Lead Me to Calvary

The Lord has had the hymn “Lead Me to Calvary” by Jennie Evelyn Hussey (Text) and William J. Kirkpatrick (Music) in my mind and the third verse sticks out to me:

Let me like Mary, through the gloom,

Come with a gift to Thee;

Show to me now the empty tomb,

Lead me to Calvary.

When Jesus was in the tomb, Mary (along with others) brought perfumes and spices to preserve His body. But Mary was the only one who stayed there to seek the truth about why they had found the tomb empty. Clearly, the perfumes and spices were not just a ritual to Mary but one last gift that she wanted to lovingly give to the One she needed more than life. Mary knew what she needed with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength; and when she sought it, she saw Him. We, too, must realize Who our spirit needs most and seek Him through the densest fogs of life. We must seek Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and when we do, it will open our eyes that we may see Him in glorious array.

When God prompted me to seek Him for salvation, He did so by giving me a sudden and acute sense that there was something I needed to do. It was not the kind of need that makes you feel that you really should do it. Rather, it left no doubt that it would be fulfilled. Looking back, I also realize that it wasn’t simply a need to follow the Lord’s command (although that is as compelling a need as we will ever experience). It was my first raw taste of my soul’s need for the Lord. It saddens me to think that God started me off in such a way only for me to wait until now (21 years later) to realize this at a deeper level.

When we are without food, water, - even the breath in our lungs -, we are still in the presence of our Creator. Without Him though, we have absolutely nothing. May the Lord, then, lead us to Calvary that we may know our need for Him. May He lead us beyond Calvary to the empty tomb that we may have no doubt that our need will be fulfilled. Finally, may He lead us beyond the tomb to the glory of our resurrected Lord that we might see Him - our Need Fulfilled - and that we may declare the praises of Him Who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light (paraphrase of 1 Peter 2:9 NIV (1978 revision))!