Take My Life #358

The Author:

Frances Ridley Havergal was born in Astley, Worcestershire, England, on December 14, 1836.1  She was the youngest of six children born to Jane (Head) and William Havergal, a couple described as “a sterling example of Victorian evangelicalism.”2  Her middle name was after Nicholas Ridley, a Reformation martyr burned at Oxford in 1555.

Here father was a minister and accomplished song writer himself

She learned to read by the age of three, and picked up languages listening to the tutorials of her five siblings.  When she was nine she helped in teaching a Sunday school class for younger children.

Her mother died in 1848, when Frances was twelve.  Two years later she was sent to a private school for girls in London.  There she perfected her French, learned Italian, and studied music, art, and the Bible, large portions of which she memorized.  Frances had resisted attempts by her parents to encourage her to confess faith in Christ as her Savior, but joyfully did so soon after her fifteenth birthday.  She wrote: “I committed my soul to the Saviour … and earth and heaven seemed bright from that moment.”

When her mother died, eleven-year-old Frances was devastated.  Years later, she wrote, “I did not at all expect her departure and shut my ears in a very hardened way to those who tried to prepare me for it.  I did not, would not, see God’s hand in it.”22  Now she saw God’s hand in her pain.  To a friend she wrote, “Pain, as to God’s own children, is, truly and really, only blessing in disguise.  It is but His chiseling, one of His graving tools, producing the likeness to Jesus for which we long.”23

Frances not only found comfort in God for her suffering but also discovered how it was fitting her to do “the Master’s work.”  She wrote in her private journal: “Even in very painful spiritual darkness it has sometimes comforted me to think that God might be leading me through strange dark ways so that I might be His messenger to some of His children in similar distress.”2

On Advent Sunday in 1873, when she was eighteen, Frances was confirmed in Worcester Cathedral.  It was a turning point in her life.

She knelt before the bishop and followed carefully his words, “Defend, O Lord, this thy child with thy heavenly grace, that she may continue thine for ever, and daily increase in thy Holy Spirit, until she come into thy everlasting kingdom.”  “If ever my heart followed a prayer,” she wrote, “it did then, if ever it thrilled with earnest longing not unmixed with joy, it did at the words ‘Thine for ever.’”7  That day she wrote a short poem expressing her feeling:

Oh!  “Thine forever,” what a blessed thing To be for ever His who died for me! My Saviour, all my life thy praise I’ll sing, Nor cease my song throughout eternity.

On Advent Sunday, December 2, 1873, Frances “saw clearly the blessedness of true consecration.”26  She wrote a “Consecration Hymn” based on the last words of the concluding prayer in the Service of Holy Communion in the Book of Common Prayer: “And we humbly beseech thee, O heavenly Father, so to assist us with thy grace, that we may continue in that holy fellowship, and do all such good works as thou hast prepared for us to walk in.”  Her hymn begins “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord to Thee,” and then goes on to offer everything to God—our time, hands, feet, voice, lips, possessions, intellect, will, heart, and love.  It ends, “Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee”—words that sum up Frances Ridley Havergal’s life and service:

Frances Havergal was a gifted young woman. She excelled in languages and played the piano and sang beautifully.  She found her life’s work in writing poems, hymns, and devotional books.

Frances herself wrote hundreds of hymns, some of which are loved and sung by Christians around the world. She was concerned to write beautiful and memorable words joined with good music, and she was even more committed to writing hymns that clearly expressed biblical truth.  In some of the manuscript copies of her hymns, she attached a scripture reference to each line

During the last months of her life, Frances was preparing a book for the sick and suffering, called Starlight Through the Shadows.  As her condition worsened, she asked her doctor if he thought she was really going “today,” and he answered “probably.”  She said, “Splendid to be so near the gates of heaven.”33  One of her sisters said, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.”  Frances quickly added, “He must keep his word.”34 She whispered to a friend, “There is no bottom to God’s mercy and love.”35  She asked that the words of 1 John 1:7—“The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”—be put on her tombstone.  Her brother, a minister of the Church of England, sang some hymns, gave her the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, and said, “You have talked and written a great deal about the King, and you will soon see him in his beauty.”36  Her sister Maria wrote, “For ten minutes we watched that almost visible meeting with her King.”37

Frances died on June 3, 1879.  She was forty-two years old.  Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote that “to the great loss of the church,” Frances Havergal “has left these lower choirs to sing above.  Miss Havergal, last and loveliest of our modern poets, when her tones were most mellow and her language most sublime, has been caught up to swell the music of heaven.”38

The Hymn:

Take My…

Life- let it be consecrated Lord to thee

Consecrated- made or declared sacred

The prayer is “make or declare my life sacred “ unto Thee

Hebrews 10:9–10 NIV

Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

1 Peter 1:15–16 NIV

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

Our lives are made holy (sacred) through the blood and body of Jesus Christ

Moments and days- let them flow in ceaseless praise

Psalm 90:12–14 NIV

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Relent, Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

How we spend our “moments and days”

In a lifetime, Americans spend on average:

28 years, 2 months, and 5 days sleeping

15 years, 3 months, and 7 days working and doing work-related activities

13 years, 11 months, and 9 days relaxing and doing leisure activities

7 years, 7 months, and 6 days doing household activities

6 years, 3 months, and 15 days caring for children

5 years, 7 months, and 13 days socializing and communicating

4 years eating and drinking

1 year, 5 months, and 16 days traveling to work

Average screen time in the U.S. 7 hours 4 minutes per day

3 hours 30 minutes dedicated to mobile devices

On average people spend 44% of their waking hours looking at a screen

Data from a survey of 2,000+ US adults revealed that less than half the time spent on screens is believed to be productive

What does it look like to spend our moments in ceaseless praise

Psalm 84:1–4 NIV

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.

Hands- let them move at the impulse of thy love

When hands are mentioned in the bible it usually it is in the context of some type of blessings, commissioning or healing

For example: Jesus laid his hands on them and healed them or in the N.T. primarily although we see this language in the O.T. when Joshua receives the power of the Spirit because Moses laid his hand on him- there is a transfer of power and gifts that takes place through the “laying on of hands”

What do hands that move at the impulse of God’s love look like? Maybe its in an act of service, maybe its in a touch- but in either case let us consider that the hands might just be the conduit of the love of God, the power of God, the healing hand of God to another

Feet- let them be swift and beautiful

Romans 10:14–15 NIV

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Isaiah 52:7 NIV

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Ephesians 6:15 NIV

and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

What is the “Good News of Peace”

Romans 5:9–10 NIV

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

Colossians 1:21–22 NIV

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—

We were once considered enemies of God- what did Jesus do on the cross? He made peace between enemies- us and God.

That’s the good news that we carry with us- we fit our feet with- how beautiful are those feet that bring the good news

Frances uses another word to describe the action of the feet:

Swift- with urgency!

Voice- let me sing for my King

Psalm 95:1–2 NIV

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

Psalm 98:1 NIV

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.

Luke 2:20 NIV

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Acts 16:25 NIV

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

Revelation 7:9–12 NIV

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

Lips- let them be filled with messages from thee

The praises or lack there of flowing from our mouths, lips, tongue say a lot about us particularly the condition of our hearts

Luke 6:45 NIV

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

James 3:9–10 NIV

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

What does my praise- my lips, tongue mouth say about the condition of my heart?

Silver and Gold- not a mite would I withhold

Malachi 3:8–10 NIV

“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

I recognize this is not close to full picture of what the Bible has to say about stewarding wealth, but to speak directly to the words of this him- “take my silver and my gold-not a mite would I withhold”

There is a point where we can be withholding “robbing” God of what is his- what that look like for each of us is different, but we need to be sensitive to that part of who we are

Intellect- use every power as thou choose

the faculty of reasoning and understanding objectively, especially with regard to abstract or academic matters.

the understanding or mental powers of a particular person.

We are talking about the mind

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 NIV

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

It begins in the battlefield of the mind and the war is won there by bringing everything thought into the obedience of Christ

We know what happens when this doesn’t take place

James 1:13–15 NIV

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

That desire enters the thoughts of the brain, if it is not caught there and brought into obedience at that point it will lead to sin

This is not just true of sin, we understand this on a very practical level, have you ever tried dieting and exercising? We know that if we do not capture that craving for ice cream or pasta or that desire to sit on the couch with the ice cream and watch TV instead of excising- if we do not capture that thought immediate and bring it into alignment with the bigger picture- with the end goal, if we allow that thought to linger around what ends up happening- you're on the couch eating ice cream and watching TV

What would it look like for you to use all your intellect- your reasoning and understanding- your power to inventing new things, start new business, create better process for how things get done etc. what would it look like to channel all of that intentionally in the direction of God’s will?

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Which leads to the next take my phrase...

Will- make it Thine

John 6:38 NIV

For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

Luke 22:40–43 NIV

On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

An angel came and strengthened him

It’s how Jesus taught his disciples to pray

Matthew 6:9–13 NIV

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

Let us pray that our will’s would be brought into alignment- that is to say that the things I want to do are the things that God wants me to do

Heart- it shall be they royal throne

1 Peter 3:15 NIV

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

What is the state/condition of the palace?

I am encouraged by that fact that this is a king that was willingly born in a barn-

More important I think than the state of the palace- is this question of who sits enthroned there- is God enthroned in your heart- does he have reign and rule and dominion- the heart being the center the epicenter of who we are

Does he reign over your life- or has something or someone else taken that place?

Love- I pour it out

John 12:1–3 NIV

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Here we have Mary pouring out the best of what she had- and we know it was valuable because of how Judas responds to the act-

Her love poured out in this act- the best of what she had at the feet of Jesus

And John adds one other note here- the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume

Let the fragrance of our love fill the room as it is poured out

Myself- ever only all for thee

Matthew 23:37 NIV

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.

Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important,- The Message Translation