It’s Me, Oh Lord
by Pastor George Van Alstine

Are you familiar with this spiritual?

It’s me, it’s me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer;
It’s me, it’s me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer.

Not my mother, not my father
But it’s me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer.

Each verse lists more people we might be tempted to blame for our moral failures:

Not my brother, not my sister . . .
Not my elder, not my leader . . .
Not the preacher, not the sinner . . .

But the sad reality keeps coming back with each chorus:

It’s me, it’s me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer;
It’s me, it’s me, oh Lord
Standing in the need of prayer.

In one of Ezekiel’s prophetic passages (chapter 18), he expresses an individualism more radical than anything Ayn Rand ever dreamed of. He begins by referring to a commonly used copout:

“What do you mean by repeating this proverb, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As I live, says the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you. Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.”

Ezekiel goes through a variety of scenarios that demonstrate that each individual is totally responsible for his or her own actions: righteous parents may raise wicked children; wicked parents may raise righteous children. Each individual stands or falls before God. Common wisdom might react,“The way of the Lord is unfair,” but God answers, “Are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?” (verse 29)

Here is what a gracious God calls fair:

“Repent and turn away from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live!(verses 30-32)

God wants to deal with us one-on-one, but it’s not to destroy us; it’s to renew us. He wants to take every one of us, individually, and transform each into the absolutely unique person he has in mind for us to be.

Who wants to be first? I’m happy to raise my hand and say, “It’s me, O Lord.”