Tag: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Hymns 2.0 – Abide With Me

On October 4, 2023

Lyrics (click here to hear instrumental)

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, 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 pow’r?
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, thy 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’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Henry F. Lyte, 1847

The History Behind the Hymn

It was composed one Sabbath evening in 1847 out of a deep sadness that had settled down upon its author, the Rev. Henry F. Lyte. He had conducted his last communion service that day at the close of a pastorate of twenty-four years at Brixham, England. A fatal illness had already seized him and he was about to leave England to prolong his life, if possible, in the South.

Toward evening he walked down his garden path to the seaside and there thought out the imagery and many of the lines of his famous hymn. Into this he has woven the sense of change and of helplessness that one must feel in the presence of death, and also the trustful dependence upon Jesus Christ, the “Help of the helpless,” which every true Christian must feel in that solemn hour.

Returning to his home, he wrote out the hymn, perfecting its lines and giving to the Christian world one of its tenderest prayer-hymns. He left at once for the south of France, and soon after his arrival in Nice his strength failed him, and whispering the words, “Peace! Joy!” while he was pointing his hand heavenward, he died.

“Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!”
Carl Price’s One Hundred and One Hymn Stories

A Lesson for Me

Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

I am certain that I am not the only one who has felt as Pastor Lyte did during his final trial. I absolutely love Isaiah 40:31! I don’t believe it is speaking of physical strength here. This kind of strength can only be given by the LORD Himself! Let’s face it, I have nothing in me that will put me on top when I am smack dab in the middle of a trial. So what is this “renewed strength”? It is a spiritual boost, if you will, that the Lord gives me when I have reached the end of my rope. The Lord shows up when I feel as though I am hanging by the smallest strand. It is at that very moment that I feel Him. Whether it is through a Bible verse, a phone call from a friend, or His beautiful creation as I walk in the park.

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.

Message for today

Are you at the end of your rope, Christian? Do you feel as though you cannot take one more burden or you will be crushed beneath the weight of it all? I doubt very much that any trial can be as horrible as what the Apostle Paul withstood. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 tells us what he went through but his faith did not waiver. He experienced whippings, imprisonment, beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked, weariness, painfulness, hunger, thirst, cold, naked and so much more. I am not trying to belittle anyone’s hardships and trials. Every one of us has a trial that the Lord has allowed us to go through. Each trial molds and draws us to His side.

2 Cor 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; (4) Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Every trial we experience should have a two-fold result:

To help others who are going through the same trial, and
To obtain our own comfort from the God of all comfort!

Praise the Lord that I do not serve an inanimate object, like gods made with hands. We serve the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who created us and fashioned us in our mother’s womb! He knows every fiber of my being. My Saviour condescended to my human level so he could experience everything a human being experiences. This same Lord knows your pain; He intimately knows every detail. Therefore, when you run to Him as Pastor Lyte did when he wrote this hymn, you will receive the same comfort as he did.

I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

As I have cried to my Lord many a time, I need thy presence, He has not failed me once! He has brought me through the clouds of despair and given me sunshine in my soul. I cannot, nor will not, look elsewhere for my strength but at the feet of the One who can strengthen me as I wait on Him.

If you are not truly born-again, there is coming a time when it will be too late for you to repent and be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Comfort During the End Times – Day 16

By Kate Plourde

On April 5, 2023

In Comfort During the End Times, Devotionals

Good morning, Reader! Today’s Scripture verses pricks my heart! Most believers see the Heavenly Father as a God of love and judgment. But they don’t really see Him as a God who pities those that fear Him. Furthermore, the verse 14 says that God remembers we are weak, we are as dust. Of course He would know! He is the one who made us, amen?

When the world seems to be catapulting toward destruction and we wonder how much worse it can get, we should remind ourselves of God’s compassion and what His some of His other characteristics.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Does this not bless you??? We are not left alone to deal with the tragedies and trials of this life! As born-again believers, Christ’s Father becomes our Father! When the Father looks at us, He sees Christ and the blood He shed on the cross for our sins! We have become the “elect of God” and are able to go to the Father and plead for mercy and comfort during these difficult times! (Colossians 3:12)

In fact, the Father loves us so much that He has graven us on the palms of His hands, Christian!! I can’t help but get goosebumps when I read these verses!

Isaiah 49:15-16 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. (16) Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Unfortunately, the one who is not born-again cannot claim this promise! The unsaved world is treading spiritual waters trying to stay afloat in a world that is going mad. Sadly, they will not stay afloat. They are treading toward the destruction of their very soul. 😥 The devil’s ability to blind the world is powerful. Many laugh at this and think it is foolishness, but the Bible specifically talks about it.

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

John 12:40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

The sad thing is that the lost will never know the comfort, compassion and love that the Heavenly Father has awaiting for them should they accept the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. They don’t understand that Jesus is God, and He made Himself flesh so that He could be born of a virgin, live a sinless life to become the perfect sacrifice to atone for the lost’s sins! God loves the world so much that He knew we could not gain entrance into Heaven on our own merit! (Romans 5:8, Romans 3:23, Romans 3:10) God lovingly provided a way for His creation to be able to come back into fellowship with Him! He lost that fellowship when Adam and Eve chose to sin in the Garden of Eden. God had made man to live forever and He provided for them a beautiful and bountiful garden in which to live! Adam and Eve gave it all up. But the Heavenly Father wants us to return to Him and for those who do, He will provide that fellowship once again! How much love and compassion is that! If you are not certain about salvation and don’t know what to do, please go here! If you sincerely come to salvation after reading this, please leave a comment and I will be happy to help you with the next steps!

As believers, we have so much at our fingertips to pull from for encouragement. We can read our Bibles, search out songs to encourage our hearts, and bow before the Lord of lords and Kings of kings in prayer! We can have intimate fellowship with the Creator of the universe!! But to the person who is not born-again, he has only himself to turn to and there’s no comfort in one’s own heart. The unbeliever doesn’t have the comfort that the believer does; they may be able to access the resources but that comfort just isn’t there. Friend, don’t be willfully ignorant of the end times. (2 Peter 3:5) If you are not born-again, confess your sins and repent of them. The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Comfort During the End Times – Day 9

By Kate Plourde

On March 20, 2023

In Comfort During the End Times, Devotionals

Good morning! We are still in early Spring where the mornings are quite nippy. It’s beautiful, though and makes me long for the warmer days ahead! It should not only be days like these that prompt us to rejoice in the Lord or to give thanks! As believers, we should be doing this ongoing and also as we go through trials. Why do you think that is so? People are watching what you do with difficulties in your life. You may not think so but they do! If you are busy rejoicing and praising the God of great comfort, it is a testimony to those who are watching you.

Psa 126:2-3 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. (3) The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Psa 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

The doubting unbeliever watches the Christian for various reasons. It may be that they want to secretly catch you doing something where they can accuse you of being a hypocrite. It could be they are watching you so that they can see how you react when difficulties come your way. They think: will this Christian curse? will this Christian laugh at my dirty joke? Whatever the reason, people are watching. Before I was born-again, I worked with a lady that I had grown very fond of. She and I were two peas in a pod and loved to curse and tell off-colored jokes. I left work early on Tuesday and when I returned on Wednesday, I was a new creation! (2 Corinthians 5:17) I had been born-again and the Lord completely changed my heart! I no longer wanted to dishonor Him and curse His name. She saw me reading my Bible during break time and lunch time and I guess that peaked her interest. She stopped by my desk and pointed her finger in my face and said, “I’m watching you!” Little did I know that her born-again sister had been witnessing to her and now God had placed me in her life! She later became born-again and we were able to have sweet fellowship in our work place! God is soooo Good!

So let’s get back on track and look at the believer’s responsibilities when it comes to being a good testimony. One of the ways is to rejoice when you’re being tried. Each one of us has a cross to bear for Christ. Some believers are extremely sick and, like the Apostle Paul, are not healed. Why is that? Everything we go through should bring glory to God, yes, even illnesses. There are others who have lost a child. As you watch these believers, you see the cross God has called them to bear. You see God’s mercy and love through it all. Their face and actions do not reflect hardship but they trust in God and His will for their lives. They love their Heavenly Father and know that He will heal their heart! David was a good example of this. At his deepest and darkest times, he acknowledged the condition of his heart and corrected himself! How? He hoped in God and praised Him! Those efforts changed David’s heart and was reflected on his face; his countenance displayed joy. David knew that God was the only One who could encourage his disparaged heart and he turned to the Lord for healing!

Psa 42:11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 42:11 reminds me of God’s abilities and that all His ways are holy and righteous! Nothing happens in our lives that He doesn’t approve! He takes our trials and turns them into lessons to teach His perfect will for our lives! Do you recall the hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy” by Reginald Heber? This hymn was written in 1826 and oh is it still a wonderful hymn of praise. This song could very well be one of the songs sung by the saints in Revelation 4:10-11!!

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Walking the Christian life is not promised to be easy. In fact, God allows these trials so we can help others who are going through the same thing! God, the great Comforter, wants us to be “Jesus with skin on” to others who need comforting. He wants us to show them how to obtain this great comfort through salvation. If you are no longer afraid of the end times and those uncertain days ahead, tell someone who is afraid how to release that fear!

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; (4) Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Dear Reader, don’t let these end times create turmoil in your heart. Don’t let the devil convince you that there’s no hope! There is hope and we shall see the Lord Jesus coming in the clouds to take us to be with Him! His Bride, the Church, anxiously awaits this blessed event. We need to warn the unsaved so they can be saved and share in this blessing!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Don’t be willfully ignorant of the end times. (2 Peter 3:5) If you are not born-again, confess your sins and repent of them. The time is coming when it will be too late for you to repent. You will remember each opportunity you were given by God to be saved; you will remember each time you laughed it off and ignored it. Please Reader, repent and accept Christ into your life. (Act 16:31, Rom 10:9) I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!