Nearer, My God, to Thee

Sarah Fuller Flower Adams hoped to become an actress. But Sarah, who was born in England on this day in 1805, was forced to abandon these plans because of poor health. Instead, she devoted much of her time to Bible study and writing.

In 1840, as she was studying the Bible, she was particularly stirred by the story of Jacob and his dream about a ladder that reached Heaven. Overwhelmed with a desire to draw closer to God, she wrote a poem called “Nearer, My God, to Thee.”

Just like Jacob, Sarah felt “like the wanderer.” She cried out, “Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God to Thee.” She wanted all of her waking thoughts to be bright with praise of God: “Out of my stony griefs, Bethel I’ll raise; so by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee.”

She expressed her longing to be engulfed in God’s presence, spending eternity with Him: “There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest, there in my Savior’s love, perfectly blest; age after age to be, nearer my God to Thee.”

Today, remember that Almighty God is Your Father, and He longs to comfort you, guide you, and encourage you. He wants to fill you with His peace, His wisdom, and His love.

Share your fears and worries with Him, and tell Him your deepest needs. Draw near to God, and He has promised that He will draw near to you (James 4:8).