Stay Thou Nearby

One of my favorite hymns of all time is I need thee every hour.  I especially love the second verse.  It is a plea to the Lord to "Stay Thou nearby".  That means that we are asking Him to be with us, to not leave us alone.  

I Need Thee Every Hour

I need thee ev'ry hour,

Most gracious Lord.

No tender voice like thine

Can peace afford.

(Chorus)

I need thee, oh, I need thee;

Ev'ry hour I need thee!

Oh, bless me now, my Savior;

I come to thee!

I need thee ev'ry hour;

Stay thou nearby.

Temptations lose their pow'r

When thou art nigh.

I need thee ev'ry hour,

In joy or pain.

Come quickly and abide,

Or life is vain.

I need thee ev'ry hour,

Most holy One.

Oh, make me thine indeed,

Thou blessed Son!

Stay thou nearby!  Oh how I need Him to stay near me.  To walk with me, to protect me, to Love me.  I need to know he listens and answers my prayers.  I need to know that, no matter what my past has been, my future in Him is what matters most of all.  And so, I sing this hymn, and I feel His spirit near.  I really want to do what is right.  I want to make wise choices.  I want to believe that, with His Love, it will all be enough.  

Some days, my past comes back to haunt me with a vengeance, and the adversary whispers in my heart that I have sinned too much to ever be forgiven.  

I sing to remember that I am loved that He has a plan for me and that He has already atoned for my sins and my pain.  I sing to remind myself to become truly HIS.