"Father I stretch my hands to Thee; no other help I know. If Thou withdraw thyself from me, Ah, wither shall I go?"
It’s hard to hear these old hymn lyrics without thinking of one our deceased brothers in Christ, Brother Johnson, who worshipped with the congregation at Jefferson Street until his death in the 1990s. He always spoke the lyrics before his prayers.
God, the Father, is the “THEE” of this hymn. The words help us to keep our focus on God, and remind us that we are able to do nothing without His help. We, His children, must remember to go to him for any and every kind of help, no matter how small we may think it is.
Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” The Bible is clear in letting us know that God wants us to depend on Him. He already knows what we need (Matthew 6:8). He wants us to reach up and rely on Him.
Thought for the Week
“When potential is used, it becomes our purpose…but if we hold in our potential, we kill ourselves.”—Kenneth Patterson, 12/14/08 sermon, “We Have Potential Because We Have Faith.”
“Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.”—Ecclesiastes 11:6 (NIV)
