Remaining Needy

“Alas, what hourly dangers rise!
What snares beset my way!
To heaven, oh, let me lift mine eyes,
And hourly watch and pray.

How oft my mournful thoughts complain,
And melt in flowing tears!
My weak resistance, ah, how vain!
How strong my foes and fears!

O gracious God! in whom I live,
My feeble efforts aid;
Help me to watch, and pray, and strive,
Though trembling and afraid.

Increase my faith, increase my hope,
When foes and fears prevail;
And bear my fainting spirit up,
Or soon my strength will fail.

Whene’er temptations fright my heart,
Or lure my feet aside,
My God, thy powerful aid impart,
My Guardian and my Guide.

Oh, keep me in thy heavenly way,
And bid the tempter flee!
And let me never, never stray
From happiness and thee.

(Anne Steele, d. 1778)


Friend, do the heart pleadings and petitions in the above hymn, to any degree, describe your own toward God? Do you desire those words to be your words to God? Before such words are able to flow naturally from your heart heavenward, you must possess a heavenward heart. Christ is both in heaven and, if a Christian, in your heart. You have all you need to pursue Christ where He is. If you are not pursuing Christ, it is because you either have Him not in your heart, or you have lost sight of your need and where He is in Heaven.

Consider Hebrews 4 and 12:

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

“…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”

Reader, do you see Christ? Do you have Christ? Are you holding your confession? Do you approach Christ? Do you obtain mercy, grace and help?

What causes you to be and remain weary and discouraged? Your struggles cannot match Christ’s, although they maybe similar in kind. You have needs, this is true, and Christ is always there for you.

Do you know your need? Do you see Christ, see self, or see the world? Only Christ has the provision for your need. Seek Him.


“Our hearts, O Lord, with grief are rent,
O’er vows made all in vain;
In anguish daily we repent,
Each day offend again.

Now we arise from death to life,
Then sink from good to ill;
Here we begin, there leave our strife,
And work but half thy will.

Oh, help us, Lord, amid all pain,
As warriors true, to stand
Faithful and firm, and thus to gain
Thine own, the better land.

Thy land—its gates how bright they shine!
And let no evil in;
Thy boundless land, and all divine,
That hath no room for sin.

Thy holy land, where none shall stop
Our souls upon the road,
And win our weak desires to drop
From glory and from God.

Oh, rich and priceless is the grace
That we shall there receive!
Nor once thine image shall deface,
Nor once thy spirit grieve.

(author unknown)