Listen to this devotion
Abide with Me
In the Word
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
Of the Word
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, O abide with me.
The prayer that begins this beloved hymn asks God to abide with us, to be with us always. Within its verses we are reminded that God is our Friend. He is our Redeemer. He is the God who “changest not.” In Him we have nothing to fear.
What comfort and joy the words, “abide with me,” can give each of us as we direct this plea to the God of all comfort and joy! God the Father gave His one and only Son to die on the cross to save us from our sin. The Son has given us His Spirit, the Comforter, who through the Gospel, calls us, sanctifies us, and keeps us in a saving faith. It is no wonder that the hymn ends with this supplication: “In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.”
Walking with my Lord
Ever-abiding, never-changing God, remind us again through Your Word, spoken and sung, that You abide with us always. Grant us confidence as we live here until we abide in heaven with You. In the name of Jesus, our Friend. Amen.
Mustard Seed: Joyful, Joyful. Rev. Larry and Shari Miller, authors. 1/31. Hymn Text: LSB 878. ©2011 Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, 801 Seminary Place Ste. L010, St. Louis, MO 63105. www.lwml.org
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations were taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved worldwide.
All hymns are public domain with the text reprinted from Lutheran Service Book, ©2006, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
