Monday, July 28, 2014

Hymn of the Month -- Lord, I Need You

We often sang I Need Thee Every Hour, in our church growing up. Written in 1872, it's found in the Watchfulness and Prayer section of my 1951 Hymns of the Living Faith. "I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord; No tender voice like thine can peace afford. I need thee, O I need thee; every hour I need thee; O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee." It's a song of submission to the only one whose voice offers peace, who helps us overcome temptation, who is with us in joy or pain, the Holy One.

This is one of the old hymns that has been made new in recent years, offering the truths that the church grew up on to the younger generation. This past Sunday morning at church we sang Lord, I Need You, the update by Chris Tomlin and Christy Nockles. It fit perfectly with Pastor Sam's  message about Psalm 63, and Joscelyn's solo, Grace by Laura Story, a reminder of how much we need God's grace.

Take a few minutes to read Psalm 63 before you listen to these two songs. In Psalm 63, the heart cry of David is for God. "My whole being thirsts for you," he says. Consider the longing expressed in this psalm, the desperation. David knew his satisfaction came from God alone, and his response was praise. Pastor Sam told us to replace the words "the king will rejoice in God" in verse 11 with "I, (fill in the blank with your own name), will rejoice in God." He is your help; you can sing in the shadow of his wings!

Might the scripture and these two songs bless you today and play through your mind as this new week unfolds.



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