~Lord, I’m Coming Home

                William J. Kirkpatrick was a Methodist choir director and organist, and he especially loved the Methodist camp meetings. During one such meeting, at which he directed the music, he became quite burdened because the invited soloist would sing and then immediately leave, without hearing the sermon.

       After a couple of days of this, Kirkpatrick prayed fervently that God would somehow reach this young man with the gospel of Christ. He feared that the singer had never really known Christ as Savior.

       As a result, God gave a beautiful song to William Kirkpatrick, which he asked the soloist to sing during an evening service of the meetings. He did so, and he was so convicted in his heart as he sang the words that he decided to stay and hear the sermon.

       Following the sermon, the singer knelt at the altar and was gloriously converted.

       Nineteen years later, at age eighty-three, Kirkpatrick was sitting up late, working on a music composition. His wife awakened and noticed that the lights were still on in his study. After calling out to him and hearing no response, she went quickly to his study and found him slumped over his last musical offering.

       He had gone peacefully home to his Lord.

       William J. Kirkpatrick was born in 1838. This man not only a marvelous lyricist, but his musical settings for poems written by others have afforded us such favorites as “Jesus Saves” and “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.”

—Adapted from Lindsay Terry

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Lord, I'm Coming Home

(1) I've wandered far away from God,

Now I'm coming home;

The paths of sin too long I've trod,

Lord, I'm coming home.

CHORUS:

Coming home, coming home,

Nevermore to roam,

Open wide Thine arms of love,

Lord, I'm coming home.

(2) I've wasted many precious years,

Now I'm coming home;

I now repent with bitter tears,

Lord, I'm coming home.

(3) I've tired of sin and straying, Lord,

Now I'm coming home;

I'll trust Thy love, believe Thy word,

Lord, I'm coming home.

(4) My soul is sick, my heart is sore,

Now I'm coming home;

My strength renew, my hope restore,

Lord, I'm coming home.