Available Songs
Longing To Be With Me
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Words and Music by Phil Hill
© 1988 PuddleJoy Music (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved.
CCLI Song # 5715237
© 1988 PuddleJoy Music (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved.
CCLI Song # 5715237
How much time have I let slip by
How many years have come and gone
Where was the place I last saw You
Just don't know – has it been that long?
For so long now I’ve been running
Hiding from what I cannot face
Longing to know Your presence once more
Longing to feel Your sweet embrace
When I'd lost all hope, given up to die
I called out Your name, You heard my cry
Beaten by the world, crumbling within
I cried out to You – You restored me again
What would I do without You here
Although I've failed to see
That You have always been so near
Longing to be with me
I've come to a place I've known before
Filled with desire to start anew
The door is open and You await
I need to trust and follow through
To know Your voice, to hear Your call
Every desire to be of You
Hungering for Your presence once more
Wanting to know and treasure You
Jesus, You're the One
Who has brought me through,
Though I abandoned commitment to You
I'm weak and so frail, oh, help me to do
Anything it takes to stay true to You
What would I do without You here
Although I've failed to see
That You have always been so near
Longing to be with me
That You have always been so near
Longing to be with me
How many years have come and gone
Where was the place I last saw You
Just don't know – has it been that long?
For so long now I’ve been running
Hiding from what I cannot face
Longing to know Your presence once more
Longing to feel Your sweet embrace
When I'd lost all hope, given up to die
I called out Your name, You heard my cry
Beaten by the world, crumbling within
I cried out to You – You restored me again
What would I do without You here
Although I've failed to see
That You have always been so near
Longing to be with me
I've come to a place I've known before
Filled with desire to start anew
The door is open and You await
I need to trust and follow through
To know Your voice, to hear Your call
Every desire to be of You
Hungering for Your presence once more
Wanting to know and treasure You
Jesus, You're the One
Who has brought me through,
Though I abandoned commitment to You
I'm weak and so frail, oh, help me to do
Anything it takes to stay true to You
What would I do without You here
Although I've failed to see
That You have always been so near
Longing to be with me
That You have always been so near
Longing to be with me
Song Notes
Phil's comments on this song:
This is my earliest remaining original song. I had written songs prior to this, but they have been lost in the midst of many life transitions. This song was a marker of a new beginning in my life. After years of wandering in confusion and doubt and running from God, I awoke to find a new day. I had struggled for years with doubts about God, His Word, and my faith. I was alive again. I had been restored, again. God, in His mercy, had led me back home.
For so long, I had felt very distant from God. In the end, it was not Him who had drifted away. It was me. I had a new realization that my life was not possible without Him, even though I had failed to see it. He was so near to me, all of the time. He longs for us and calls to us, that we might find our joy and peace in Him – that we might find our rest in Him, our Rock and Hiding Place.
Although I had been given a new start, it also came with the realization that, on my own, I would end up right back where I was before. On my own, I will abandon God. In my strength, I will fail. The last verse ends with a cry to God, praying that He will help me do whatever it takes to stay true to Him. I know this is not possible with me, but with God, all things are possible. How great is the Father’s love for us – His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.
This is my earliest remaining original song. I had written songs prior to this, but they have been lost in the midst of many life transitions. This song was a marker of a new beginning in my life. After years of wandering in confusion and doubt and running from God, I awoke to find a new day. I had struggled for years with doubts about God, His Word, and my faith. I was alive again. I had been restored, again. God, in His mercy, had led me back home.
For so long, I had felt very distant from God. In the end, it was not Him who had drifted away. It was me. I had a new realization that my life was not possible without Him, even though I had failed to see it. He was so near to me, all of the time. He longs for us and calls to us, that we might find our joy and peace in Him – that we might find our rest in Him, our Rock and Hiding Place.
Although I had been given a new start, it also came with the realization that, on my own, I would end up right back where I was before. On my own, I will abandon God. In my strength, I will fail. The last verse ends with a cry to God, praying that He will help me do whatever it takes to stay true to Him. I know this is not possible with me, but with God, all things are possible. How great is the Father’s love for us – His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness.