Abide
with me – A presence at eventide
Shortly before we left England, on the weekend 3/4th May
1997, my wife and I visited a small Corps (church) at Brixham, a coastal town
in Devon to conduct services. It was in this
small town that the hymn ‘Abide with me’ was written.
The author Henry F Lyte (1793-1847)
pastored a poor parish church among the fisher folk in Brixham. He battled with
asthma and tuberculosis throughout his life. Despite physical frailty, he
laboured diligently and was much loved by the people. When admonished to spare
himself, he coined the well known phrase, ‘It is better to wear out than to
rust out.’
His health worsened and he was forced to
seek for warmer climate in Italy.
It was recorded that he almost had to crawl to the pulpit to preach his last
sermon in 1847. Shortly before his move, weakened by lung disease and sorrowing
to leave his parish, he walked by the sea with a very heavy heart. He watched
the setting sun and the thought came to him, his own life was ebbing at the
close of ‘life’s little day.’ During those sad moments he pondered the prayer.
He returned to his study and wrote the poem “Abide with me.’
Francis Lyte never made it to Italy. He was
overtaken by death en route.
The poem was based on Christ’s appearance
to His two disciples on the Emmaus
Road and their request ‘Abide with us, for it is
toward evening, and the day is far spent.’ (Luke 24: 29) The tune was composed
in just ten minutes by William Monk (1823-1889) who wrote it while experiencing
deep personal sorrow.
Every believer travels on the road of
disappointment and sorrow at times. We get discouraged and ask questions. The
risen Lord comes alongside us, sometimes unrecognised. He walks with us, talks
with us and opens to us the glowing meaning of His word and His mighty work on
our behalf.
The words of the hymn are essentially about
death, hence it is often used at funerals, but we need not confine to such
occasions. It can be our daily prayer as we ponder over the ebbing tide of life,
the deepening darkness as we read the newspapers and watch the television
screen, the fading glories as we think of global warming and consequences for
us. The song climaxes with the shadows fleeing before the breaking of heaven’s
morning.
As we journey through life, we all need the
abiding presence of God’s Holy Spirit. Make this your prayer today.
‘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, O abide with me.’
(SASB 670 verse 3)
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