“BE WITH ME, LORD”

“For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” 

Hebrews 13:5

The world that each of us lives in is composed of many parts. Our daily routine of work and play is part, and all the people that fit into those routines are also a part. The greater part of our world is the invisible members of the heavenly family, our God, who always walks beside us and the members of our family that we can take for granted. Although they are always there, a day arrives when they vanish from our lives and leave a great empty spot that aches without remedy. In those moments, we are alone except for our God, who is full of tender mercy. Be with me Lord, when loneliness overtakes me. Sickness such as the COVID-19 even further isolates us. We have been in quarantine now for two weeks, but we are not alone when Jesus remains nearby. He is closer to us than anyone else.

The song “Be With Me, Lord” is a beautiful song that reminds us of life’s circumstances in which God’s children want the Lord to be with them to help them bear the loads of life that so often are too heavy for us to bear without God’s help and strength.  We dare not take one step alone, for it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.

“I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.”  (Jer. 10:23)

In our lives, we have loads or burdens that we cannot bear alone without the Lord’s help.  He wants us to cast them on Him, for He loves and cares for us.  He will sustain us and will not allow us to be moved.  Thus we must choose to trust Him and look to Him for strength to help us bear life’s loads of burdens.  With God on our side and the strength that He provides us, we can do all things (Phil 4:13).

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”  (Psalm 55:22)

Indeed, in this life, we will have to face fiery trials and storms of tribulation.  All faithful Christians must face and bear the lashing seas (tribulations) which leap everywhere about us.  God has told us that to enter His kingdom, we must go through many tribulations.  However, these fiery trials and storms of tribulations will not harm us or make us afraid, for He who has promised is faithful and has promised us that He will be with us and carry us under His mighty wings of protection.  If God is with us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31).  Our merciful and loving God has promised us that He will help and strengthen us.

“Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”  (Acts 14:22)

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”  (1 Pet. 4:12)

We must walk various journeys throughout life. No matter what journey we must walk through life, we must acknowledge that every good and perfect gift, including God’s abiding presence, comes down from above.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (Jas. 1:17)

God has promised us that He will abide in us if we keep His Word.

“Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”  (Jn. 14:23)

Wherever we are, our Lord has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the world (Matt. 28:20).

As we walk our journey here on earth, we will have to face loneliness and pain.  There will be times in life when we must weep amid the fires of pain (Ps. 6:6-8).  One such time will be the hour of our departure for worlds unknown (2 Tim. 4:6).  And though we must walk through the valley of the shadow of death, our gracious Lord has promised to be with us (Ps. 23:4).


CONCLUSION:

The more I walk life’s various journeys here on earth, the more I become aware that I must bow before my God and humbly beseech His help, simply asking,

“Be With Me, Lord. I cannot live without Thee; I dare not to try to take one step alone.  I cannot bear the loads of life unaided.  I need Thy strength to lean myself upon.”

May we cast our heavy burdens on Him, for He loves and cares for us.  May we choose to trust Him and look to Him for strength to help us bear life’s loads of burdens.  He will sustain us and will not allow us to be moved.  May we acknowledge that with God on our side and the strength that He provides, we can do all things (Phil 4:13).


Luci


I hope the words of this moving song will stir your soul the way it does mine.

“Be with me, Lord, I cannot live without Thee;

I dare not try to take one step alone.

I cannot bear the loads of life unaided;

I need Thy strength to lean myself upon.”

“Be with me, Lord, and then if dangers threaten,

If storms of trial burst above my head,

If lashing seas leap everywhere about me,

They cannot harm or make my heart afraid.”

“Be with me, Lord, no other gift or blessing

Thou couldst bestow could with this one compare:

A constant sense of Thy abiding presence,

Where’er I am to feel that Thou art near.”

“Be with me, Lord, when loneliness o’ertakes me,

When I must weep amid the fires of pain;

And when shall come the hour of ‘my departure’

For ‘worlds unknown,’ O Lord, be with me then.”