Abide With Me

Luke writes a detailed account of Jesus appearing to the disciples along the road to Emmaus. In Luke 24:29, one of the disciples said to Jesus (whose identity was still hidden from them at that time), “…stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now far spent.” This verse is the basis of the hymn “Abide With Me”, written by Henry Francis Lyte back in 1847.

Many historians believe Lyte wrote this earlier in life, but it was published the year he passed. While suffering from Tuberculosis, he sent the poem to his daughter shortly before he died.

Hymnologist J.R. Watson notes, “Lyte’s genius takes the quotation and turns it into a metaphor for human life in all of its brevity. At the same time, by changing ‘Abide with us’ into ‘Abide with me,’ he deepens the feeling by making it speak to the individual, in prayer or meditation.”

It’s hard to read through this and not observe pain and suffering. If Lyte wrote this in his last days, as some believe, one can easily see the tension of a dying man in his words.

Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see.
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

I need thy presence every passing hour.
What but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like thyself my guide and strength can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.

I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless,
ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes.
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

While this hymn focuses on death and suffering, we find assurance in it: Jesus, healer of the sick, our sure and steady anchor, the light of the world, triumphant over the grave, and whom we will join in heaven one day.

As I think through those truths I’m reminded of the final chorus of a song titled, “No More Night” by David Phelps.

And there will be no more night, no more painNo more, no more tears, never crying againAnd praises to the great, “I am”We will live in the light of the risen Lamb
Heaven is always on the horizon for us. Until then, “Oh Lord, abide with me”.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Jesus Is Alive

Image
 As I write this, it's the day after Easter. He is risen. He is risen indeed! "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.'" ( John 20:19 ESV ) Can you imagine the startling nature of Jesus simply appearing to you? No wonder he said, "Peace be with you!" In his human body, bones, and flesh, he appeared to the disciples many times after the resurrection. On one such occasion, Mark records the Great Commission. "And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'" ( Mark 16:15 ESV ) As we see in Acts, the apostles established the church on the foundation of their eyewitness accounts of Jesus's ministry, death and resurrection, and his appearances to them. As Tim Keller once said, "On one hand, the resurrection is a fact to be believed. On the
Read more

Awake My Heart With Gladness

In Catholic circles, this coming Sunday is referred to as Passion Sunday. It precedes Palm Sunday by one week, signaling the coming end of Lent and helping to focus the church on the work of the Cross. You might ask, “I’m not Catholic so why are we talking about what the Catholics do?” Well, I’m not Catholic either. But I do believe that as we approach Holy Week, it is good to prepare our hearts for this very special church season and focused time of remembrance. This hymn, written by German clergyman Paul Gerhardt in the mid-1600s gives us language to do just that.  “The cross is the suffering love of God bearing the guilt of man’s sin, which alone is able to melt the sinner’s heart and bring him to repentance for salvation.” Billy Graham.  As we prepare for worship on Sunday morning, let us apply the work of the Cross to our hearts, and awaken "with gladness"! Awake, my heart, with gladness– see what today is done! Now, after gloo
Read more

There Is A Fountain

While living under the spiritual care of Rev. John Newton, William Cowper (pronounced Cooper) wrote “There Is A Fountain.” It was first published in 1772 and has since found its way into more than 2,440 hymnals, surpassing John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” by over 1,000 hymnal publishings in a similar time frame. Born to John and Ann Cowper, he descended from the British aristocracy. His father, John, was chaplain to King George II and nephew of the first Earl Cowper, and his mother, Ann’s bloodline can be traced back to King Henry III. Sadly, his mother passed when he was just 6 years old, and he was sent off to boarding school soon after. This tragedy would become the catalyst for a life-long battle with deep, destructive depression. Despite a very promising legal and political career path, roughly 26 years after his mother’s passing, his mental illness drove him to a failed suicide attempt that would then land him in an asylum for 18 months. That time would set about a spiritual renewal
Read more