More love to Thee, O Lord

Let us consider selecting an introductory hymn. Even though Hymns, #544, "Lord Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine," is a good hymn, after singing it we will not be left with a strong feeling because this hymn does not touch the Lord's love but touches our lack of love for the Lord. Hymns, #368, "More love to Thee, O Lord," is the same. However, Hymns, #286, "Of Jesus' love that sought me," is very good as a continuation of the opening hymn, hymn #352 in the Chinese hymnal. Hymns, #286 speaks of Jesus' love that is "far deeper than the sea"; the chorus also speaks of Jesus' love. Thus, it conveniently leads us to the subject. Hymns, #956, "Soon our Lord will come, the day is drawing nigh," causes us to consider the Lord Jesus' coming and therefore is not appropriate for leading the meeting to the subject of the Lord's love.

If we keep a time for morning revival with a heart that genuinely loves the Lord, many things will follow. If we draw near to the Lord every morning, He will not let us go. He will not allow us to be an inappropriate or improper Christian. The Lord will thoroughly inquire about everything in our being; He will not cease until we are fully subdued. If we genuinely practice morning revival, we will have new knowledge, new discoveries, new visions, and new revelations concerning the Lord; we will also receive new dealings from the Lord. This is the meaning of meeting the Lord and touching Him. After He deals with us, He will give us a commission and a burden, and this burden will become our mission. A burden is a heavy weight within that presses us down and does not let us go so that we have no peace until we carry out God's charge. Those who meet the Lord receive burdens.

Pursuing to know the Lord, fellowshipping with Him, and preaching the gospel must not become regulations to keep. Please do not consider this fellowship as a doctrine. Rather, we should respond in love to the Lord because we have been attracted by His love. May we all have the prayer of Hymns, #368: "More love to Thee, O Lord, / More love to Thee! / Hear Thou the prayer I make / On bended knee; / This is my earnest plea: / More love, O Lord, to Thee, / More love to Thee, / More love to Thee!" May the Lord grant such hunger and desperation to motivate us to draw near to Him. If we do not draw near to Him, we will be hungry and thirsty within, and we will not be able to go on or be satisfied. If we rise up early to draw near to the Lord daily, the Lord will meet us. We will have new discoveries of the Lord and receive many dealings in His hand. If we pass through these dealings in His presence, we will receive a burden for His work. Then others will not need to beg us to preach the gospel, because we will be burdened for the gospel and also compelled to preach the gospel.

If we have the desire to realize the genuine church life, we must consecrate ourselves to the Lord again. We should go to the Lord and tell Him, "Lord, cause me to love You more." Stanza 1 of Hymns, #368 says, "More love to Thee, O Lord, / More love to Thee! / Hear Thou the prayer I make / On bended knee; / This is my earnest plea: / More love, O Lord, to Thee, / More love to Thee, / More love to Thee!" We need to love the Lord more, and we need to help others to love and seek the Lord more. Then the Holy Spirit will have the ground in us to bring us on and to apply to us everything that God has accomplished for His eternal purpose.