Tag Archives: plea

I Need No Other Argument

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My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device or creed;
I trust the ever living One,
His wounds for me shall plead.

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He’ll never cast me out.
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s Name,
Salvation through His blood.
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

My great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me His precious blood He shed,
For me His life He gave.
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Words by Eliza Hewitt, 1891
Music by Audre E. M. Gretry,
Arranged by William J. Kirkpatrick,

 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.
Psalm 62:5

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:16

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.
Acts 16:31

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12

 

 

I enjoy a good court room drama. To watch the lawyers lay out their cases as they seek to convince the jury to side with their client. Now the truth is, it’s not just courtroom dramas I enjoy, I simply like a good debate or argument. These opportunities allow you to hone your skills in supporting your case and test how well you know what you are talking about.

But as much as I enjoy an academic argument, when you are really arguing for what you believe it can take a lot of energy out of you. And when this is what you seem to always be doing, it can become exhausting. This is the message behind Eliza Hewitt’s hymn, “My Faith Has Found A Resting Place.”

Hewitt realized that sometimes we need to just step aside and refresh. We need to rest for a while. This is why Hewitt writes, “My faith has found a resting place” and that resting place is in “the ever living one.” This is why Psalm 62:5 says, “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” And Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Yes, we need to rest. We need an opportunity to recoup our energy. We need to step away from arguing, and whatever else is draining us, and rest in the one place that we can trust and find confidence.

In whom do we trust? Hewitt makes the statement that it is in God alone that we can trust, “not in device or creed.” Now creeds, or statements of beliefs, are useful in reminding us what we believe, but they are not what we base our beliefs on. As Hewitt puts it, “My heart is leaning on the Word, The living Word of God.”

First, it is the Bible alone that we base our beliefs on. It is God’s word given to us. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” God’s word can be trusted.
Second, it is In Jesus alone that we find salvation. Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” and Acts 4:12 tells us, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Our faith can be found through trust in God alone as revealed in the Bible and through His Son.

Yes, I enjoy a good argument but when I become weary, I find rest in the truth of God’s word, in the truth that my salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. No, “I need no other argument, I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died, And that He died for me.”

 

 

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Just A Closer Walk With Thee

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I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Words and Music Unknown, Unknown Date

 

The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
Psalm 145:18

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
James 4:8

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

 

Having raised three children, one of the things that became clear early on is that children like to be able to do things themselves. Something like zipping up your child’s coat. You have done it since they were born, but the inevitable day comes when thy say, “I do it myself.”

As adult’s we really don’t change. We like to do things ourselves. And even when we struggle, the last thing we want to do is admit that we need help. But the fact is that we do need help sometimes, in fact we need help quite often.

This is the message behind “Just A Closer Walk With Thee.” The author starts with that statement that is so hard for us to admit, “I am weak.” This flies in the face of who we are. Not only is it ingrained in us from birth, but society has reinforced in us the idea that weakness is a bad thing, that we always need to give the appearance of strength.

But the fact is that we are indeed weak. As much as we may want to do everything ourselves, we can’t. We need help. So where do we turn? We may turn to family or friends, and this is not a bad thing. Family and true friends should always be willing to give that helping hand, even if it is simply to bounce our thoughts off of. But as helpful as they are, they too are limited in what they can do.

So where do we turn? When we look back at children we find the answer. You see, that child who strongly protest, “I do it myself.” will also be the child who becomes fearful and panicked when they lose sight of their parent. You see, as much as they want to do things themselves, it is their parents that they make them feel safe.

This is where we turn, to our Father in heaven The hymn goes on to say, “but thou art strong.” God is our strength. In Isaiah 41:10 God tells us, “I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This is why Paul writes in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

It is God alone who can give us the strength we need to make it through each day. The author declares in the second verse, “Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares?” He answers his own question with, “None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.”

It is by keeping ourselves near to God, that we find this strength. Psalm 145:18 tells us, “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” And James tells us in chapter 4 verse 8, to “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

Our strength comes from God, and comes by walking close to Him. So, I make the chorus of this hymn my prayer, “Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”

 

 

Read more about “Just A Closer Walk With Thee.”