Abide With Me

 

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 every passing hour.

What, but thy grace, can foil the tempter's power?

Who like thyself my guide and strength can be?

Through cloud and sunshine, O 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.

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.

“For I am the LORD, I change not...” — Malachi 3:6

When everything around us changes and decays, the one we need most remains unchanged.

Malachi is speaking to Israel at a time when they had become spiritually unfaithful. In chapter 3, God confronts their sin and warns that he will judge and purify them.

Then verse 6 gives the reason Israel had not been completely destroyed:

God doesn't change.

His covenant faithfulness never changed even though his people did. They were unfaithful but because of God's faithfulness, he didn't destroy them. 

“...therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” - Mal. 3:6

"Abide With Me" is beautiful in that it takes this theological truth and applies it personally. God's faithfulness doesn't depend upon our stability. 

“Change and decay in all around I see;

O Thou who changest not, abide with me.”

Everything around us is subject to change and decay. We become weak. 

God remains strong.

 We experience loss. 

God remains faithful. 

Our circumstances change. 

God's character doesn't.

 One of my favorite verses is Hebrews 13:5 ever since I learned the Greek.

“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

It sounds simple in English, but in Greek, it has 5 double negatives, giving a profoundly deep and precious promise. God will never temporarily walk away or permanently abandon me - or you. 

Take comfort today, that no matter what, God remains with us because he himself does not change.

Japan part 5

 August 2, 2026

Sunday. 

One of the sweetest parts of traveling to new places is meeting brothers and sisters in Christ. We don't even need to share a language in order to enjoy a common bond.

Hearing believers worship God in their own language and joining them in fellowship reminds me just how beautifully the gospel unites us. I'm continually inspired by the people who serve God faithfully, when their work remains unseen and receives no applause, and when sometimes they don't even see results or much fruit. (I think about my time on the Indian reservations and how that work is often overlooked, but man, the Christians there are some of the most dedicated people to God.) Observing this perseverance leaves a lasting impression on me and deepens my appreciation for the beautiful family God is building around the world in places many people will never see.

Wing's dad is another example of this dedication. He's been faithfully preaching to the believers for years. I really enjoyed this church experience in Japanese. 

Natsuho and a sister from the Philippines at church.

Wing interpreted for her dad. 

Afterwards we enjoyed a lunch together. Some men came earlier in the morning to prepare the food.

Later, I took a walk. 

Vast vineyards (even some in peoples' backyards) and surrounding mountains create the idyllic beauty of Yamanashi Prefecture. 

I liked seeing houses for a change instead of only sky buildings. 

The sky deserves its own category of splendor because it's just 😮 wow.

Japan part 4

 August 1, 2026

Started off the day by finding a bakery cafe. I'm a huge drink person so I tried 2: coffee and Japanese milk tea. I must say, the milk tea tasted royal, if you can even imagine it. I can't think of another word to describe. 😅The apple pastry was quite delicious too. 

Then Wing and I checked out of the hostel and rode the subway to Shibuya. 

This is at Shibuya Crossing, where all traffic stops and all pedestrians from north, east, south, west, and diagonal cross at the same time. It's very ingenious and efficient. I wish places everywhere had this design.

After stopping by a pop-up store for her husband, Wing found an amazing sushi place for us to try.

 It's so convenient- you sit at your own spot, use the screen to order, and the food comes out on the belt and stops in front. The portions are small so you can order however many dishes you want.

Man, this is the BOMB. Sushi rolls - I could eat these every day.

Afterwards, we headed to our next destination, which was Takao, by riding the train, then walking for a while.

Love these motorcycles.

Moff Animal Cafe in Takao, Tokyo.

So cute. 🐥🐇It's similar to a zoo except most animals you can pet and there's a small room with unlimited drinks. Some animal cafes focus on one animal, such as capybara, but this one has a variety. And it's walk in - no reservation needed. There was a hedgehog, but it was sleeping. There was also a snake and toad, but we don't need to see them. 😄

I LOVE chicks.

After staying a couple hours at the cafe, we hopped on the train for an almost 2 hour ride to Yamanashi, Wing's home city.