My Hope is Built on Nothing Less (ELW 596, Verse 1)
1 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.
Devotion
As I write this, we are eagerly awaiting what we know will be happening soon. Flowers will break the bonds of their earthly tombs and stretch upward towards their creator. Soon we will see the blush of green kissing the black skeletons of trees. And as it all happens, creatures hidden through the long harsh winter will stretch out, ready to welcome the birthing season just as we do. It is a season of hope.
We live in a world that, despite the presence of constant struggle, also holds hope that creation is sustained by God’s hand. At the end of every dark night we know the hope of dawn will come. The cries of new life cancel the excruciating pain it took to arrive. And for the Christian, both the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus are the very basis of our hope. It is the rock on which we lean in our darkest moments.
Prayer
Lord of All Hopefulness, throughout your creation you have woven in moments of hope. We give you thanks that even in the midst of life’s struggles you have given us a solid foundation of hope to hold onto through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.