Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide,
The darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide!
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, 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 ev'ry passing hour,
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's pow'r?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Thru clouds and sunshine, O, abide with me!

       "Only the person who can face the prospect of death realistically is able to live this life with purpose and confidence."  This was the conviction of Henry F. Lyte when he wrote the lyrics of Abide With Me shortly before his own death.

       Henry Lyte was born in Scotland on June 1, 1793.  Orphaned at an early age, he worked his way into Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where he distinguished himself in English poetry.  In 1815, he was ordained as a minister of the Church of England, and served a number of congregations in Ireland and western England.  Continually threatened by asthma and tuberculosis, Lyte was known as a man frail in body, but strong in faith and spirit.  Despite his physical frailties, he was a tireless worker with an established reputation as a poet, musician, and minister.  He is credited with coining the phrase, "It is better to wear out than to rust out."  Wherever he served, he was greatly loved and admired by others.

       During the last twenty-three years of his life, Lyte worked with a poor church among fishing people in Lower Brixham, Devonshire, England.  As his health became progressively worse he was forced to seek a warmer climate in Italy.  To deliver his last sermon on September 4, 1847, it is recorded that Lyte nearly had to crawl to the pulpit and his message came as from a dying man.  His final words made a deep impact on his audience when he said, "O brethren, I stand here among you today, as alive from the dead, if I may hope to impress it upon you, and induce you to prepare for that solemn hour which must come to all, by a timely appreciation and dependence on the death of Christ."  It was on this day that he finished the lyrics of his hymn.  On his way to Rome, Italy, he was overtaken by death at Nice, France, and was buried there in the English cemetery on November 20, 1847.

       Abide With Me was not widely used in England until it was first published in a book, Lyte’s Remains, in 1850.  In 1861, the lyrics were discovered by William Henry Monk, music editor of the now famous hymnal, Hymns Ancient And Modern, and it was included in the first edition.  It is said that in less than half an hour, Monk composed "Eventide," the tune most commonly associated with Lyte’s lyrics.  He was inspired by the beauty of a glorious sunset while experiencing a deep personal sorrow of his own.  His wife would later describe the setting: "This tune was written at a time of great sorrow–when together we watched, as we did daily, the glories of the setting sun.  As the last golden ray faded, he took some paper and penciled that tune which has gone all over the earth."

       The inspiration for Abide With Me is taken from the resurrection account of Luke 24:

And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus...And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place.  While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them...And He said to them, "What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?"  And they stood still, looking sad.  One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, "Are you unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?"  And He said to them, "What things?"  And they said to Him, "The things about Jesus the Nazarene...how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him.  But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel.  Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened..."  And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!  Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?"  Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther.  But they urged Him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over."  So He went in to stay with them (Luke 24:13-29).

       As His disciples, we also pass through times of personal darkness and great sorrow.  We also travel the roads of disappointment and confusion.  But this hymn helps us to fix our eyes on the "Help of the helpless."  As the Hebrew writer encourages, "let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith" (Hebrews 12:1-2).  Our plea should also be, "when other helpers fail and comforts flee, abide with me!"

       In Psalm 116:15, the inspired poet said, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones."  Our own lives are swiftly passing away.  Whatever joys this earth can yield, they are quickly growing dim.  The glory of this world will eventually pass away.  But even though the child of God is surrounded by change and decay, his hope lies in the One who does not change.  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me" (Psalm 23:4).

       Just as the eyes of these two disciples on the road to Emmaus were eventually opened (Luke 24:31), we also should pray for eyes to see and hearts that surrender.  The sign of a fully devoted disciple is the recognition that Jesus’ presence is always needed, His grace is always vital, His guidance is always essential.  Through clouds and sunshine, we need Him on our side.

       Two additional verses written by Lyte that are not as commonly included in hymnals more fully capture this thought:

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.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

       "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him" (John 15:23).  That is a promise to live by and a pledge to die by.