Our Need. His Sufficiency.

Our Need. His Sufficiency. 

We live in a world that allows instant access to all kinds of modern conveniences. With a tap of a finger or the flip of a switch, water flows from a spigot, light surrounds us, A/C cools us, and movies stream on-demand through our devices at lightning speed.

We take these “essentials” for granted, trusting in their reliability as we trust in the sun’s rising. 

But when hurricanes take out the power or the cell tower goes down, we’re reminded how dependent we are on our contemporary way of life—and how helpless we can feel when these conveniences vanish. 

There is, however, a power source infinitely more essential than electricity or Wi-Fi, and far more dependable than any man-made network or electrical grid. 

Jesus Christ, in his abundant love, is not only always present in all the storms and seasons of life, He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and completely faithful in His loving care. Through his sinless life and his death and resurrection, He has made it possible for us to confidently approach His throne of grace to find mercy and help in our time of need.

He beckons us to come and to depend on Him in needy prayer, yet most of us would readily admit that we often neglect this great source of comfort and power and, instead, walk in our own strength- trusting in our own wisdom - a wisdom that is often rooted in the ways of the world. 

The song I Need Thee Every Hour, radically challenges our self-sufficient attitude. This beautiful hymn was composed by Annie F. Hawks in 1872 and was written as a prayer born out of a profound sense of God’s presence during Annie’s daily household tasks.

The repeated refrain “I need Thee, O I need Thee, Every hour I need Thee. O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee” reflects a heart that depends on the Lord and takes the initiative to continually seek Him out for help.

He has come near to us and He beckons us to draw near to Him. The only question is: Will we seek Him? My hope is that the content of this article helps us to answer yes to that question in increasing moments. 

Peace in Every Hour

In the first stanza of Annie’s song, we see the Lord as the source of our peace. 

“I need Thee  ev’ry hour, most gracious Lord. No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.”

Scripture tells us that the Lord is our peace (Ephesians 2:14) and His Word encourages us to abide in Him and to know that a mind fixed on Him remains in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). 

Furthermore, the Word teaches that we need not worry about anything, but, instead, we are called to pray about everything. We are encouraged to simply tell God what we need and thank Him for what He’s already done. In this, the Lord promises a peace that we can’t even understand-a peace that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, a peace that can rule our hearts even as we struggle in difficult circumstances (Philippians 4:6-7).

I wish I could tell you that running to the Lord in prayer was always my first response. It’s often not. But the Lord is faithful and gracious-even though I often am not. I never cease to be amazed at the comfort and peace I experience once I do remember to pray. He stills my heart and reminds me that, even in the darkest moments, I have hope because I am in Him.  

Strength in Temptation

But, there’s more….Annie’s song shows us not only the way to peace but the way to fight temptation.

“I need Thee ev’ry hour. Stay Thou nearby. Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.”

The lyrics here connect our ability to fight sin to the present nearness of the Lord. This idea is upheld in the Scriptures where we see that the antidote to sin is not doubling down in our efforts to resist sin’s power but in beholding the goodness of the Lord. 

In James 1:14–16, the deadly and deceitful nature of sin stands in stark contrast to the generous goodness of God, and we see that by beholding His goodness, we find the strength to overcome temptation. 

Psalm 16:11 adds to this, showing us that the path of life, in God’s presence, is where joy is full and pleasures never end. With our hope fixed there, sin’s pull loses its power. 

Finally, 1 John 3:2–3 reveals our ultimate hope -  the day that we will see Jesus face to face and be made like Him! On that day, the war will be over and the goodness of God will prove fully  triumphant over our sin as we are made fully pure in the presence of Christ. 

When I need reminders of His goodness and glory, I find it helpful to behold and meditate on the Lord Jesus and the glorious work of His Gospel.. Passages like Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 1:15-20 and Hebrews 1:1-4 strengthen my faith and uphold my weak and weary heart as I am reminded, not only of His character, but that He has accomplished what I cannot-victory over sin!

Purpose in Joy and Pain

As Annie continues, she cautions of the vanity of life apart from Christ.

I need Thee ev’ry hour, in joy or pain. Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.”

Whether rejoicing or weeping, we seek to find meaning in all seasons of life. Yet so often, we end up empty because we look to find our purpose and identity in pleasure, work, wealth, approval, wisdom, etc.  The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that all of life is vanity, apart from the Lord. 

But, in Christ, life is not vain - it is rich in purpose, hope and joy. As we abide in Him, trusting and walking in His ways and caring about the things of the Lord, we discover the high and beautiful calling of glorifying God.

So, when the highs and lows of life seem to dictate our emotions, we must look to the Lord. In the easy seasons, we give thanks and praise for HIs good gifts. And in the hard seasons, we ask Him to open our eyes to see His goodness, even in our pain, so that we can remember our hope and express our gratitude to the Lord. 

I have to admit, this one can be especially hard, yet I cling to His Word. I am reminded that He is with us, even in the darkest valleys (Psalm 23:4). He promises that, for those in Christ, He is working all things for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28) and He tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39).  In this, we know that our suffering, trials, and failures are not the end of our story because He will never fail us. 

Guidance Through His Word

Annie is not done yet. Her next stanza reminds us how much we need the Lord’s guidance and prompts us to recognize and experience the goodness He has promised to His people. 

“I need Thee ev’ry hour, teach me Thy will. Thy rich promises, so rich, in me fulfill.”

In Psalm 25:4-5, the Psalmist prays a prayer similar to Annie’s fourth stanza. He asks for the Lord to guide, instruct and lead him in His ways. 

The Psalmist and Annie both know that the Lord has created us to truly thrive as we follow Him. He desires to teach us and to deepen our obedience.. As we abide in Christ, we discover a joy and contentment found only in Him — the One through whom every promise of God is fulfilled (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Practically, this begins by saturating ourselves in Scripture. We open our Bibles daily. We meditate on the Word, pray the Word, and sing the Word. We memorize verses to recall in moments of need. We discuss God’s Word with fellow believers so it shapes our lives and our community. In short, we treat the Word of God as our daily bread.

Of course, we will not walk perfectly with Him. But God is faithful. His mercies never end, and He works even through our failings. The more we seek Him, the more we delight in Him. The more we taste His goodness, the more His fruit becomes evident in us. In this way, our lives become living testimonies of His grace.

Righteousness Through Christ Alone

And, that takes us to the final stanza where Annie seems to celebrate the work of the Lord Jesus as He works righteousness in His saints.

“I need Thee ev’ry hour, Most holy One. Oh, make me thine indeed, Thou blessed Son!”

This final stanza brings us to a crescendo of need as Annie’s words reflect the chasm of unrighteousness between sinful humanity and a Holy God. 

Her words communicate something beyond the desire to find peace, fight sin, find purpose or even to know God’s will. She communicates a desire to be made right before a Holy God. She knows that she can only belong to the Lord if she is made righteous by Him. 

For those in Christ, this work has been done as we have received His righteousness in the great exchange of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 5:21). We also know that He promises to finish the work He started in us (Philippians 1:6), yet we often think in short-sighted ways about that process.

I believe Annie’s words urge us to look beyond the often slow progress of sanctification and instead fix our hope on the final glory Christ has prepared for us.

Romans 8:19-25 tells us that all of Creation is looking towards the day that God will reveal His children and that we will be set free from sin and suffering. And so, we wait with hope for the day when we will receive our full rights as His adopted sons and daughters. This will be the day of our glorification in the presence of our Lord. 

Living with God-Dependency

As we sing Annie’s song, we find that we don’t belong to a kingdom that thrives on self-sufficiency but on God-dependency. We can depend on Jesus because He has conquered sin and death and we can trust that….

He is our peace in the storm. 

He is our strength in temptation.

In Him, we can find purpose in our joy and sorrow. 

He is the One who will guide us to walk in truth.

He, alone, is our righteousness before a Holy God. 

In Him we don’t have to be strong or perfect because His grace is sufficient for our anxious, weak and wandering souls.  In fact, when we recognize our weakness and depend on Him, His power is made perfect in us (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

Oh that we would humble ourselves to recognize our ongoing need and simply come to Him over and over again ……until He takes us home. 

As we wait for that day, may we rest in this unshakable truth: He will never turn us away, but stands ready to receive us with open arms, supplying mercy and grace for every hour of our need (Hebrews 4:16).

Here's a beautiful version of Annie's song to worship as you ponder your need.