Nearer, my God, to Thee

by Doy Moyer

Songs are magnificent. There is a reason God wants us to teach by singing, and I was reminded of this powerfully one night recently after I preached a lesson in a meeting. My lesson was called “Come to Bethel,” and I discussed Genesis 28, Jacob’s leaving the land, the sun going down (then later rising), coming back, wrestling with God, and calling the place Bethel. We connected dots to Jesus’ statement in John 1:51 since He is the true gate of heaven. All of that was, in my mind, a fairly normal lesson with significant implications. But that wasn’t what completed the night.

At the end of the lesson, Andy Diestelkamp led "Nearer, my God, to Thee." It’s always been a wonderful song to me, but this night it took on even greater meaning because it tells the story of Jacob and Bethel. To be honest, I had not thought about it as much because of one basic reason: virtually every songbook that I have known only contains about 3 verses, and, sadly, that tends to gut the story. You lose the context. But when you sing all the verses, it falls into place and brings extra meaning to the hymn. To me, in all my years, this was one of the most powerful after-sermon songs I’ve ever had the pleasure to participate in.

Below are the verses that tell the story. The hymn book, Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs does contain all the verses, and this is one song in which all the verses matter to the story being told. I encourage you to read it, sing it, and let the story affect you. In doing so, we can, indeed, draw nearer to God.

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me;
Still all my song shall be nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

Chorus: Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
Darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I'd be nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

There let the way appear steps unto heav'n;
All that Thou sendest me in mercy giv'n;
Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

Then with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs Bethel I'll raise;
So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

Or if on joyful wing, cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upwards I fly,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

There in my Father's home, safe and at rest,
There in my Saviour's love, perfectly blest;
Age after age to be, nearer my God to Thee,
Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

[hymn by Sarah Flowers Adams (1840), sixth verse by Edward Bickersteth (1876)]