Let me never, never outlive my love for Thee

Years and years ago, I came across a book written by Steven Curtis Chapman and his pastor, Scotty Smith.  It is called Speechless, and I highly recommend it.  Knowing my appreciation for Scotty's writing, my writer/editor friend gave me a copy of his new book Everyday Prayers.  I've been using it along with the KINGDOM Reading Plan to guide my daily devotional time. 

Today I was struck by something that Scotty wrote.  I was struck by it because of all that is packed into the simple paragraph, as well as everything that is left out.  There is no condemnation, there is no guilt.  It's very matter of fact.  At the same time, it recognizes the free gift of salvation and that nothing more is required of us for our eternity to be secured.  And yet, when nothing more is given, something is definitely missing. 

One of my favorite hymns is "My Jesus, I Love Thee," by William R. Featherston:

I'll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
"If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus 'tis now"

As Scotty wrote:

May I never stop singing the last line in the hymn "O Sacred Head Now Wounded": "Should I fainting be, Lord, let me never, never outlive my love for thee."  That's my earnest, impassioned prayer, Jesus.  I don't fear losing my salvation.  I will stand firm to the end because of my standing in grace.  But what could be worse than for my love for you to cool down, degree by degree, as I get older?  Don't let that happen to me, Jesus.  Don't let that happen.  What could be worse than to finish the race with an ingrown, icy heart?  (January 9)

I want my love for Jesus to radiate out of me. I want it to be something that cannot be contained on my face and cannot be stopped by anything I endure. I want to lie on my deathbed and say, "Wow. I thought I loved you before. But if I've ever loved you, I know it's now."