Archives for August 7, 2016

Devotion

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!

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!

While life's dark maze I tread
and griefs 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.

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!

Faith has been a theme common to all the Bible readings for this week. We have been shown the faith of Abram. We have been urged not to trust earthly armies, warriors, warhorses or human strength. We recalled examples of faith in the "great faith chapter" in the book of Hebrews. We heard the words of Jesus, urging us not to put our trust in the "stuff" of this earth, but in the one and only living and loving God. The hymn, "My Faith Looks Up to Thee," written in 1830 by Ray Palmer, set to music by Lowell Mason, and published in 1831, is a personal expression of prayer for just such a life-long living faith in our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Books have been written engaging in extended theological discussion about the definition of faith and faithfulness. Ultimately, the reality of faith is that it is a gift of the living and loving God, working in us by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, leading us to "just do it"—"it" being to trust in Jesus Christ, our savior and Lord, in the midst of all that is a part of our living and dying.