Thou, My Everlasting Portion ~ hymn

What will life be like here on this earth? There are plenty of hints and ideas given in scripture and they are succinctly included in this hymn. Our life her is likely to be tough since we are to be pilgrims or strangers or aliens (take your pick of translations). It is going to be full of trials, as we can read about how to handle in James.

Count it all joy, my brothers,^[b] when you meet trials of various kinds,³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1: 2-4, ESV)

The valley of shadow, as mentioned here, could be any number of things, couldn’t it? Each of us will face our own version of it over our life at some point. One of my youngest daughter’s favorite passages is Psalm 23, which does include a passage about a shadowy valley. But look at the end.

“Then the gate of life eternal 
May I enter, Lord, with thee.”

Isn’t that a beautiful image? Entering the gate of heaven where life eternal leads with Jesus. Our Lord desires for us to do just that – enter eternal life with Him. And He is every faithful, every true. He does not leave us. He is always there so that, when life on this earth is over, we can enter that gate of life eternal with Him.

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

Hear this hymn sung at Great Songs Chapel.

Thou, My Everlasting Portion

lyrics: Fanny Crosby, 1874
music: Silas J Vail, 1874

1 Thou my everlasting portion,
More than friend or life to me.
All along my pilgrim journey,
Savior, let me walk with thee.
Close to thee, Close to thee,
Close to thee, Close to thee;
All along my pilgrim journey,
Savior, let me walk with thee.

2 Not for ease or worldly pleasure,
Nor for fame my prayer shall be:
Gladly will I toil and suffer,
Only let me walk with thee.
Close to thee, Close to thee,
Close to thee, Close to thee;
Gladly will I toil and suffer,
Only let me walk with thee.

3 Lead me through the vale of shadows,
Bear me o’er life’s fitful sea;
Then the gate of life eternal
May I enter, Lord, with thee.
Close to thee, Close to thee,
Close to thee, Close to thee;
Then the gate of life eternal
May I enter, Lord, with thee.

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