“My Faith Looks Up to Thee,” LBW 479 & ELW 759
1 My faith looks up to thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly thine!
2 May thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire;
As thou hast died for me,
Oh, may my love to thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire!
3 While life's dark maze I tread
And griefs around around me spread,
Be thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow's tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From thee aside.
4 When ends life's transient dream,
When death's cold, sullen stream
Shall o'er me roll;
Blest Savior, then, in love
Fear and distrust remove;
Oh, bear me safe above,
A ransomed soul!
Devotion
“I’ve hit a wall,” he said, “I just can’t go on any longer.” As long as we keep our gaze on an earthly plane, there will be no end to the walls we encounter, and eventually our path will lead to a dead end. When we come to that final wall, our tendency is to hang our head in grief and despair.
The hymn writer invites us to consider an alternative: Look up! Not necessarily to the heavens, because they are too far away and are beyond our grasp. Instead, we are encouraged to come to the “dead end” of the cross and gaze up at Jesus. There we find God’s surprising and innovative response to suffering and sorrow. God suffers with us, wipes away our sins, and removes our guilt.
Jesus does not show us a clever or easy way around the wall, but a new way through the wall — a way through death to eternal life. It is the way of faith in Christ Jesus.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, impart your strength to my fainting heart. Give me a faith that looks always up to you. Let me be wholly yours, today and forever. Amen.