Abide with Me (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 629)
1 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, oh, abide with me.
2 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.
3 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?
Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me.
4 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!
5 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.
Devotion
Jesus has, Jesus does, Jesus will—abide.
I love this hymn, as one of those “family hymns” we sing at all significant events. It is honest. It is earnest. It is faithful. I wondered some years ago if this hymn was the writer’s pleading to God, when feeling alone or abandoned or scared. But I’m not so sure that is the case.
I think it is an incredibly thoughtful and profound statement of faith. There is not only a confidence that Jesus has abided throughout life, but that no matter what will come next, the abiding will continue. It is ongoing. It reminds us of a reality that we ourselves can forget. When the struggles of today seem overwhelming and the anxieties of today are too much, know that Jesus abides with you. Always!
Prayer
Hold the cross before our eyes, O God, and assure us by your grace that where we go, you are already there. Abiding. Amen.