My Hope is Built on Nothing Less, ELW 596
Devotion
My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
no merit of my own I claim,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
Refrain
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in ev'ry high and stormy gale
my anchor holds within the veil. Refrain
His oath, his covenant, his blood
sustain me in the raging flood;
when all supports are washed away,
he then is all my hope and stay. Refrain
When he shall come with trumpet sound,
oh, may I then in him be found,
clothed in his righteousness alone,
redeemed to stand before the throne! Refrain
The author of this popular hymn, Edward Mote, surprisingly did not grow up attending church. As a teenager he began listening to sermons and took an interest in singing hymns. He was a cabinet maker for most of his adulthood. While walking to work one day, he began to think about writing a hymn.
He had the refrain figured out by the time he arrived at work and wrote four verses by the end of that day. At the age of 55, he was called to ministry as the pastor of a Baptist church, where he served for nearly 20 years.
This hymn has been sung in various moments of my life and has brought comfort to many people on their spiritual journey. In Mote's words is the reassurance of Christ's righteousness as the only requirement for salvation. Our Jeremiah text from Monday reminds us of the promise of a new covenant, written on our hearts. So in our moments of trouble, may we have strength to boldly live out the message of God's grace.
Prayer
God of hope, we come to you broken and in need of your grace. We pray for all those who are suffering and seeking to be made whole. Put your love within us, write it on our hearts, O God, and help us love as you love us. Amen.