****ABIDE WITH ME

This past week we have seen another tragic mass shooting resulting in 17 deaths at a Florida high school and, again, we are reminded of the grief and utter helplessness that grips us when we suffer the loss of loved ones.

But death is inevitable, and it visits every family.  And, when it does, we all want to support and encourage those who are sorrowing. 

In times of chaos, tragedy, or great loss, our worlds are turned upside down it is comforting to know that Our God never changes; He is always with us. 

For Christians, there are a few good hymns of comfort and consolation. ABIDE WITH ME is one that has become known as a funeral hymn.  There is no doubt that the author had his own inevitable death in mind when he wrote it.  But the hymn also assures us of God’s constant abiding presence in our everyday lives.

Henry Lyte was a pastor in England for 24 years.   He was forced into retirement because of his failing lungs.  His doctors told him that the tuberculosis was terminal and that he should prepare to die. 

On Sept. 4, 1847, at the age of 54 years, he preached his last sermon from the text in Luke 24.  Two disciples, on the road to Emmaus met but didn’t recognize the risen Christ.   When they reached their home, they invited Him to, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.”

Henry addressed his congregation with these words, “I stand among you today as alive from the dead, that I may hope to impress upon you to prepare for that solemn hour which must come to us all.” 

Then he preached the gospel and pleaded with them to trust in the Savior.  At the end of the sermon, he served a farewell communion feast, and, in his closing prayer, he committed his grieving congregation to the Lord’s care.  That was the last time they saw him. 

After church, he went home to rest awhile, and then took a walk on the beach.  When he returned, with his sermon still on his mind, he wrote a prayer asking for God’s presence and help.  By late evening, he had crafted that prayer into an eight-stanza poem -- ABIDE WITH ME.

The next day he boarded a ship to France. Henry’s doctor had suggested that he should leave the damp climate of the English seaside and move to a drier climate in Italy.    But he never reached Italy.  On the way, his condition worsened, and, with his last weak breath, he whispered the words, “Peace, Joy,” and he passed into the arms of his Savior.