Giving My Heart to Jesus

If you've read Bo Giertz's Hammer of God, you were probably impressed by the scene in the second story where Fridfeldt decides to let the senior pastor know that he is a "believer."*

For the last several weeks, every time we get to the proper preface during the church service, I think of that scene in the book.



"The Lord be with you."
"And with your spirit."

"Lift up your hearts."
"We lift them up unto the Lord."

Rusty old can on a junk heap?
What would He want with that?

"Let us give thanks to the Lord our God."
"It is right to give Him thanks and praise."

Well, if He's delighted
to rescue the rusty old can
from the junk heap
and take it home with Him,
that is indeed reason
to give Him thanks and praise!

*Footnote --
"I have given him my heart."

The older man's face became suddenly as solemn as the grave. "Do you consider that something to give him?"

By this time, Fridfeldt was almost in tears. "But sir, if you do not give your heart to Jesus, you cannnot be saved."

"You are right, my boy. And it is just as true that, if you think you are saved because you give Jesus your heart, you will not be saved. You see, my boy," he continued reassuringly, as he continued to look at the young pastor's face, in which uncertainty and resentment were shown in a struggle for the upper hand, "it is one thing to choose Jesus as one's Lord and Savior, to give him one's heart and commit oneself to him, and that he now accepts one into his little flock; it is a very different thing to believe in him as a Redeemer of sinners, of whom one is chief. One does not choose a Redeemer for oneself, you understand, nor give one's heart to him. The heart is a rusty old can on a junk heap. A fine birthday gift, indeed! But a wonderful Lord passes by, and has mercy on the wretched tin can, sticks his walking cane through it, and rescues it from the junk pile and takes it home with him. That is how it is."