"Jesus, Lead Thou On"

Jesus, lead Thou on
Till our rest is won;
And although the way be cheerless,
We will follow calm and fearless.
Guide us by Thy hand
To our fatherland.

If the way be drear,
If the foe be near,
Let not faithless fears o'ertake us;
Let not faith and hope forsake us;
For through many a woe
To our home we go.

When we seek relief
From a long-felt grief,
When temptations come alluring,
Make us patient and enduring.
Show us that bright shore
Where we weep no more.

Jesus, lead Thou on
Till our rest is won.
Heav'nly leader, still direct us,
Still support, console, protect us,
Till we safely stand
In our fatherland.

Text: Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, tr. Jane L. Borthwick
Tune: Adam Drese

Lately this hymn has been going through my head a lot. My dad has been dealing with some health issues, and it's been a challenging time for me as the only child having all the responsibility of taking care of things for him and trying to figure various things out and having uncertainty about what's going to happen in the future. This hymn is a wonderful prayer. It reminds me that Jesus is the one leading and I need to rely on and trust in Him. There are a lot of things out of my control, but Jesus is there. He's there when life is drear, when there are fears, difficulties, temptations. And so no matter what we face, we will get through. He supports, consoles, protects us, and that's all we need.

This hymn reminds me too that all "this"--earthly life and the challenges and difficulties we face in earthly life are temporary. This is a temporary place for us to be, and Jesus is leading us to our eternal home where we will have rest and no tears, worries or problems.