Jesus Calls Us
Jesus Calls Us
Jesus calls us; o’er the tumult
Of our life’s wild, restless sea,
Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,
Saying, “Christian, follow Me.”
Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, “Christian, love Me more.”
In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still He calls in cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love Me more than these.”
Jesus calls us: by Thy mercies,
Savior, may we hear Thy call,
Give our hearts to Thine obedience,
Serve and love Thee best of all.
CECIL ALEXANDER was the wife of a parish minister in an impoverished rural area of northern Ireland. She loved the people. “From one house to another, from one bed of sickness to another, from one sorrow to another she went,” wrote one historian.
She especially loved children, and most of her hymns were written for them. Two that are well known are “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (May 5) and “Once in Royal David’s City” (December 12). “Jesus Calls Us” was one of the few hymns she wrote for adults, and it illustrates her ability to apply Scripture forcefully and devotionally. She wrote the hymn at her husband’s request, to accompany a sermon he was preaching about the calling of Andrew by Jesus on the shores of Galilee.
One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
Matthew 4:18-19
From the book
