Abide with Me - Libera
"Help of the helpless, oh abide with me."
So often I try going through this life being confident of things when most of the time it's a mask I'm wearing. At the same time though, being confident shows how level headed, or sure you are in life. It makes you desirable among people looking to hire for their specific company. It makes you wanted for marriage material. It's something everyone wants.
Confidence is key to staying grounded in what you believe. It asks for being sure of what you believe, of being so confident that your roots hold steadfast so you cannot be uprooted. You stand firm against the torrent of waves that pound you, trying to knock you off of your confident position. After taking a beating for so long sometimes you do crumble a little bit. Sometimes we think, it's okay to show our weakness. To give in a little bit. You see, when roots move a little bit in the ground, it creates space to be uprooted. When waves get underneath you it can make you slip and fall then next time another big one slams into you. Being so sure of something that you can only put your faith into (Believing while not being able to see) paints a target on your back. People see it and all they want to do is take aim and hope their ammo doesn't run out.
I know how fragile a person's faith is. We are constantly looked at as prey for the devil and he won't stop until his hunger is satisfied. He sends us so many temptations, so many armor piercing rounds, our way hoping one will wound us enough to make us feel vulnerable and exposed. Once he can get inside of our thoughts, he spreads like a cancer not stopping until our Old Adam consumes us completely.
"The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide.When other helpers fail and comforts flee. Help of the helpless, Oh abide with me. Swift to it's close ebbs out life's little day Earth joys grow dim, it's glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see."
Sometimes when we falter we feel so alone. We think we have to be the ones who have to get ourselves out alive. As long as your armor is pierced and you have been wounded, you can't do anything by yourself. It is our nature to reject the one who helps us. It is only when we put on the full armor of God, can we stand up and be renewed against the attacks of sin.
It's funny, when we go through these dark times we feel that we are the only in the whole world that has ever gone through something bad. We act as though no one can relate to the hardship we bear. Then we close ourselves off. We put up an impenetrable barrier. Do you know how puny our problems are compared to most people go through? I could compare us to 3rd World problems, to the history of warfare and the millions that were tortured and killed because of their faith. I could point you to Those who cannot openly worship their Lord because their government forbids it. I could point you to the one who had to come down to earth, to willingly give us his perfection and take on our sins. Who chose to go forth like a sheep to the slaughter. All he had to do was say the word and have everyone wiped out, instead he thought of you and he decided you were worth his own life. He took on a punishment that was and still is known as the worst way to die. And yet we sit here and complain because we can't get it easy in life.
When life doesn't go our way, that's God's way of saying, "Hey, I'm here. Talk to me. Come to me, you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." What do we decide to do? We say, "Meh, I can do it by myself." Well, guess what? The world's problems (and sin) aren't going to give you a break, that's why we need to go to our creator and say, "I cannot walk any further, can you please carry me for a little bit?"
I fear we go through life thinking we need to be macho and prove to others that we can do things all by our self. It starts when we are a child, when someone tries to help us, we say, "No, I can do it by myself." And for what reason?! For selfish pride? To show off to others? To be independent?! When it comes to our faith, our confidence, we cannot do it by ourselves. If we could, God wouldn't have had to send his son.
"Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes. Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me."
We are the story of the Prodigal Son. We are constantly fighting God's embrace to prove our independence. When we fall consistently even though others may have shown us how to get out of our pit of despair, we still refuse any help. I don't know if it's a pride thing or selfishness, or plain stupidity; but we never seem to learn our lesson. The patience our loving Father has for us must be abounding. When we come back to him he consistently welcomes us home with a feast and praising. He doesn't care how we got back to him, as long as we are in his loving care he is happy with us. Even as we break away from him, he tells us he the shepherd and we are the sheep. He will come looking for us so that we don't fall into the dangers that are around us. Not only does he wait for us with arms wide open, he constantly provides us with ways in which we can come back. One great thing we have is the encouragement of other Christians. We know of the Savior's love and we are constantly trying to show others that love.
Sometimes we try to tell others in situations WWJD? Well, we aren't Jesus. I learned a new phrase that can help those weary wanderers. WDJD? What Did Jesus Do? He conquered the grave for you, he paid the ultimate sacrifice for you. He worked in your heart through the Means of Grace (the water, word, and Lord's Supper). Through all of this he abides in us. He is there when people of this world (even you) fail to realize his love. He told us he would never leave us nor forsake us. Yet we constantly do that to him. We blame him, curse him, and give in to sin. We should be giving back the breath he breathed into us because we are not worthy of this life. But he found us worthy, he wants to abide with us.
"Where death is your sting, where grave your victory? Our triumph is in his love, abide with me"
"Help of the helpless, oh abide with me."
So often I try going through this life being confident of things when most of the time it's a mask I'm wearing. At the same time though, being confident shows how level headed, or sure you are in life. It makes you desirable among people looking to hire for their specific company. It makes you wanted for marriage material. It's something everyone wants.
Confidence is key to staying grounded in what you believe. It asks for being sure of what you believe, of being so confident that your roots hold steadfast so you cannot be uprooted. You stand firm against the torrent of waves that pound you, trying to knock you off of your confident position. After taking a beating for so long sometimes you do crumble a little bit. Sometimes we think, it's okay to show our weakness. To give in a little bit. You see, when roots move a little bit in the ground, it creates space to be uprooted. When waves get underneath you it can make you slip and fall then next time another big one slams into you. Being so sure of something that you can only put your faith into (Believing while not being able to see) paints a target on your back. People see it and all they want to do is take aim and hope their ammo doesn't run out.
I know how fragile a person's faith is. We are constantly looked at as prey for the devil and he won't stop until his hunger is satisfied. He sends us so many temptations, so many armor piercing rounds, our way hoping one will wound us enough to make us feel vulnerable and exposed. Once he can get inside of our thoughts, he spreads like a cancer not stopping until our Old Adam consumes us completely.
"The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide.When other helpers fail and comforts flee. Help of the helpless, Oh abide with me. Swift to it's close ebbs out life's little day Earth joys grow dim, it's glories pass away.
Change and decay in all around I see."
Sometimes when we falter we feel so alone. We think we have to be the ones who have to get ourselves out alive. As long as your armor is pierced and you have been wounded, you can't do anything by yourself. It is our nature to reject the one who helps us. It is only when we put on the full armor of God, can we stand up and be renewed against the attacks of sin.
It's funny, when we go through these dark times we feel that we are the only in the whole world that has ever gone through something bad. We act as though no one can relate to the hardship we bear. Then we close ourselves off. We put up an impenetrable barrier. Do you know how puny our problems are compared to most people go through? I could compare us to 3rd World problems, to the history of warfare and the millions that were tortured and killed because of their faith. I could point you to Those who cannot openly worship their Lord because their government forbids it. I could point you to the one who had to come down to earth, to willingly give us his perfection and take on our sins. Who chose to go forth like a sheep to the slaughter. All he had to do was say the word and have everyone wiped out, instead he thought of you and he decided you were worth his own life. He took on a punishment that was and still is known as the worst way to die. And yet we sit here and complain because we can't get it easy in life.
When life doesn't go our way, that's God's way of saying, "Hey, I'm here. Talk to me. Come to me, you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." What do we decide to do? We say, "Meh, I can do it by myself." Well, guess what? The world's problems (and sin) aren't going to give you a break, that's why we need to go to our creator and say, "I cannot walk any further, can you please carry me for a little bit?"
I fear we go through life thinking we need to be macho and prove to others that we can do things all by our self. It starts when we are a child, when someone tries to help us, we say, "No, I can do it by myself." And for what reason?! For selfish pride? To show off to others? To be independent?! When it comes to our faith, our confidence, we cannot do it by ourselves. If we could, God wouldn't have had to send his son.
"Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes. Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies. Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me."
We are the story of the Prodigal Son. We are constantly fighting God's embrace to prove our independence. When we fall consistently even though others may have shown us how to get out of our pit of despair, we still refuse any help. I don't know if it's a pride thing or selfishness, or plain stupidity; but we never seem to learn our lesson. The patience our loving Father has for us must be abounding. When we come back to him he consistently welcomes us home with a feast and praising. He doesn't care how we got back to him, as long as we are in his loving care he is happy with us. Even as we break away from him, he tells us he the shepherd and we are the sheep. He will come looking for us so that we don't fall into the dangers that are around us. Not only does he wait for us with arms wide open, he constantly provides us with ways in which we can come back. One great thing we have is the encouragement of other Christians. We know of the Savior's love and we are constantly trying to show others that love.
Sometimes we try to tell others in situations WWJD? Well, we aren't Jesus. I learned a new phrase that can help those weary wanderers. WDJD? What Did Jesus Do? He conquered the grave for you, he paid the ultimate sacrifice for you. He worked in your heart through the Means of Grace (the water, word, and Lord's Supper). Through all of this he abides in us. He is there when people of this world (even you) fail to realize his love. He told us he would never leave us nor forsake us. Yet we constantly do that to him. We blame him, curse him, and give in to sin. We should be giving back the breath he breathed into us because we are not worthy of this life. But he found us worthy, he wants to abide with us.
"Where death is your sting, where grave your victory? Our triumph is in his love, abide with me"
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