Christian Reflection and Prayer

"Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come! I come!"
Charlotte Elliot (1789-1871)

A simple invitation

"The simple message of the song
"Just as I Am" was so popular in the
early days of Billy Graham's evangelistic
crusades that it became a regular part
of the response to each appeal to make
a public commitment for Christ.

Charlotte Elliott seemed to have
everything going for her as a young
woman. She was gifted as a portrait
artist and also a writer of humorous
verse. Then in her early thirties she
suffered a serious illness that left her
weak and depressed. During her illness
a noted minister, Dr. Caesar Malan of
Switerland, came to visit her. Noticing
her depression, he asked if she had
peace with God. She resented the
question and said she did not want to
talk about it.

But a few days later she went to
apologize to Dr. Malan. She said that
she wanted to clean up some things
in her life before becoming a Christian.
Malan looked at her and answered,
"Come just as you are." That was enough
for Charlotte Elliot, and she yielded herself
to the Lord that day.

Fourteen years later, remembering those
words spoken to her by Caesar Malan in
Brighton, England, she wrote this simple
hymn that has been used to touch the hearts
of millions who have responded to Christ's i
nvitation to come just as they are."

from The One Year Book of Hymns by Mark
Norton and Robert Brown (Tyndale) entry for
June 22