O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED

Dearly Beloved, O JESUS, I HAVE PROMISED “You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to obey your words” (Psalm 119:57 NIV). “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go’” (Luke 9:57 NIV). “Mo ti seleri, Jesu” the Yoruba version of the hymn, “O Jesus, I Have Promised” was one of the hymns I loved when I was growing up as a teenager. I could sing off-hand almost all the lyrics of the hymn in Yoruba. It is a hymn of commitment composed by John Ernest Bode (1816-1874), an Anglican clergyman serving a small parish near Cambridge, England when his three children, a daughter and two sons, were ready for confirmation. As the priest of the church, he would preside over the ceremony. So, he composed the hymn to remind the children of their commitment to Jesus Christ, the spiritual warfare that is associated with Christian life, and the fact that if Jesus Christ is with them, they will overcome and in the end be with Him in Heaven. In this hymn, John Bode declared that he had promised to serve Jesus to the end and asked Jesus who he knew as “my Master and my friend” to be near him forever. He confessed that he would not fear the battle if Jesus is by his side, nor wander from the pathway if He would be his guide. Because of many temptations that the world often offers the Christian and the fact that foes are ever near both within and without, John Bode prayed that he feels Jesus near him and shield his soul from sin. He continued to pray that he hear Jesus speaking in accents clear and still above the storms of passion and the murmurs of self-will. Because Jesus is the guardian of his soul, he wanted Him to speak to reassure him and make him listen to Him. John Bode reminded Jesus that He has promised all who follow Him that where He is in glory there shall they also be. Therefore, he reaffirmed his promise to Jesus to serve Him to the end. John Bode also prayed that he see the footprints of Jesus, and desired to plant his own footprints in them. He affirmed that his hope is to duly follow alone in the strength of Jesus. He wanted Jesus, his Savior and Friend, to guide him, call him, draw him, uphold him to the end, and receive him in Heaven. What a great commitment! What is your commitment to Jesus Christ? Have you promised to follow and serve Him till the end? Are you ready to listen to Him and let Him be your Guide? You will never regret you did! In His service, Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor). Prayer Point: Pray that you will be committed to faithfully following and serving Jesus for the rest of your life.