"More Love" in the Midst of Suffering

My Goal is God Himself. . .
At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

"He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak , then [in Christ] I am strong."

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

        “I feel so empty,” Elizabeth Prentiss wept. The loss of two children seemed overwhelming. Even though she had experienced great pain in her life from losing the use of her legs, her faith in Christ had always kept her smiling with a unique ability to encourage others.

       This time the grief was too much to bear. “God, please minister to my broken spirit.”
God answered her prayer. One afternoon, moved beyond her deepest sorrow, she penned the words to this familiar, inspiring hymn:

More love to thee, O Christ, more love to thee!
Hear thou the prayer I make on bended knee.
This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to thee.
More love to Thee; more Love to Thee!

Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;
Now thee alone I seek, give what is best.

This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to thee.
More love to Thee; more Love to Thee!

Let sorrow do its work, send grief and pain;
Sweet are thy messengers, sweet their refrain
When they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to thee.
More love to Thee; more Love to Thee!

       Elizabeth never knew the comfort and impact her song would make on modern-day Christians. In North Korea when the late Communist leader Kim II Sung discovered thirty Christians living underground, he had them brought out for public execution. The last words sung by the Christians as they faced death were the words of her song,  “More Love to Thee.”

Here is the melody: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccUi7n4CWeY