The Overwhelming Importance of Christians Understanding Our Great and Constant Need For Almighty God!

07 Jun 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Scrip-Bit   7 June 2026   Psalm 22:19.

Psalm 22:19.         ‘But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.’ 

It’s a new day friends, in particular, the Lord’s Day, or as we call it Sunday. That means we ought to get out there sometime today to the Lord’s sanctuary and fellowship with other believers, offering up thanks and praise while receiving confidence and strength to face the upcoming week.  And today’s song of praise is indeed a beautiful and truthful one, and most appropriately titled, ‘I Need Thee Every Hour.’ The hymn was written in 1872 by Annie Sherwood Hawks, the American poet and gospel hymnist, but this one seems to be the one she’s best known for. Her pastor Robert Lowry apparently wrote the music and added the chorus.

And according to Ms. Hawks:  “For myself, the hymn was prophetic rather than expressive of my own experiences, for it was wafted out to the world on the wings of LOVE and joy, instead of under the stress of personal sorrow.” And that’s good to hear, for so many great songs have been written in times of sorrow and under great duress. And what’s the theme of the song?  Basically, the lyrics suggest a constant need for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ at all times in our lives…and that’s no lie!

So having said all of that, let’s now offer up our sweet sacrifices of praise in a most heartfelt and sincere mid–tempo version, (a la Nathan Drake’s version on his Hymns of the Spirit album), so that everyone will know that we truly mean what we sing. Singing: ‘I need thee every hour, Most gracious Lord, No tender voice like thine, Can peace afford. (Chorus: I need thee oh I need thee, Every hour I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee.) I need thee every hour, Stay thou near by, Temptations lose their power, When thou art nigh

(Chorus) I need thee every hour, In joy or pain, Come quickly and abide, or life is vain. (Chorus) I need thee every hour; teach me thy will, and thy rich promises in me fulfill. (Chorus) I need thee every hour, Most holy one, Oh make me thine indeed Thou blessed Son. (Chorus: I need thee oh I need thee, Every hour I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee. I need thee, Oh I need thee, Oh bless me now my Saviour, I come to thee…I come to thee…’ 

Yes  my fellow believers, that was truly beautiful, and all heaven knew that we meant exactly what we sang. So what’s there to be said about the song? Plenty. But we obviously don’t have time and space to say it all. Let’s therefore pick and choose a few juicy and relevant bits. (smile) First off, it’s said that the scripture reference for the title ‘I Need Thee Every Hour’ echoes the cries of Bruh David in Psalm 22, a Plea for God’s Presence. And the particular verse it refers to is, ‘But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.’ s  (Ps. 22:19) And I’m sure that’s a cry all of us have shouted at one time or another, desperately seeking the Lord’s help in our time of need.

It’s also been said that the first printing of the song carried the scripture reference of John 15:5, which we all know, says: ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ And if that isn’t the gospel truth, then I don’t know what is. For without Christ prominently in our lives, we are lost and alone like little fish in a big pond. But with Him featuring in our lives, we’re capable of great miracles.

And as per that line in the beginning of the song says; ‘No tender voice like thine, Can peace afford,’ it’s been said to mean,  ‘No “other” voice than yours, can bring the peace that your voice brings, O Lord. There’s a tenderness in the voice of Jesus, that nothing else can quite compare to.’ That’s more gospel truth my people. Only the awesome, LOVING and tender voice of God can truly instill the peace and calm we truly need in these strife-filled and evil times.

But the most touching aspect of this song is found in an excerpt from an article on the hymn by Jon Bloom from the desiringGod.org website. In the words of Annie Hawks, re the hymn and its origins. ‘One day as a young wife and mo­ther of 37 years of age, I was bu­sy with my re­gu­lar house­hold tasks. Sud­den­ly, I be­came so filled with the sense of near­ness to the Mas­ter that, won­der­ing how one could live with­out Him, eit­her in joy or pain, these words, I Need Thee Ev­ery Hour, were ush­ered in­to my mind, the thought at once tak­ing full pos­ses­sion of me…

I did not un­der­stand at first why this hymn had touched the great throb­bing heart of humanity. It was not un­til long af­ter, when the sha­dow fell ov­er my way, the sha­dow of a great loss, that I un­der­stood som­ething of the com­fort­ing pow­er in the words which I had been pe­rmi­tted to give out to oth­ers in my hour of sweet se­re­ni­ty and peace.’

Yes friends, the Lord seldom allows us to write or sing stuff without knowing what it means on a personal level. And I can testify to that, as ofttimes I’ve written stuff in the Bit, and before I could even finish it, I was called upon to testify to it in my personal life. And it’s tough that it was only long after in her time of sorrow that she realized the true benefits of what the Lord had put in her heart. But then we all know the Lord moves in mysterious ways; ways that we can never understand, but nonetheless we need to put our utmost faith and trust in Him, because He’s our Creator, Lord and Saviour and knows what’s best for us, at all times.

And we’ll end on this marvellous note from one commentary. ‘It is not the skill of the hymn’s construction that makes it so powerful. It is the colossal truth it so beautifully expresses. O I Need Thee! We need God. It is not until we feel in the depths of our souls our utter poverty without Christ, our bankruptcy of any inherent righteousness, the impotence of our own strength and self-sufficient planning, our inconsolable loneliness when we are out of fellowship with God, the pathetic pretentiousness of our pathological pride, the hollow emptiness of all the godless gain of the world, our utter helplessness in the face of personal, institutional, cosmic, and molecular evil, that we know just how much we need God.’

And I certainly hope and pray, that all of us, at some time before it’s too late, will personally come to know, understand and action the overwhelming need we have for God! Much LOVE!

…we need to feel that urgent need for Jesus…for where real need is not felt…praying is at a minimum…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 23 October 2019 Psalm 22:19.

23 Oct 2019 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 22:19.    ​But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
 

Well it looks like it’s going to be a sunshiny day! Thank the Lord for that, as well as for life and LOVE in this crazy, disturbed world. Oh, and we must also thank the Lord for a new desktop computer, no more fighting to get the old one logged in. But I can’t really complain too much, because ole trusty gave me yeoman service over the more than ten years I used it. But I guess it’s time to move on now, move from the 18th to the 21st century. But I’m not going easily; I’m kicking and screaming in opposition! (smile) 

And in keeping with our theme yesterday of waiting on God’s timing, here is this somewhat contradictory poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin. It’s appropriately titled: ‘Could You Hurry A Little?’ Please pray with me: ‘Lord, I know there are countless times When I must wait patiently for You. Waiting develops endurance. It strengthens my faith And deepens my dependence on You. I know You are Sovereign God – Not an errand boy Responding to the snap of my finger. I know Your timing is neatly wrapped In Your incomparable wisdom. But, Lord You have appointed prayer To obtain answers! Even David the Psalmist cried With confident boldness: “It is time, O Lord, for you to act.” God, on this silent sunless morning when I am hedged in on every side I too cry boldly. You are my Father, and I am Your child. So, Lord, could You hurry a little?’ 

Ah friends, that’s what most of us would like the Lord to do in the trying situations of our lives. But as the poet said, the Lord’s not our errand boy to jump to our rescue when we snap our fingers. He is the Sovereign Ruler of the universe and our times are in His hands, we must wait until He is ready to move. And yes, that’s often difficult to do when we are facing danger or serious life problems. But then again, as the poet says, the Lord has given us prayer so we can get answers, so there’s nothing wrong in crying out to Him for help, like Bruh David so often did. 

And today’s Bit is the Bible promise for our poem, taken from Psalm 22 – Bruh David’s cry of anguish and song of praise. ‘But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.’ It’s a very legitimate cry, and many times, when the Lord thinks it’s necessary, He will jump right in and help us. But at other times, in His incomparable wisdom, He allows us to go through some stuff, oftentimes to test us, or to build our faith, since it’s only in times of affliction that we can truly build our faith. 

And don’t feel badly if you don’t get an answer to your cry for help right away, because even Jesus on the cross, when He cried out in serious affliction, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt.27:46) You’ll notice He did not get an answer. So if Christ can cry out for an answer in such a serious situation and get none, who are we to complain when we don’t get any, especially when many of our cries are really petty, selfish outbursts. And it’s interesting to note, that the same cry that Jesus used on the cross is the same one that Bruh David began this psalm with: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring (groaning).’ (Ps.22:1) 

There again, if Bruh David, God’s friend and a man after His own heart can cry out for help and receive no answer, who are we to make a fuss eh? Yeh people, Bruh David was certainly between a rock and a hard place with enemies all around, and obviously felt forsaken by God, when he wrote: ‘O my God. I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.’ (Ps.22:2) Many of us can identify with that, but here’s why Bruh David earned the Lord’s mercy and friendship. ‘But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded (ashamed).’ (Ps.22:3-5)) 

Yeh friends, Bruh David never forgot the goodness of God to his forefathers, and rightly reasoned that if He helped them, He would also help him. So much so that later on in the psalm, he sincerely declares: ‘Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me (answered me) from the horns of the unicorns (from the horns of the wild oxen). I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.’ (Ps.22:21-22) Oh my people, can we make such a bold declaration based on the many good things the Lord has already done for us? 

Unfortunately, many of us are still ashamed of the Lord and refuse to acknowledge Him in public, but please remember Jesus’ words: ‘Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.’ (Matt.10:32-33) As always, Jesus puts it plainly and to the point. If you can’t acknowledge Him in public, He won’t acknowledge you before his Father. That means you can’t be a secret Christian in our free religious society! 

So for those of us who are not ashamed to acknowledge Jesus in public, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting all and sundry know of our wonderful position in Him. In strong, sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ And if we continue steadfastly in that role, then the future will indeed be glorious; much more than we can ask or imagine! Much LOVE!

…if you truly LOVE Jesus…then you must shout it…from the mountain tops…

Today’s Scrip-Bit 20 October 2015 Psalm 22:19

20 Oct 2015 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 22:19.   But be not thou far from me O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 

Oh Friends, it’s a mea culpa kind of morning! I went to bed real late this morning, and got up much later than I expected or wanted to. I guess the good Lord in His everlasting wisdom decided I just needed the rest, or He simply left me to my own devices, and we see how that panned out. (smile) 

Anyway today is an historic day in the annals of Canadian history! Yes mih people, the winds of change have blown across this country in a most remarkable way. We now have a new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau and a new governing party, the Liberals, after yesterday’s Federal Elections. 

The Conservative Government under Stephen Harper, which has mismanaged the country for almost a decade, got their most deserving walking papers. Glory to God! 

Let’s hope now that the micro-management, the secrecy, the draconian laws which have brought us to the reality of a police state, the widespread corruption and the nonchalance towards the ordinary working man, in favour of the rich and famous will now stop, or at least be substantially reduced. 

And would you believe that yesterday a wicked windstorm blew across my area all day, possibly heralding the significant change in government. Let’s hope too that the big knock against Trudeau, his youth, merely thirty something, doesn’t affect his governing. At least he doesn’t seem to be as arrogant as His father, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, who ran the country from 1968-1979, and 1980-84. 

Notwithstanding that though, Pierre Elliot was possibly the most popular Prime Minster in our history. Let’s hope though that Justin does have the wisdom, the belly and backbone that his father had, and a true penchant for improving the entire country, not just the rich and famous. 

Anyway, enough politics for today. I’m not a political animal, but I do take some interest in the goings ons around me. (smile) And since today is Tuesday, a wet and cloudy day in my area, we need to declare our Tuesday mantra. Or as the person who wrote it, Bobby Schuller, Gramps Schuller’s grandson, likes to call it, the Creed of the Beloved. 

So all together now: ‘I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world.  Amen!’ 

And that’s exactly how we have to view this life my brethren! The most important aspect of our lives is that we are the children of the Most High God Jehovah! That’s what defines us, nothing else! 

And I just could not pass up this poem from our One Year Book of Bible Promises with writings by Ruth Harms Caulkin, as it is very reflective of our behaviour. It’s titled: ‘Could You Hurry a Little.’ 

And it says: ‘Lord, I know there are countless times When I must wait patiently for You. Waiting develops endurance. It strengthens my faith And deepens my dependence on You. I know You are a Sovereign God – Not an errand boy Responding to the snap of my finger. I know Your timing is neatly wrapped In Your incomparable wisdom. 

But, Lord You have appointed prayer To obtain answers! Even David the Psalmist cried With confident boldness: “It is time, O Lord, for you to act.” God, on this silent sunless morning When I am hedged in on every side I too cry boldly. You are my Father, and I am Your child. So, Lord, could You hurry a little?’ 

Oh my fellow believers, I’m sure that many of us have prayed that kind of prayer many a time! And nothing’s really wrong with it, except that too many of us tend to treat the Lord our Mighty God as an errand boy. 

Yes Friends, we often don’t remember Him until there is a problem in our life, then we cry out to Him and expect Him to run and fix it. But that’s a totally false image and manner of dealing with Almighty God. 

Please remember that He is the Master and we are His humble servants. We are here to do His bidding, not the other way around. And though we are entitled to cry out to Him for help, we also are required to wait patiently on His timing, which is NEVER wrong or late. 

And the promise on which that poem was based, is also our Bit for today. ‘But be not thou far from me O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.’ 

Yes Friends, that was Bruh David crying out for the Lord’s help in one of his many times of trouble. And as I said before, we are also entitled to cry out to our heavenly Father for help. We just need to live obediently to His will during the remainder of the time, if we truly expect Him to help us when adversity rears its ugly head. 

We simply cannot live the way we want to, enmeshed in the affairs of this wicked and godless world, then when times get tough, run to Him and expect immediate succour. 

And we’ll end today with the remainder of Bruh David’s cry for help. ‘Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling (precious life) from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns (and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered me). 

I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the Lord, praise him: all ye the seed (descendants) of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him (hold him in awesome reverence), all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.’ (Ps.22:20-24) 

Yes my people, that’s the awesome promise of our ever-LOVING God: when we consistently live for and praise Him in our daily lives, then we are entitled to cry out to Him for help in times of trouble. And as Bruh David so rightly says, He never turns away from the afflicted, but hears him. Now that’s a promise we can stand steadfast on! Much LOVE!

…for a true believer…cries of anguish…should always be interspersed with songs of praise…