January 30, 2005

Take the Name of Jesus With You

Lydia Odell Baxter, 1809-1874

      And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17.

    Lydia and her sister came to Christ with the help of Baptist missionary Eben Tucker. Following their conversion, the Baxter girls helped found the local Baptist church. After Lydia married, she moved to New York City. She was an invalid most of her adult life, but that didn’t stop her active mind from studying the Bible and writing. In 1855, she published Gems by the Wayside, a book of devotional poems. In addition, she often hosted meetings of religious leaders at her home.
    Although bed-ridden, she remained continually cheerful and patient. "I have a very special armor," she would tell her friends. "I have the name of Jesus. When the tempter tries to make me blue or despondent, I mention the name of Jesus, and he cannot get through to me anymore."
    Take the Name of Jesus With You was written by Lydia Baxter on her sick bed just four years before her death in 1874 at the age of 65. Throughout her lifetime she was known as an avid student of the Bible who loved to discuss the significance of scriptural names with her friends. She would inform them that Samuel means "asked of God," Hannah means "grace," Sarah means "princess," and Naomi means "pleasantness." But the name that meant everything to Lydia Baxter was the name of "Jesus."
    Other hymns by Lydia Baxter:

Cast Thy Net Again, My Brother
Gate Ajar for Me, The
Go, Work in My Vineyard
I’m Kneeling, Lord, at Mercy’s Gate
I’m Weary, I’m Fainting
In the Fadeless Springtime
Master Is Coming, The
One by One we Cross the River
Precious Name

Take the Name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe,
It will joy and comfort give you;
Take it then, where’er you go.

Take the Name of Jesus ever,
As a shield from every snare;
If temptations round you gather,
Breathe that holy Name in prayer.

O the precious Name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
When His loving arms receive us,
And His songs our tongues employ!

At the Name of Jesus bowing,
Falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in Heav’n we’ll crown Him,
When our journey is complete.

Chorus:
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.