“Lord, Keep us Steadfast in Your Word,” ELW 517 and LBW 230
1 Lord, keep us steadfast in your Word;
Curb those who by deceit or sword
Would wrest the kingdom from your Son
And bring to naught all he has done.
2 Lord Jesus Christ, your pow'r make know,
For you are Lord of lords alone;
Defend your holy Church, that we
May sing your praise triumphantly.
3 O Comforter of priceless worth,
Send peace and unity on earth;
Support us in our final strife
And lead us out of death to life.
Devotion
How important it is to be steadfast in God’s word. Words interpret our lives. They make sense out of what we see and hear. We use our own words to interpret our lives. And God speaks his word to make sense out of our lives. The problem with our word is that it is distorted by our self-deception. We find it hard, even impossible, to admit when there is something wrong with our lives. And even when we do, we deceive ourselves into thinking all we have to do is try harder.
God’s Word is Jesus Christ. In him we learn that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. In him we learn that our lives depend on forgiveness and mercy. Because of our self-deception, our word is not reliable. God’s Word is.
Prayer
Lord, keep us steadfast in your Word. Help us to grow day by day in trusting your Word for our lives so that we might experience your peace and salvation each day. Amen.