O Christ, Our Hope LBW 300 and ELW 604
1 O Christ, our hope, our hearts' desire,
Creation's mighty Lord,
Redeemer of the fallen world,
By holy love outpoured,
By holy love outpoured:
2 How vast your mercy to accept
The burden of our sin,
And bow your head in cruel death
To make us clean within,
To make us clean within.
3 But now the bonds of death are burst,
The ransom has been paid;
You now ascend the Father's throne
In robes of light arrayed,
In robes of light arrayed.
4 Oh, let your mighty love prevail
To purge us of our pride,
That we may stand before your throne
By mercy purified,
By mercy purified.
5 Christ Jesus, be our present joy,
Our future great reward;
Our only glory, may it be
To glory in the Lord!
6 All praise to you, ascended Lord;
All glory ever be
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Through all eternity!
Devotion
“Christ Jesus, be our present joy,
Our future great reward;
Our only glory, may it be
To glory in the Lord!”
Our world offers its treasures: fame, money, possessions, family, beauty, strength, popularity. You might have more favorites to add. But, just like life itself, these things are as fleeting as the dew in the morning. The hymn writer invites us to find glory not in ourselves, or in the things we control, but in the One who is our present joy and our future great reward. It is a gift from the one whose glory outshines the sun and outlasts the cosmos. To glory in another seems impossible. But when we die to self, it is the only option.
Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to find our joy in Christ. Amen.