"Just when I need him, Jesus is."

Hymn: “Just When I Need Him Most” – William C. Poole (1875-1949)

Tune: GABRIEL

The man who wrote this hymn died the year I was born, so it’s obviously an old hymn!

This gospel song is all about the constant availability of Jesus in our lives, and it describes for us who he is. According to this text, Jesus is

- near

- ready

- true

- giving

- strong

- never forsaking

- bearing my burdens

- answering

- tender

- watching

- comforting

- cheering

- giving a song.

What a great description of the friend we have in Jesus – and a great list for us to follow when we seek to be a friend to others… or when we are seeking out friends for ourselves.

The hymn also says “he is my all.” That puts him at the top of my list of loved ones. It’s a hard concept to understand or describe, but it prioritizes all others somewhere beneath him.

For me, it is comforting to know that “Jesus is”… period. Within all the descriptors included in this hymn text, I am reminded of the perpetual presence of Christ. He is persistent in his hanging around to be sure he is carrying out all the things on that list… continuous, unceasing – even relentless.

Just when I need him, Jesus is.

Sung by Catherine Gorman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NoOAeVQ45Jg

"Let ev'ry kindred, ev'ry tribe on this terrestrial ball, to him all majesty ascribe and crown him Lord of all."

"Let ev'ry kindred, ev'ry tribe on this terrestrial ball, to him all majesty ascribe and crown him Lord of all."
Hymn: “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” – This stanza by John Rippon (1751-1836)

Tunes: DIADEM, MILES LANE, CORONATION

I know it was politically incorrect, but as a child we sang “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight.” Even as a youngster, I learned from a simple song that we are all in this together, regardless of our race, our kinfolk, or our lineage. I’ve tried to maintain that attitude… and extending those groupings and moving the stakes out further until the tent can contain us all.

This hymnline conjures up for me another one of those mental pictures. In this one, I see a multi-colored throng of all the world’s people standing together in what in my mind at least looks like a huge city square; I would say it looks sort of like the plaza in front of St. Peter’s Cathedral, but I know somebody would be offended that I had a Catholic vision!  Anyway, all those people are singing at the top of their lungs, but their fortissimo-singing is very much under control. It’s not yelling; the sound is very, very musical. They are all lifting up their praise to the One who sits on the throne – although in this glimpse, I don’t see HIM; I just see and hear THEM!

For a brief moment during the singing of this great hymn, I am transported into that scene where I join the everlasting song… and I realize what a wonderful place it is… and will be. This is not something we have to wait for; we can stand shoulder to shoulder with our fellow believers from every background, race, gender, lifestyle, and denomination to honor the One who loves us all and equally accepts our ascription of praise. So let’s.

A Sturdy Singing of This Hymn by a British Congregation (DIADEM)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=s1oruof9uUE

From Duke Chapel (MILES LANE)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=nth3glZF2GI

"May thy rich grace impart strength to my fainting heart."

"May thy rich grace impart strength to my fainting heart."

Hymn: “My Faith Looks Up to Thee” – Roy Palmer (1808-1887)

Tune: OLIVET

“I’m just give out,” my mama would say as she lowered herself onto the rocking chair in the den. Bad English, perfect expression. There are indeed days when we are so droopy we doubt that we can actually go on; there are nights we fall into bed and wonder if we can get up and go again the next day simply because we are exhausted. We have overdone it, overextended ourselves.

“Because we have been given this work by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart,” says Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:1. It is not the being worn down physically that I fear: it is being worn out in my spirit. Losing heart in the midst of carrying out our various life-duties will cause us to implode.

I’ve never sung this hymnline and not whispered a “yes, Lord” under my breath! I know the dispensing of God’s grace is my only hope for not losing the wherewithal to go on. In order to do all the things necessary to survive as a human being in the 21^st Century AND share in the work of my church and other ministering organizations, I simply must rely on the richness of the grace of God, believing that he has plenty enough to keep me going.

We all probably need to slow down more than we do. We tend to fill every minute with some activity. We sometimes ‘give out’ more than we ‘take in.’ We expect to be refueled by God’s grace while we’re on the run… sort of like planes are refueled in flight. Perhaps we need to land for a while and enjoy the re-infusion of grace in our lives, calmly accepting that provision, reflecting on its affect before we rush off to accomplish some other looming task.

When the fuel tank on my Rav-4 nears the E, I could save 7.4 minutes if I didn’t have to pull into the Shell station. But it doesn’t work that way. Neither does our spiritual life. We have to take time out to let our fainting heart be energized once again by the amazing grace… the grace that can be imparted only from the reservoir of God.

Hear an A Cappella Singing of This Hymn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oGKLmThF2to

"Hold us who wait before thee."

Hymn: “Near to the Heart of God” – Words & Music: Cleland B. McAfee (1866-1944)

Tune: McAFEE

I’ve heard and read that everybody is revitalized by being hugged – that hugging actually recharges our emotional batteries and improves our attitude about ourselves and our day. I’ve even heard that all of us need a certain number (it varies) of hugs per day.

I didn’t start out being comfortable with friendly, congenial hugging; I avoided it whenever possible. I remember my entire system stiffening whenever someone walked across the room and threw their arms around me. I was “called out on it” at the age of 25, and began to let myself enjoy being a huggee… and eventually enjoy the hugger.

This quiet, soothing, healing hymn calls to mind so many comforting thoughts about the positioning possibilities of our relationship with the Lord Christ. I reminds us that proximity matters… and that we should seek that immediacy – that if we live always in his vicinity, we don’t have to run far to find him.

This simple hymnline is repeated in each refrain, and it is a sincere, heart-felt prayer of mine: to be hugged by the Savior… to be embraced tightly by his everlasting arms… to be invigorated by the encompassing experience. Sometimes I need a gentle embrace; other times I need a bear hug.

It is also a request to be held-onto – to not be released. In theological terms it’s called the security of the believer, and many Christian denominations hold to that tenet… and it is every Christian’s prayer. Unlike the country song, “Please Release Me,” this hymnline begs for safekeeping. Max Lucado’s book IN THE GRIP OF GRACE comes to mind.

Hopefully, today you’ll get your requisite number of hugs… both gentle and bear-like. May each genuine human embrace serve as a reminder that you are constantly encircled by the arms of the One whose hands are nail-scarred. It might just make you seek out and give out more hugs.

This Hymn Sung by Christian Berdahl

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze2gnD6mQVg

Hear Gary Chapman Discuss and Sing This Hymn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25RMvIgnvZw

"I need thee ev'ry hour. Stay thou nearby."

"I need thee ev'ry hour. Stay thou nearby."
Hymn: “I Need Thee Every Hour” – Annie S. Hawks (1834-1918)

Tune: NEED

This coming weekend, we will have an hour transfused into our lives by the great timekeeper of the earth. I have to admit that I am not a fan of the semi-annual resetting of the clocks. If a presidential candidate would make the abolishing of spring-forward, fall back his/her major platform issue, I would cast my vote on their behalf whatever party they might represent. Well, maybe not!

Down deep, I think it must be an economical ploy to give me one extra hour of daylight from March through October to spend money!

Every year at this time, we are told that we have an extra hour to sleep, probably because officially this this donation of sixty minutes comes to us at 2:00 am. Most of us are probably awakened by our body-clock at the same time anyway, so we ended up with an extra waking hour instead. And because it always falls on a Saturday night into Sunday, our additional time is part of the holiest day of our week. So theoretically, we have an extra hour to invest in the worship of God, the sharing of our faith or service on his behalf to our fellow human beings – those activities and attitudes to which we are drawn on Sundays.

God is not thrown off by this human-induced attempt to make the sun stand still. Since the Most Holy One never naps, doses or sleeps, he is just as available during our gift-of-hour each autumn. His watchcare is active no matter how many time increments our days may be expanded. I’m glad about that: imagine if for one hour each November, God’s presence in our lives were suspended. As absurd as that may sound, it should give you pause.

How ever many hours I have in this day or any other day, with this century-old hymnline, I daily ask for God to stay nearby… so near that I will sense his presence in such a way that his nearness will affect my thinking, my decision-making and my actions.

“O ever-present One, I need you every hour. Stay close at hand because I know that the temptations I face today will be less powerful when you are near. Amen.”

An Amazing A cappella Setting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3wSbLa2uGg