I need Thy presence ev’ry passing hour
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r
Who like Thyself my Guide and Stay can be
Through cloud and sunshine O abide with me
Abide with Me 1847
By: Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847)
Listen to this lovely version of this hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. Please make certain to enjoy the video below.
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Please enjoy this video and the transcript below.
Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.
As we continue our journey through this hymn in which we plead for the abiding presence of Jesus, ask Him to make Himself known. Let’s tune our hearts.
Resting
“The presence of God is what makes the difference in every circumstance.”
I have learned this truth in ever-increasing measure over my journey with Jesus, and I continue to learn it a little more as time passes. Those passing hours provide for us innumerable opportunities to grasp the life-transforming reality of the presence of God yet too often we forfeit those moments by pressing on or trying to find a way out rather than simply resting.
As the moments tick away it can be difficult to remain still and cultivate a greater awareness of His presence but that is exactly what we must do every day. Will you seek His presence continually?
I need Thy presence ev’ry passing hour
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Psalm 105:4 ESV
Coming to the place in our journey with Jesus when we realize and are willing to confess we need Him every hour tends to be difficult. We arrive there often through difficulty and disappointment. But it is a good thing to arrive there because in it we learn our need of Him.
Have you come to the point where you know by experience you need Jesus every hour. I am not referring to the intellectual grasp of an idea, but the spiritual knowing of this truth. We are not self-sufficient. We need Jesus. The sooner we embrace this, and live it, the better off we are by far.
RESONATE!
Take a few moments and seek the presence of Jesus. There is no greater pursuit, and yet we spend so little time engaged in it. Make this your simple prayer “God, I need Your presence every hour.”
Resisting
While learning to rest in God’s presence in an active pursuit, we must stay vigilant to resist the activity of the evil one. Fortunately the antidote for the poison of Satan’s power is the presence of God. As we learn to rest in Him we become more and more familiar with His grace. That familiarity is what allows us to resist the counterfeits of it the tempter brings before us.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Romans 16:20 ESV
Sometimes we come to that understanding of needing His presence as a result of the work of our enemy. Even still, if we will look to Jesus in those moments we will experience a different measure of His grace than we do in moments of delight.
Satan’s work is often allowed by God to bring us to the end of ourselves. Why? Because that is where we truly discover the sufficiency of Christ. It is never Jesus and, but Jesus only. Nothing but His grace will suffice, and where do we find that? In His presence. Ask for it regularly.
RESONATE
Take a few moments and ask Jesus to help you resist the devil as you learn to rest in Him. Both are active, vigilant endeavors. Be ready to work at them and pray a simple prayer like this one, “Jesus, give me the grace found only in Your presence.”
Jesus, thank You for the rest that can be found only in You. That rest helps me not only enjoy You, but also resist the tempter. Help me to find great delight in Your presence so the emptiness of his offers diminish in Your grace. In Jesus’ name.
Restful Tuning!
Keep coming back, and we will work to help you remove the things that may hinder your longing for His return by cultivating an awareness of God’s presence. We will help you tune your heart to live out your worship by providing resources like this to help you acknowledge the greatness of God as you become more Resonant, 7 days a week.
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Video 45.3 Transcript
Welcome to Tuesday Tunings at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s tune our hearts.
I need Thy presence ev’ry passing hour
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r
Who like Thyself my Guide and Stay can be
Through cloud and sunshine O abide with me
Have you come to the point where you know by experience you need Jesus every hour. I am not referring to the intellectual grasp of an idea, but the spiritual knowing of this truth. We are not self-sufficient. We need Jesus. The sooner we embrace this, and live it, the better off we are by far.
God, I need Your presence every hour.
Satan’s work is often allowed to bring us to the end of ourselves. Why? Because that is where we truly discover the sufficiency of Christ. It is never Jesus and, but Jesus only. Nothing but HIs grace will suffice, and where do we find that? In His presence. Ask for it regularly.
Jesus, give me the grace found only in Your presence.
A stay is a cable that holds the mast on a sailing ship. It is used to strengthen the mast through strong winds. Jesus always leads us, sometimes even through storms. When He does, we learn a whole different level of trust as He keeps us through the worst of times.
Jesus, be my Guide and Stay.
Learning to enjoy His presence is best done in the sunshine. We can learn the whispers of His grace so when the clouds come we can still discern them. Sometimes He calms the storms and sometimes He calms us through them. Rest in Him in every circumstance.
Lord, teach me to abide with You.
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has surfaced in your heart, or just listen to what He is saying to you, then we will sing once more.
I need Thy presence ev’ry passing hour
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r
Who like Thyself my Guide and Stay can be
Through cloud and sunshine O abide with me
Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time,Be Resonant.
The post Rehearsing the Rhythm of Resting and Resisting appeared first on Resonant 7.
Image Attributions
I need Thy presence ev’ry passing hour – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/flying-time-woman-reflect-5457006/
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/demon-beast-horror-scary-devil-1982195/
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