Amazing Grace (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 779)
1 Amazing grace! — how sweet the sound —
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
2 ‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!
3 Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
’tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
4 The Lord has promised good to me;
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
5 When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.
Text: John Newton; Music: W. Walker, Southern Harmony; Public Domain
Devotion
Have you seen the film Amazing Grace (2006)? It tells the true story of William Wilberforce, William Pitt, and John Newton and their efforts to end the slave trade in England. The film stirred me to speak more prophetically and to live with renewed courage and faith. John Newton, Wilberforce’s mentor, reminded him that God had placed him where he was “for such a time as this.” Newton also wrote “Amazing Grace,” a deeply personal hymn about how God’s grace saved him and drew him to Christ.
The hymn’s power lies in its simplicity and depth. The opening stanza proclaims pure grace: we are lost and blind, yet God saves and restores—salvation is entirely God’s work. The next reflects both repentance and comfort, as grace awakens and heals. The later stanzas remind us that our hope rests not in circumstances but in God’s promises. Through danger and struggle, grace sustains us. This song is a moving confession of God’s grace and forgiveness, and that is why it continues to touch so many hearts.
Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for your amazing grace that finds and restores us. Stir in us true repentance, strengthen us to live faithfully in this time, and keep our hope grounded in your promises. In Jesus’ name, Amen.