I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.
I Need Thee Every Hour
By: Annie S. Hawks, 1836-1911 (1872)
Listen to this beautiful piano version as you read, or watch the video then read. Please be sure to experience the worship-cultivating podcast below.
We continue our journey toward greater and deeper awareness of our need of God. We need Him to stay nearby because His presence helps us over the power of temptation. If you have battled temptation, you are probably very familiar with how difficult it is to overcome it on your own. Today we examine the one thing that can disarm temptation, the presence of God, and two ways to practice it. Let’s think about this.
Temptations are Common
Since the Garden of Eden our temptations have been a problem. Ultimately they all come back to one thing, control. We want what we want, when we want it, our way. God has given us clear commands to protect us, but we think we know better how to meet our deepest needs. How foolish!
That is what the Snake convinced Eve and Adam about, right? They had everything, yet the one thing God said they could not have was the only thing that it seemed could satisfy them. They had an insatiable appetite for more. It led to their downfall. And has been doing the same thing to every human being since then, with one great Exception.
Jesus.
The same enemy tempted Him, with similar enticements. Greed, power, worship. But He overcame because His focus on God’s glory was stronger than the voice offering the counterfeit.
And He overcome the same way we can, by inviting our perspective to be informed by the Word of God.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability…1 Corinthians 10:13a ESV
God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. What? Sometimes my ability seems VERY small. And the temptation VERY BIG. But that perspective is off.
The real problem arises when we focus on the temptation rather than focusing on God. This problem turns our world upside down because we have chosen to focus on the moment rather than the larger reality. That erroneous perspective is what creates the real issue. We have lost our ability to see things as they truly are. If however we use our ability to remind ourselves who God is, the temptation will suddenly be dwarfed by His magnificence.
Adam and Eve allowed themselves to focus on the temptation rather that God. It allowed the temptation, the desire to be like God, to become larger than it truly was, which simultaneously made God smaller to them. That is an unfortunate series of events. But it is one that each of us falls prey to more often than we would care to admit.
Think about a recent time you were tempted. If you fell prey to it, was it because it seemed too large to overcome at the time? Do you remember your perspective on God in that moment? You probably don’t because who had either forgotten to ask for His help or were not interested because of the lure of the temptation. Ask Him right now to help you focus on Him when you are next tempted.
But They Can Be Overcome
How? The second part of the verse above answers that question.
…but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13b ESV
If we will look for it, God has promised to provide a way of escape from the power of temptation. The problem is we often fail to look for it. When we do, we experience the faithfulness of God in the way of escape.
What does it mean to endure a temptation? To find yourself under the power of it, ask God for His help and take the escape He provides. We have all found ourselves under the power of temptation. We have all failed to ask God for His help at one time or another. That failure led to our inability to see the escape, which means rather than enduring the temptation we succumb to it.
What is our way of escape? God. An awareness of God. The presence of God. His power. Temptations which once seemed so daunting, suddenly become endurable. Thanks be to God!
God will provide a way of escape, but He wants us to ask and search for it. Prepare to endure your next temptation by determining to ask Him to help you find your escape the moment you feel it approaching. That temptation will be rendered powerless in light of the incomparable presence.
So the two ways to thwart temptation are
- Focus on God, Not the Temptation
- Find Your Escape
Jesus, teach me how to overcome temptations by inviting Your presence all the time, but especially when I am tempted. I believe You will provide a way of escape if I will but look to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Watchful Thinking!
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Everyone enjoy this podcast and the transcript below! It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.
Podcast 11.2 Transcript
Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.
I need Thee every hour,
Psalm 86:1 ESV
Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.
David knew how to speak his heart to God. How much better off we would be if we were as quick to admit our condition before our Lord. Practice right now by asking Him to bend HIs ear toward you and tell Him how much you need Him.
stay Thou nearby;
James 4:8 ESV
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
It seems so simple. Just draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. So what makes it seem so difficult? Our double mindedness. We waver between wanting to please God and please ourselves. Ask God to help you cleanse your hands, and be single-minded.
Temptations lose their pow’r
1 Corinthians 10:13a ESV
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability…
Powerless temptations. That sounds appealing. It is God’s faithfulness that gives me the ability to resist the temptations, effectively removing their power, but I must turn to Him and trust Him. Ask Jesus to help you come to Him the next time you are tempted.
when Thou art nigh.
1 Corinthians 10:13b ESV
…but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
I have often said it is God’s presence that make the difference in every circumstance, and temptation is certainly one of them. Our way of escape is to find our way back to Him. Ask God to make you aware of His nearness so you may endure your next temptation.
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.
I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.
Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
Image Attributions
Temptations – https://pixabay.com/photos/snake-apple-paradise-eve-bible-1322240/
Wrong Focal Point – https://pixabay.com/photos/focus-telephoto-lens-lens-loupe-407244/
Way of Escape – https://pixabay.com/photos/emergency-exit-escape-fire-4168808/
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