How I Need Thee

Yesterday at church (Messiah's House, check out www.messiahshouse.org), a guest speaker/preacher gave a word about needing God.  It was a good word, he was enthusiastic and obviously passionate about the Lord.  If anything his message was confirmation for me from God that I'm on the right track, that this thing that He is doing is really happening and He's doing it in many places at once.  It's the same thing He's always been doing, but now we're getting on board.  We're hungry and thirsty and we're coming in droves to the River of Life and holding out our hands for the Daily Bread.

I want to highlight one point he made and the scripture with which he made it.  In Luke 27-32, Jesus calls Levi the Tax Collector, and Levi invites him over to a grand feast at his house with other Tax Collectors, and the Pharisees see this and they ask:

"Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?"

And Jesus says, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."  This is powerful in many ways, but the most significant is this: Jesus came for the sinners (and he still does).  He did not come for the righteous (and he still doesn't).  The odd thing about this statement is the implication that the Pharisees, those religious and pompous fools, were righteous.  Of course they were righteous; in their own eyes, at least.  And this is the key distinction, that they presumed to have it all together and so did not see their need for Jesus.  And then there is Levi and his Tax Collector friends.  They are despised, lowly sinners.  Culturally they are the scum of the earth.  And Jesus reclines at the table with them and calls them Friend.  Why?  Because they are not well and they know it.  They know that they need Jesus; they know that they need repentance.

If we don't know that we need Jesus, we are screwed.  If we don't hunger and thirst after his righteousness, we will not get into his heart and find the healing, the joy, the peace and victory and freedom that resides in the heart of God.  But we have to need him to get there.

Here is the full text of the hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour" by Annie S. Hawks, written in 1872.  It is aged, but still packs some serious heat.

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

Refrain:
I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
Oh, bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their pow’r when Thou art nigh.

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain.

I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
Oh, make me Thine indeed, Thou blessed Son.