he that abideth in me and I in him

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: a constant need for Jesus, A Plea for God's Presence, a prophetic hymn, a tenderness in the voice of Jesus to which nothing else compares, Annie sherwood hawks, Be not thou far from me O Lord, been permitted to give out to others, before it's too late, bless me now my Saviour, busy with regular household tasks, can peace afford, come quickly and abide, either in joy or pain, every hour I need thee, faith, feel in the depths of our soul, fellowship, God knows what's best for us, haste to help me, he that abideth in me and I in him, heartfelt, holy spirit, I am the vine ye are the branches, I come to thee, I need thee every hour, I need thee oh I need thee, in, in joy or pain, it so beautifully expresses, Jesus Christ, life is vain, like little fish in a big pond, LOVE, make me thine indeed, mercy, most gracious Lord, most holy one, my hour of sweet serenity and peace, need to put our utmost faith and trust in God, no tender voice like thine, not an expression of personal experience, not the the skill of the hymn's construction, O my strength, offering thanks and praise, on the wings of love and joy, only the tender voice of Jesus can fill us with true peace, our inconsolable loneliness, our utter helplessness in the face of evil, our utter poverty without Christ, out of fellowship with God, personal testimony, praying is at a minimum, receiving confidence and strength, Robert Lowry, salvation, seeking the Lord's help in times of need, self-sufficient planning, sincere, song of praise, stay thou nearby, sweet sacrifices of praise, taking full possession of me, teach me thy will, temptations lose their power, the colossal truth, the godless gain of the world, the gospel truth, the hollow emptiness, the impotence of our own strength, the Lord moves in mysterious ways, the Lord's Day, the most touching aspect of the song, the pathetic pretentiousness of our pathological pride, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the shadow fell over my way, the shadow of a great loss, the stress of personal sorrow, the thought, these strife-filled and evil times, these words were ushered into my mind, thou blessed Son, thy rich promises in me fulfill, to face the upcoming week, touched the great throbbing heart of humanity, truth, understood something of the comforting power in the words, wafted out to the world, ways we can never understand, we know just how much we need God, when thou art nigh, wisdom, without Christ we are lost, without me ye can do nothing, wondering how could one live without God

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

The Necessity for Christians to Stay Close to Christ in Order to Bear Good Fruit!

29 Apr 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: a sense of purpose, abide in me and I in you, all have room for improvement, backed up by strong faith, become better Christians, catch our second wind, Chrisitanity, come up higher, commit thy works unto the Lord, Easter celebrations, endure to the end with Jesus, except it abide in the vine, except you abide in me, eyes fixed straight ahead, faith, finite minds, get left behind, getting closer to Christ, God always makes a way for us to endure our problems, God always pulled me through, God creating paths where it seems impossible, God is faithful, God will not suffer you to be tempted more than you can bear, good disciples of Christ, grown in faith and patience, halfway home, hands on the plough, he that abideth in me and I in him, holy spirit, how has our Christian witness improved, I am the vine ye are the branches, I will do a new thing, Jesus Christ, lose some of your enthusiasm when you're sick, LOVE, make a way in the wilderness, mercy, more beneficial to go through the problem, need to pay attention, never give up, New Year's resolution, no more can ye, no one to blame but ourselves, not go along lackadaisically, not that we are sufficient of ourselves, not turning back, now it shall spring forth, on His timetable not mine, our duty is to bear good fruit, our faith needs to rise up and be strong, our sufficiency is of God, physical inability to get around, rivers in the desert, salvation, shall ye not know it, sickness is not easy road to travel, sit up and take notice, so glad to be alive, stay attached to Christ, stick to Jesus like white on rice, such as is common to man, thank God, the BIBLE, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the breath of life is still flowing through me, the jet stream of quickly moving days, the living truth, the same bringeth forth much fruit, there hath no temptation taken you, thy thoughts shall be established, to a glorious future with Jesus, to follow Jesus more closely this year, to think any thing of ourselves, to truly live for Christ, truth, Wednesday Wail, will also make a way of escape, wisdom, with God's help, with the temptation, witha s sense of prupose, without me ye can do nothing, ye may be able to bear it

John 15:4. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.’

So we’ve come to Wednesday…already? Yes, already, for the days are not waiting on us, and we’d better catch our second wind today before the week runs away with us. (smile) On a serious note though, that can easily happen if we’re not paying attention to what’s going on around us, and when it does happen, we have no one to blame but ourselves. So please, let’s sit up and take notice of what’s happening around us, if we don’t want to get left behind in the jet stream of these quickly moving days.

And talking about that, do you realize that tomorrow is the last day of April, a month which just recently began with the Easter celebrations. That means we’ve completed four months of the year already and it’s time to look at how our New Years resolution is going. Do you even remember that? Yes, we made a New Year’s resolution to follow Jesus more closely and become better Christians than we were last year. So how has that worked out so far? Have we indeed been getting closer to Christ, being like the branch that abides in Him, with Him abiding in us?

Remember what He said, ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.’ (John 15:4) And remember one of our duties as His follower is to bear good fruit, which we cannot do unless we abide in Jesus, stick close to him like white on rice. As he 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.’ (John 15:5)

And isn’t that the living truth! Without Jesus we cannot do a whole lot; certainly not bring forth good fruit like He and the Father desire. That’s why, if we want to be good disciples of Christ, we have to always stay close, stay attached to Him, so the sap from His vine can flow into our branches and cause us to bear much good fruit. And Bruh Paul also reminds us that without the Lord we are not able to do much, when he writes: ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;’ (2 C0r. 3:5)

So again, the question is, have we improved our Chrisitan witness in the last four months? I think I have made some improvement, but I’ve also slacked off some. The problem stems from my constantly being sick for so much of the year. The sickness wasn’t an easy road to travel, still isn’t, but I believe it has grown my faith and patience some. (smile) For at times I just had to rely on the Lord’s goodness and mercy to pull me through. And in all occasions, He eventually did, but on His timetable, not mine. (smile)

However, it’s also prevented me from doing some of the good things I wanted to do. For when you are in a state of poor health, you lose some of your enthusiasm as well as the physical ability to get around and make things happen. But the important things is that we haven’t given up, and we’re not going to either. We have to keep believing that whatever the Lord allows into our lives, is for a purpose that He considers necessary, even if we don’t, and He won’t give us more than we can bear, or if He does, He will make a way for us.

It’s like the scripture says: ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’ (Is. 43:19) That’s one of God’s many promises to see us through our difficult times. Of God creating paths where there seems to be no way for Him to do so. But we need to be paying attention, we cannot just go along lackadaisically, but with a sense of purpose backed up by strong faith.

Meanwhile in Proverbs, Cousin Sol tells us: ‘Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.’ (Prov. 16:3) That means first talking to God about our plans before trying to institute them in our own strength. And if He agrees, then we know they will be successful. Then we have this verse from Bruh Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, that so many of us use to quell our worries in difficult situations. ‘There hath no temptation taken (overtaken) you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear (endure) it.’ (1 Cor. 10:13)

Yes friends, there are many times when we believe the Lord gives us more than we can bear, and sometimes He might, (smile) but He’s also promised that if that happens, He will always make a way for us to endure the problem. And that’s where our faith needs to rise up and be strong, for we always want to escape the problem, but sometimes it’s more beneficial for us to go through it with God’s help, because that’s where our faith and trust in Almighty God are truly increased. And today is a good day to sit and ponder how we’ve done so far in regards to our New Year’s resolution, and as always, with God’s help try to come up higher, for we all have room for improvement. (smile)

Now, let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. As one strong and 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 for those who stick with Jesus right to the very end, it’s been promised that they will enjoy a future so glorious that their finite minds cannot even imagine it. So let’s use that as ammunition to stick with Christ to the very end nuh, so that we can enjoy that more than glorious future together! Much LOVE!

…to truly live for Christ…Christ must be in you…and you in Him…

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

The Overwhelming Importance for Christians to Increase Intimacy with God and thus Enjoy the Full Benefits of Their Faith!

21 Mar 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: abide in me and I in you, answering to a surly boss, at thy right hand are pleasures for ever more, Chrisitans, deepen my breath, difficult the way, difficult to stay on the straight and narrow path, don't boast of earthly wealth, don't receive the full benefit of being a believer, enjoying the material things of the world, enter ye in at the strait gate, enveloped by a feeling of peace and calm, essential to accessing the ability to get wealth, establish His covenant, established it upon the floods, eternal life, everything in the world belongs to God, except it abide in the vine, except ye abide in me, faith, few there be that find it, for selfish gain, get intimate with God, God will eventually extinguish the lights of the wicked, he hath founded it upon the seas, he that abideth in me and I in him, hobnobbing with Beelzebub, holy spirit, how narrow is the gate, I am the vine ye are the branches, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, in all sincerity and truth, in thy presence is fullness of joy, increase my awareness of you today, it is he that giveth thee the power to get wealth, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, mankind is a wanderer, many there be that go in thereat, master of your own destiny, mercy, narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, no more can ye, promotes humility over personal grind, quiet my soul, relax my mucsles, remember the Lord thy god, remembering the Lord, salvation, sell your soul to God not Satan, shew me the path of life, slow my thoughts, stewards of God's things, sware unto thy fathers, thank you for this tenderness, the BIBLE, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the fullness of life in Christ, the Lord' likes getting intimate with us, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the world and they that dwell therein, to bask in his wonderful presence, to bless others, to love and be loved in return, truth, use earthly wealth t support God's kingdom, warms the cockles of God's heart, we ask God for mostly material things, wealth is to be used to bless others not for selfish gain, wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, wisdom, without God man is of little use, without me ye can do nothing, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present

Psalm 16:11. ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures for ever more.’

Oh boy! At last it’s our lazy-day Saturday, where most of us can do whatever we desire without any serious consequences. And isn’t it good to know, that if only for one day, you are master of your own destiny? (smile) You can laze, sleep, eat, read, do whatever, at least for a short while, without answering to a surly boss, except maybe your spouse. (smile) But it’s certainly good to be free from the clutches of a demanding job. However, before we get too comfortable, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all sincerity and truth.

As one strong voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’

And friends, I can never get over the feeling of peace and calm that envelops me when I sincerely pray that prayer. That’s because the Lord relishes the fact that we choose to get intimate with Him, for that’s one of the reasons He created us in the first place…to LOVE and be LOVED in return. And there’s nothing that warms the cockles of His heart like when we come to Him with sincere LOVE in our hearts, just seeking to get closer to Him, not asking for anything else but His warm and wonderful presence.

The problem though is that too few of us believers do that. When most of us go to God, it’s always to ask for some material thing, not to simply be with Him. And that’s why many of us don’t get the full benefit of being a believer, because as Bruh David says in Psalm 16 – A Plea for God’s Protection: ‘Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures for ever more.’ (Ps. 16:11) Yes friends, it’s only when we get really intimate with God, that we truly see and thus enjoy the fullness of the life He’s prepared for us.

And that’s why Jesus said: ‘Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate (how narrow is the gate, and narrow (difficult or confined) is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ (Matt. 7:13-14) Yuh better believe it my people; the good life is hard to find because it doesn’t allow plenty wandering, and mankind, by nature, is a wanderer.

So to find the good, true and joyful earthly life, that leads to salvation and eternal life, one has to stay close to God. And Jesus said it very clearly when He spoke thus to the disciples. ‘Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 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.’ (John 15:4-5)

Now that’s telling it like it is! Without Jesus in our lives we can do nothing truly worthwhile! So why aren’t many more of us anxiously scrambling to be with him eh? Possibly because it’s too difficult to stay on the straight and narrow path, and we are much more comfortable on the broad and winding way of the world, enjoying the material things it has to offer. But friends, the Lord can give us more than anyone else can, because as Bruh David says in Psalm 24: ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein.’ (Ps. 24:1)

Yes, everything and everyone in the world belongs to God: ‘For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods (rivers).’ (Ps. 24:2) And furthermore, as Moses wisely informed the Jewish people: ‘But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.’ (Deut. 8:18) So, which ever way you look at it, everything comes from God; the Creator and Controller of the universe.

And as this commentary tells us: ‘Based on Deuteronomy 8:18, God gives the power, ability, and wisdom to create wealth, not just the money directly. This power enables individuals to establish His covenant and bless others, rather than for selfish gain. Remembering the Lord is essential to accessing this ability, which promotes humility over personal grind.’ And we had better pay close heed to that last sentence, for if we don’t remember the Lord we will certainly be lacking in power to get wealth.

Oh my people, what we need to realize is that you don’t only get wealth by running it down, or by hobnobbing with Beelzebub and his evil cronies. No, the best way to get wealth is turn to God; sell your soul to Him instead of to Satan, for whatever Satan has, also comes from God the Creator. Let’s never forget, that like us, Satan and all those who rebelled against God are also created creatures, and when God is ready, He will extinguish their lights.

And for your information, there are many wealthy Christians, but you will hardly notice them, because they don’t boast of their earthly wealth, but instead quietly use it to support God’s kingdom on earth. And therein lies the real difference between those who possess earthly wealth; some boast of it, while others quietly use it for the good of others. Let’s hope that we too will not boast about whatever we may possess, because in the long run it all belongs to God, and we are only stewards or managers of it down here on earth, and like good stewards, let’s use it to support God’s earthly kingdom! Much LOVE!

… without God, his Creator…mankind is of little use…

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

SCRIP-BITS

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

The Necessity for Christians to Stay Close to Christ in Order to Bear Good Fruit!

The Overwhelming Importance for Christians to Increase Intimacy with God and thus Enjoy the Full Benefits of Their Faith!

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