Abide With Me

As I was riding a bus through Cairo today I couldn't help but notice the amount of security forces around the city who had been placed to help keep Christians safe as they attended Christmas-eve services tonight (Coptic Christmas is on January 7). To be honest, there is a pretty tight atmosphere in Egypt as a result of the strife. For some reason however, the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the bomb squads and soldiers was the hymn, Abide With Me.

The music to this hymn is very beautiful, I encourage you to check it out on YouTube or something. The words were written by an European man named Henry F. Lyte. Mr. Lyte actually wrote the first four stanzas of the song in his younger days before his conversion experience. Later, while on his death bed, his wife came upon the four stanzas and showed them to him. The last verse was penned the night before Henry Lyte passed away, concluding the hymn that illustrates a heart of humble trust in the Helper of the helpless.

Abide with me: fast falls the even tide;
The Darkness deepens; Lord with me abide!
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see.
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

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, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, they victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies:
Heav'ns morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

- Henry F. Lyte


JE