My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less (ELW 596)
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.
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 with him be found,
Clothed in his righteousness alone,
Redeemed to stand before the throne! (Refrain)
Devotion
The writer to Timothy encourages him to continue firmly in what he has learned and believed. Jesus tells a parable encouraging his hearers to persist in prayer because of a hope and faith that clings persistently to its confidence that God will hear and act in mercy and justice in this world.
This favored hymn is notable for the way it moves us precisely to respond with that sense of strength and confidence. That confidence is not just wishful thinking, but is grounded in the unchanging grace of God that stands firm amid all the storms of life. On Christ, the solid rock we stand. Our hope rests firmly on the One who loved us so much as to give his life on behalf of the world.
Prayer
O God of Hope, help us to know and rest confidently on the persistent promise of your grace and mercy. May Christ, our Savior, be forever our foundation and our rock. In the name of Jesus, Amen.