I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
My Jesus, I Love Thee
By: William Ralph Featherston (1848–1875)
Listen to this simple piano arrangement as you read. And be sure to experience the worship-cultivating podcast below.
Today we consider the “now” of those moments surrounding our death. Maybe just before, maybe just after, but either way, we declare our intention and even expectation that we will continue to express our love to Jesus. Let’s think about that.
And Say
The previous line was a declaration that as long as Jesus lends us breath we will use it to give Him praise. This next line is the natural next step in that process, the moments when He no longer lends breath to our mortal body, and its existence ceases. Having no breath to praise, the writer now affirms he will still somehow speak forth his undying love for Jesus. That is an incredible confidence. So let’s consider that.
When this life is over, the Scripture teaches there is much more.
In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 (CSB)
When this physical body dies, the spiritual does not. We will live on past the expiration date of our earth suit. You see, even when we no longer have the breath here, we will still be able to say to Jesus we love Him as we breath in the air on celestial shores. When we are absent or away from our body, we will finally be at home with the Lord.
Thank Jesus that there is more than what our eyes can see and our ears can hear. That even when life here ceases, there is much more to come.
Death Dew
Having established that we fully expect to be able to continue to tell Jesus we love Him even after we die, now let’s take a few moments to consider this very curious imagery of “death dew”. Obviously it is a poetic rendering of the last throes of death, and the body itself growing cold along with the possible perspiration exerted in those last heated moments of battle with death. Someone has referred to this phenomenon as a cold, clammy, waxy moisture left after a person goes through their death agony and dies.
From the air in our lungs to the sweat on our brow we are determined to keep the praise going, even after we die. This is extraordinary imagery utilizing very ordinary things.
Having just evoked the awareness that our lended breath provides the means to give praise, the writer goes a step further in declaring our dependency on eternal life in God by squarely putting the possibility of our continuing to speak our adoration to Jesus upon it, even when the death dew goes cold on our forehead. Otherwise, when the breath stops, so does our praise.
Stop and ponder that marvelous hope for a few moments. Even when your breath runs out, your praise can continue. Ask Jesus to drive that truth deep into your being, and commit to eternally let it take root and bear fruit.
If ever…it’s now!
Not only is there the confidence that we will be able to love Him through our death, but it is accompanied by the willingness to do so. Many of the hymns deal plainly with the reality of death as a part of this age and our hope for life beyond it. This stanza continues the crescendo of our affection which started with that moment of salvation, deepened with our growing understanding of Christ’s sacrifice, and now builds through our living and even past our dying, into an ever intensifying cacophony of delight.
We will leave this existence behind one day and enter into an experience of endless delight. That is what the last stanza speaks about and we will press into that next week. Before we go, linger in the “now” of these moments of living, loving Jesus, even as we draw daily closer to the love etched into our hearts and written in the skies.
Tell Him, “If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ’tis now!”
Jesus, I love You. I loved you in that moment when I yielded to Your redeeming grace. I loved in all those moments You have taken me deeper into my understanding and appreciation of Your sacrifice. I love you in these moments I am living with You now, and will continue to love You through my death and into what lies beyond. Help me to live out that love today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Eternal Thinking!
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Podcast 9.3 Transcript
Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.
I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
Philippians 1:21 ESV
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
We love Jesus is the different “now’s” of this life, and the one to come. Our lives should be lived as one great offering of love to Jesus, one that continues on after this life. Death will not bring an end to our praise, but rather the fulfillment of our hope in Him. Thank Him that even death will be gain for us in Christ.
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
Psalm 150:6 ESV
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
If we are going to live for Christ then we should the breath He gives to offer praise. We respond to the command in this Scripture and the commitment in this stanza to praise Jesus by determining to do just that, “Praise the Lord!”
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
Romans 14:8 ESV
For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
We live to the Lord, to give Him praise, and we die to the Lord as well, because we belong to Him, bought at a great price. We must all face death, but we can do so with the confidence that we will still be able to love Him even when this life is over. Think about that.
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ESV
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We will still be able to praise Him, even when the death dew becomes cold on our brow, because He has given us victory over sin, death and the grave through His finished work on the cross. GIve HIm thanks!
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.
I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
Image Attributions
And Say – https://pixabay.com/photos/say-goodbye-old-man-man-away-2890801/
Death Dew – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/fairy-tale-portrait-night-girl-1081151/
Tis Now – https://pixabay.com/photos/heart-sky-clouds-blue-sky-love-1213475/
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