May 30, 2021 (Sunday)
A little boy’s prayer: “Dear God, please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my sister and my brother and my doggy and me. Oh, please take care of yourself, God. If anything happens to you, we’re sunk!”
A grand old song puts it in somewhat better terms: “Living..in this old..world, where could I go but to the Lord?” Another wonderful song includes a prayer, “I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee. Every hour I need Thee..”
Many times through the years I have heard Christian people say, during a troubled time, “What do people who don’t know the Lord do in a time like this?” Their faith was carrying them through tough times and they had suddenly become more aware than ever of who the Lord is and what He means to them when they need Him most.” Such thoughts gave rise to another precious song, “Just when I need Him most, just when I need Him most, Jesus is near, to comfort and cheer, just when I need Him most.”
God our Father says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Jesus our Savior says, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” The promised Advocate is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth” (John 14). The Holy Spirit living within us gives us comfort, counsel and guidance.
We have our earthly trials, don’t we? But we have learned to trust the Lord through all of our troubles. Our prayer is still phrased in the words of the hymn, “I need Thee, Oh, I need Thee, Every hour I need Thee.”
I NEED THEE EVERY HOUR
Words: Annie S. Hawks
Music: Robert Lowry
1872
I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.
Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.
I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.
Refrain
I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.
Refrain
I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.
Refrain
I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.
Refrain