Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 631)
1 Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n, to earth come down!
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter ev’ry trembling heart.
2 Breathe, oh, breathe thy loving Spirit
Into every troubled breast;
let us all in thee inherit;
Let us find thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.
3 Come, Almighty, to deliver;
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
4 Finish then thy new creation,
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee!
Changed from glory into glory,
till in heav’n we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love and praise!
Text: Chares Wesley; Music: Rowland H. Prichard; Public Domain
Devotion
We began this week contemplating the hymn “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” and today we return to the first stanza, paying particular attention to how we can trust and know that we receive God’s grace as a gift of faith. “Fix in us thy humble dwelling,” we sing, and “visit us with thy salvation.” Today, I invite you to contemplate your baptism into the body of Christ and to know that you too received that promise of love, salvation, hope, joy, and peace.
Prayer
Divine Love, thank you for your salvation, for visiting us, and for your continued guidance as we seek to live out your way of peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.