Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us is one of those old classics with a catchy tune which gets stuck in my head every time I think of it. It is a soft, lilting melody that raises one’s spirit. Until recently, however, it didn’t occur to me the discrepancy between the gentle song and the potent lyrics.

All four versus of this song are infused with powerful lyrics about grace, mercy, and love. Not only that, it is a song of petitions to God: Hear us! Seek us! Love us! These requests are the pinnacle of pleas sent up to heaven. What more could be asked of God than wanting Him to be near us and pour His grace upon our broken lives? Are these requests the stuff of the hymn equivalent of an earworm? Perhaps more than I initially thought.

You see, the salvation God offers is important, and in may ways evangelical preparations for Christ’s second coming should always be of utmost importance. But that does not mean that the topic of salvation must always be handled as an overbearing weight. It is meant to be freeing, something which lifts the weight of sin off our backs to that, with new-found lightness, we can soar.

This hymn may not be able to portray all of that, but it present us with an unforgettable peace which ought to accompany the salvific work of Christ. We belong to blessed Jesus. He hears us, He welcomes us to Him, and His love is eternal. What greater reason for joy could there be?

SDG,

-Paul Hart Cochran