“Come Let us Sing” – (No. 4 – Jack Butler)
“I am your child, I am in need”. What beautiful words these truly are. Today’s hymn, “In Need”, is not quite as well known as songs I’ve chosen in the past. However, because of how powerful these lyrics are to us, I think that this song needs to be sung often in congregations around the world! Here is a link to the song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smm1cFRjz3I. Please go and take a minute to listen to this before or after you read this article, and I hope it will be beneficial to you!
Lyrics:
Verse:
In need of grace, in need of love
In need of mercy raining down from high above
In need of strength, in need of peace
In need of things that only You can give to me
Chorus:
In need of Christ, the perfect Lamb
My refuge strong, the great I Am
This is my song, my humble plea
I am Your child, I am in need
(Then it is repeated as a whole)
This song is not very long, but it packs a great amount of power into its lyrics. Without an understanding of the principles in this song, it would be impossible for us to even have an understanding of faith, or salvation. Let’s take a deeper look and see why this is the case. Starting with the first half of the Verse, “In need of grace, in need of love, In need of mercy raining down from high above” (V). Let’s look at the idea of our need for grace and mercy. We are all sinners and we are far from being perfect. Take a moment and reflect on everything you have done, just today, and think about what would be seen as sin to the Lord. It’s a frightening thought isn’t it? We sin all the time, sometimes without even noticing. This is why we are so desperately in need of grace and mercy! Without these two gifts of our Lord, we would all be given the punishment we deserve for our sins. Titus 2:11-14 says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity”. The gift of Christ is, quite literally, our saving grace, but pay attention to the passage. It says, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world”. This grace is here for all men, and we desperately need it, however we have a responsibility to follow God and deny these worldly lusts in order to obtain it.
Now let’s look at the idea of being in need of Love. God didn’t have to offer His grace and mercy to us, but there is a verse that I think helps explain why he did give us these wonderful gifts. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. We are God’s creation and he loves us beyond measure, that is why he blessed us with the gift of his son! 1 Jn 4:7-8 says, “let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love”. God is love, it is his nature. So, God, being who he is, found a way that we might be free from sin and brought into his arms. He knew no man would be perfect, so he instead created a perfect plan. Christ intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25), in areas where we may fail and because of his love gives us forgiveness of sins!
Let’s look at the next line of the verse, “In need of strength, in need of peace. In need of things that only You can give to me”. How true is this? These are all things that only our God in heaven can supply for us. There is no place on this earth where you can find peace, outside of Christ. This world is not our home and we won’t be here forever, that’s why the things of this earth will never bring us peace. God knew we needed something to give us purpose, and that’s what his word provides. He gave us a hope of salvation. That keeps our eyes on what truly matters. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I” (John 14:27-28). God has promised us something greater, something we cannot see, but something that will be worth our journey in this world! This likewise gives us the strength referenced in the hymn. Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever”. This world is not always fun and often gets us down, but if we truly trust in God we will have the strength we need to endure. God gives us other things like our brethren that strengthen us when we are together. He also gave us the gift of singing. When I think about the times I feel strongest and encouraged, I think of being at a camp with hundreds of Christians singing praises to our God. I don’t think there is anything more amazing on this earth that we could experience, and this is a gift from God himself. He knew what we would need to make it through this world, and he provided it!
Now for the Chorus, “In need of Christ, the perfect Lamb. My refuge strong, the great I Am. This is my song, my humble plea. I am Your child, I am in need”(Ch). The very first thing we must know in order to obtain salvation is knowing the need for our Lord. Before becoming a Christian, we need Christ. After becoming a Christian, we need Christ. Until the day he returns to us, we will need Him! Throughout our entire lives, in order to learn and grow, we must live in a state knowing our needs. No matter how godly you might think you live, there is still a need for Christ inside of you. The good news is that He has given all that we need to be fulfilled. Once we are baptized into Christ, He becomes our refuge. He is the one who will help us through this world of darkness. Ephesians 1:5 reads, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will”. We are His children, and He will take care of whatever we might need. What an amazing gift He has given to us! All of these needs that we discussed earlier would never be fulfilled without Christ. It’s not always easy to admit that you are in need. Oftentimes pride gets in the way of truly seeing your condition. We must live in a state of humility, willing to admit that we can’t make it without Christ. I started with these words and I want to end with them too. Remember who you belong to, and know who has forgiven every sin you have done and ever will do. “I am your Child, I am in need.” (Ch)
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