"Abide with me! Fast falls the even-tide…"

“Abide with me! Fast falls the even-tide. The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide!” This is a cry of Henry F. Lyte in 1847. This is a cry of ours besides: “When other helpers fail And comforts flee, Help of the help-less, O abide with me!”
“Swift to its close, ebbs out life’s little day. Earth’s joys grow dim; Its glories pass away. Change and decay In all around I see; O Thou, who changest not, abide with me!”
“I need Thy presence Every pass-ing hour. What but Thy grace Can foil the temp-ter’s power? Who, like Thyself, My guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.”
“I fear no foe, With Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, And tears no bitterness. Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? 
“I triumph still, If Thou abide with me.” (“Abide with Me, Henry F. Lyte).
“But Lord, there is death, there is destruction, there is hate and trouble all around…”
God hears the cries of the people! God’s word speaks to the  broken hearts of His children. As we ‘cry out’ the very words of the hymn “I need Thy presence Every passing hour! What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?…”
God’s powerful word speaks. ‘Hear, the word of the Lord’:
“The thief comes only in order that he may steal and may kill and may destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance– to the full, till it overflows.” (John 10:10, Amplified). “If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you.” (John 15:18).
“Abide with me! Fast falls the even tide. The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide! When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me!”
“Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master — is not superior to him. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word and obeyed My teachings, they will also keep and obey yours.” (John 15:20), Amplified).
“But they will do all this to you — inflict all this suffering on you –because of [your bearing] My name, and on My account, for they do not know or understand the One Who sent Me.” (Johne 15:21, Amplified).
“I need Thy presence Every passing hour. What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? Who, like Thyself, My guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.”
“But [this is so] that the word written in their Law might be fulfilled, They hated Me without a cause.” (John 15:25, Amplified).
“So, ‘speak to one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual songs, make melody in your heart to the Lord.'” (Eph. 5:19), Don’t run away, take courage and stand: “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Eph. 6:10,11).
“Don’t run away in fear! ‘Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,…( Eph 5:18).
“But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener) comes Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself} will testify regarding Me. But you also…
But you also…
But you also... will testify and be My witnesses…” (John 15:26,27, Amplified, emphasis, mine).
“I have told you all these things so that you should not be offended — taken unawares and falter, or be caused to stumble and fall away, and to keep you from being scandalized and repelled. They will put you out of the synagogues –expel you. But an hour is coming when whoever kills you will think and claim that he has offered service to God. And they will do this because  they have not known the Father nor Me. But I have told you these things now so that when they occur you will remember that I told you of them. ” (John 16:1-3, Amplified).
“I fear no foe, With Thee at hand to bless; Ills have no weight, And tears no bitterness. Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory? I triumph still, If Thou abide with me!” (Abide with Me, Henry F. Lyte, 1847).
The song empowers, the song restores, the Psalms, the hymns, the spiritual song is a what my heart must continually…adore –  to keep me standing in the midst of the battle! “Praise before the battle, yes Praise brings back the breath!  Then the words, “Rejoice Always. Pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God… begins to make sense! (1 Thes. 5:16-18) …Yes, these are the words I will hold on to as I pray, for brothers and sisters  who suffer  so greatly today. Dear Jesus, pour out Your grace, pour out Your mercy on these difficult –  most dark and confusing, and dreadful (at times), LAST days.