Abide With Me
The third verse of a song written in 1820 by Henry F. Lyte reads:.
I need Thy presence every passing hour,
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Thru clouds and sunshine, O, abide with me.
While we need to acknowledge that we need the presence of God, we must remember that God is everywhere and is near us at all times. But why do we not feel His presence? It is because of our selfish concerns and mostly because of our arrogance and stubbornness. Those who recognize God’s presence are usually much happier and joyful all the time.
The next two lines are questions.
God’s grace is the only thing that can overturn the influence of Satan. God’s grace is not some mystery that eludes people who are seeking God. God’s grace is available to everyone, but most people just ignore it. As you read the Bible, you must learn that a synonym of grace is the gospel. The gospel is God’s power to save (Romans 1:16). The gospel is that which saves (1 Corinthians 15:2). The gospel is that which Jesus commanded His disciples to take to everyone.
The next question asks the question of who we are going to put our trust in. We have the choice to trust ourselves (which most of us do) or to trust a friend (which can lead to heartache in some cases). We can trust our country’s leadership, but that is an empty trust. If we will follow God’s leadership and abide in His ways, we will be better off.
Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse of the Bible. It reads: “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man”. That pretty much describes the theme of the whole Bible.
The last line is a request. No matter what, we must be asking God to stay with us. The word abide has many definitions in the dictionary. Some of the meanings are: to stay, to dwell, to live.
Jesus promised that if we will stay, dwell, live with the Lord, that He will abide in us. The word ‘abide’ is found many times in the Bible. The best definition though is the thought that we can invite God into our lives and live by His principles and receive His grace, and be rewarded by His blessings.
God said that He would never forsake us or leave us. So how do we get separated? “Behold, your sins have made a separation between you and your God.” (Isaiah 59:2)
If you would like to invite the Lord to abide with you, we can show you how. Come join us as we all try to abide in the presence of God.
God is not willing that any perish (2 Peter 3:9). You must believe that Jesus is the Son of God and died on the cross for your sins. (Acts 8:37). You must repent of your sins (Luke 13:3), you must confess Jesus as Lord (Matthew 10:32) and you must be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Then you must remain faithful and continue learning how to serve God (2 Peter 3:18). Let us help you on your spiritual journey. May God bless you in your study of His word.
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By Carey Scott via the Madisonville Meteor Sept. 30, 2009

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