HYMN OF THE MONTH
JESUS, I MY CROSS HAVE TAKEN
Henry Lyte (1793-1847)
Discover and rediscover hymns that help you draw nearer to God.
Get monthly hymn texts and related encouragement delivered straight to your inbox.
Jesus, I my cross have taken,
all to leave and follow Thee;
destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shalt be.
Perish ev'ry fond ambition,
all I've sought or hoped or known;
yet how rich is my condition,
God and heav'n are still my own.
Let the world despise and leave me,
they have left my Savior too;
human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like man, untrue;
and, while Thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
foes may hate and friends may shun me;
show Thy face, and all is bright.
Man may trouble and distress me,
'twill but drive me to Thy breast;
life with trials hard may press me,
heav'n will bring me sweeter rest.
O 'tis not in grief to harm me
while Thy love is left to me;
O 'twere not in joy to charm me,
were that joy unmixed with Thee.
Take, my soul, thy full salvation,
rise o'er sin and fear and care;
joy to find in ev'ry station
something still to do or bear;
think what Spirit dwells within thee,
what a Father's smile is thine,
what a Savior died to win thee:
child of heav'n, shouldst thou repine?
Hasten on from grace to glory,
armed by faith and winged by prayer;
heav'n's eternal day's before thee,
God's own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
hope soon change to glad fruition,
faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
DISCUSSION
Share your interpretation of the lines, "O'tis not in grief to harm me while Thy love is left to me; O' twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee."
MUSIC
Experience this month's hymn even more fully by playing or singing along. Download the sheet music from Hymnary.org.
God and Heaven Are Still Yours
Henry Lyte knew rejection from a young age.
His mother and younger brother died when he was young and his father — who had long left the family — shirked his family responsibilities to the point of even signing a rare letter to Henry as “uncle” rather than “father.”
Henry's school headmaster, however, noticed Henry’s academic abilities, paid his tuition and unofficially adopted him. God used his kindness in a mighty way.
Lyte later entered the ministry and settled in an English fishing village where he supplied every fishing vessel with a Bible and a compilation of songs and devotions.
“Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken, “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven” and “Abide with Me” are some of Henry’s most well-known hymns.
In "Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken," Henry's rejoicing in his permanent possession of God and Heaven stands in sharp contrast to the earthly relationships he lost while still a boy.
Whether we have experienced human rejection like Henry did or not, we should still recognize that our surrounding culture stands against the absolute truth of God's Word which means it stands against us.
We should never be surprised at the increasing hatred we're seeing -- even here in America -- toward Christians and our biblical values. Christians around the world have always suffered persecution and as the world grows darker and darker, we must rejoice in Christ who said, "Be of good cheer. In this world you shall have tribulation, but I have overcome the world."
Like Henry Lyte, let's turn our gaze to Christ and remember that no matter what each day holds, God and Heaven will still be ours.
Permission to redistribute with attribution to HymnsIllustrated.com
Support Hymns Illustrated by Shopping Christianbook.com.