truly touched my soul. I think I'm loving Christ more now in my older years. When I was younger there was so much drama, heartbreak and hurt that my main focus was turning to Christ for help and comfort. Now that most of the drama is gone, I am focusing more on Christ for who He is and not what He can do for me.

Elizabeth's Prentiss' life was a life of poor health and sorrow. She lived with pain. She lost two children early in their lives. She wrote, “To love Christ more is the deepest need, the constant cry of the soul . . . out in the woods, and on my bed, and out driving, when I am happy and busy, and when I am sad and idle, the whisper keeps going up for more love, more love, more love!”

You may be familiar with the first verse:

"More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee!

Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee;

This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ to Thee;

More love to Thee, more love to Thee!"

I bought and read her book "Stepping Heavenward" many years ago. I think it was a little deep in my earlier years of being a Christian. I'll have to go through my books and see if I still have it. I think I may be more open to her words at this point in my Christian life.

Yes, it's very clear. More love to Christ. Giving more love to Christ, He supernaturally fills us with more love for others. Fill me with more love.

By His Grace . . .