John Oxenham (1852–1941)“Lord, I Would Follow…but”
- Ken Kalis
- Dec 2
- 4 min read
A Tuesday Poetry Meditation
“He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life.” — John 8:12
"But" is a little word with a BIG impact, and we see it 4 times in this poem. But the Bible uses "but God" 44 times, and here are 4 of them:
You plotted evil against me, but God turned it into good - Genesis 50:20
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart - Psalm 73:26
They laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead - Acts 13:29-30
For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; -- Philippians 2:27
Give you "but's" to God and see what wonderful things He will do.
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John Oxenham — the poetic voice of quiet discipleship — understood the trembling, earnest heart of the believer who says:
“Lord, I would follow… but—”
He wrote many hymns and devotional poems, but few capture that tension more beautifully than this short, searching prayer.
The Poem
“Lord, I Would Follow” (excerpt)
by John Oxenham
Lord, I would follow—
But my feet are weak;
My heart is slow to understand;
Give me, O Lord, the vision that I seek,
And hold me by the hand.
Lord, I would follow—But the way is steep;
The shadows linger where I cannot see;
Yet Thou, O Shepherd, both Thy lambs dost keep;
So keep Thou me. Lord, I would follow—
Though I cannot traceThy steps,
nor see the path beneath the night;
Only reveal to me Thy loving Face,
And I shall walk aright.
(Public domain)
A Poetry Meditation
This is the discipleship we all know:
willing feet
weak hearts
dim vision
a desire to follow Jesus, but a fear of falling short
Oxenham puts into words the very prayer that sits beneath our more polished prayers.
1. “My feet are weak”
Jesus never demands strength at the beginning —only willingness.
Like Peter on the water, the power comes from Christ’s hand, not our balance.
2. “The way is steep”
Following Jesus is not strolling downhill. He leads through:
Gethsemane
wilderness
storms
lonely places
Yet He also says, “My sheep hear My voice… and they follow Me.”
3. “Reveal to me Thy loving Face”
When we cannot trace His steps, He calls us to trust His heart.
Sometimes the whole Christian life boils down to one truth:
If we can see Him,we can walk anywhere.
Scripture for Today
“My Presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.” — Exodus 33:14
Moses did not ask for a map, a plan, or a guarantee. He asked for God Himself.
And that is what Oxenham’s poem longs for —not clarity of the path, but clarity of the Savior.
Application
Ask yourself today:
Am I waiting for confidence before following Jesus?
What weak area in my life needs His strong hand?
Where have I feared the steep path instead of trusting the Shepherd?
Jesus is not looking for perfect followers —only willing ones.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, my feet are weak and my vision dim. Lead me by the hand, keep me close when the path grows steep, and reveal to me Your loving Face so that I may follow You faithfully,all the way home. Amen.
Discussion Question
Which line of Oxenham’s poem best expresses your journey with Christ today?
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FOLLOW ON
Down in the valley with my Savior I would go,
Where the flowers are blooming and the sweet waters flow;
Everywhere He leads me I would follow, follow on,
Walking in His footsteps till the crown be won.
Refrain
Follow! follow! I would follow Jesus!
Anywhere, everywhere, I would follow on!
Follow! follow! I would follow Jesus!
Everywhere He leads me I would follow on!
Down in the valley with my Savior I would go,
Where the storms are sweeping and the dark waters flow;
With His hand to lead me I will never, never fear,
Danger cannot fright me if my Lord is near.
Refrain
Down in the valley, or upon the mountain steep,
Close beside my Savior would my soul ever keep;
He will lead me safely in the path that He has trod,
Up to where they gather on the hills of God.
Refrain
Will¬iam O. Cush¬ing, 1878.
And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! Matthew 8:19-27
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