…I Come to Thee
Hebrews 4:16 New International Version (NIV) tells the believer, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
When I was a child, I would frequently hear my grandmother and her friends sing the old hymn, I Need Thee Every Hour. The main chorus of the hymn, passionately proclaims:
Every hour, I need Thee.
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.
I need Thee, O I need Thee.
I thought about this hymn recently as I went to YouTube to get directions for a home project I was working on. The video that I required, was extremely helpful as I did not have to try and figure out how to perform the project on my own. There was great comfort in knowing that someone took the time to prepare directions for homeowners who are not contractors by trade. Some do-it-yourself handymen frown on watching videos to explain household projects. I am not one of them. I learned a long time ago that there is no shame in needing assistance. There is shame in being arrogant and stubbornly proudful in times of need and refusing to ask for assistance.
Brothers and sisters, our reliance upon God is a birthright for the born-again. We belong to God and like a loving father, He takes pride in being able to fulfill the needs of His children. Study the scriptures for guidance and assurance as I did the video. The Psalmist in Psalm 121: 1-8 (NIV) wrote with unparalleled assurance:
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
The Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
I recognize that world events including war, disease, violence, and plagues are affecting our morale and confidence. Nevertheless, Child of God, Jehovah is still in control. In a certain sense, many of the righteous are recognizing that money, power, fame, and position are not enough to make us feel protected and assured. We need God and no matter how strong we are, we cannot sustain ourselves without Him. As the Psalmist said, our help comes from the Lord. It is ok to need Him. As you progress through the rest of the year, it appears as though collectively, there is universal unrest and concern over a myriad of situations. Take comfort in knowing that the God we serve is concerned about you and wants to be with you in every area of your life so that you are not feeling overwhelmed and alone. Sometimes YouTube may not work as the server can go down. You do not have to worry about that with God. Indeed, good friend, He is just a prayer and scripture away! Bless me now my Savior, I come to Thee!
Elder Jerome Woods, II is the husband of Alana M. Woods and is the son of the late Jerome Woods, Sr. and Larina Woods. He is a Washington, D.C. native and associate Elder at High Calling Ministries pastored by George W. Hawkins, Jr. Elder Woods is a graduate of The George Washington University (1994) where he received his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with minors in Sociology and Latin Classical Humanities. Elder Woods received his Juris Doctorate in 1997 from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.
