O For A Closer Walk With God
By William Cowper
O for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heav’nly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb!
Where is the blessedness I knew,
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul-refreshing view
Of Jesus and His Word?
What peaceful hours I once enjoyed!
How sweet their mem’ry still!
But they have left an aching void
The world can never fill.
Return, O holy Dove, return,
Sweet messenger of rest!
I hate the sins that made Thee mourn,
And drove Thee from my breast.
The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be,
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.
So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.
The holy Dove (Holy Spirit) will never leave, for He is the earnest that God has given us, the promise of our salvation and our hope in this world and that which is to come. But sometimes, our focus gets set on things around us, on earthly things rather than heavenly things, and the Holy Spirit is quenched. We feel empty and miss the close fellowship we once enjoyed with God. William Cowper experienced this, and he cried out to God for help.
King David also experienced this and expressed the aching of his heart in Psalm 51. Here are just a few verses from that Psalm, “6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (verses 6-12) God did answer David’s prayer and use him mightily for Him, for David was a man after God’s own heart. May God bless you too and draw you to His heart. If you have lost the blessedness of fellowship with God and the joy of His salvation, cry out to Him. He will restore these things.