I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go
Words: Mary Houghton Brown (b. May 19, 1856; d. Jan. 22, 1918)
Charles Edward Prior (b. _____, 1856; d. _____, 1927)
Music: Carrie Esther Parker Rounsefell (b. March 1, 1861; d. Sept 18, 1930)
Note: Canadian hymn writer Mary Brown wrote (1) of the hymn, and Charles Prior wrote (2) and (3).
(Stanza numbers in brackets below refer to the stanza number in The Cyber Hymnal. Find the link at the bottom of the article.)
(1) It may not be on the mountain’s height, or over the stormy sea;
It may not be at the battle’s front my Lord will have need of me;
But if by a still, small voice He calls to paths I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Thine,
I’ll go where You want me to go.
I’ll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,
O’er mountain, or plain, or sea;
I’ll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,
I’ll be what You want me to be.
This hymn speaks to us of one who has accepted a commission, one who has been charged with a task, and accepts it readily. There are many examples of this in the Word of God.
The angel Gabriel describes himself as one who “stands in the presence of God, and was sent” (Lk. 1:19). And the angels, in general, are said to be “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14). One gets the picture of ranks of servants, standing by the throne of God, alert to hear and instantly obey His least command.
The young Samuel heard the voice of God, and responded, “Speak, for Your servant hears” (I Sam. 3:10). He had the unpleasant task of pronouncing the judgment of God that was to fall on the family of Eli the priest. In spite of fear, Samuel did as he was bidden (vs. 15, 18).
The prophet Elijah faced wicked Ahab, and spoke of God’s judgment on the wayward nation, a judgment in the form of a prolonged drought. As with the angel Gabriel, we’re given a picture of one who stands in the presence of God, ready to fulfil any commission he is given (I Kgs. 17:1).
Isaiah had a fearful vision of the glory and holiness of God (Isa. 6:1-4). The Almighty called out, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us [the trinitarian “Us]?” The prophet responded, “Here am I! Send me.” (vs. 8).
The Apostle Paul witnessed of how, on the Damascus road, he met the risen, glorified Christ. He fell down before Him, and was told, “Rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you” (Acts 26:16). Paul went on to become a great missionary in the days of the early church.
When the Lord Jesus called twelve disciples to be with Him, both for training and service, we read of Peter and Andrew, “He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Matt. 4:19-20). James and John responded similarly (vs. 21-22).
To have a complete picture, we need to realize that not all who were called and commissioned responded so readily. When the Lord told Moses he was going to be the one to lead the people of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, Moses offered many excuses, and even tried to pass the job on to someone else (Exod. 4:12-13). Nevertheless, he eventually did what God commanded (vs. 20).
The Lord Jesus Himself came to this earth as one sent by God the Father. “The Father has sent the Son as the Saviour of the world” (I Jn. 4:14). The calling to proclaim the gospel was passed on to His followers: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (Jn. 20:21). This has become the Great Commission, extended to all believers to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel” (Mk. 16:15; Matt. 28:18-20). How will we respond to this?
(2) Perhaps today there are loving words which Jesus would have me speak;
There may be now, in the paths of sin, some wand’rer whom I should seek.
O Saviour, if Thou wilt be my Guide, though dark and rugged the way,
My voice shall echo the message sweet,
I’ll say what You want me to say.
Questions:
- What are some of the excuses we use for not obeying the commission Christ gave us?
- What qualities do the obedient servants of God described above have in common?
Links:
- 19 May 1856 – Mary Brown Born
- I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go (The Cyber Hymnal)