"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. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground in sinking sand.
"His oath, His covenant and blood support me in the raging flood; When ev'ry earthly prop gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."
People build their lives and base their hope on all kinds of things. Others seek to build up wealth and material possessions or pin their hopes on success in business. Families provide a source of hope as parents work hard to help their children build a better future for themselves. Others seek more selfish foundations, building up their popularity and influence over others.
Some of these foundations for hope are worthy goals, others not so much. Foundational things such as family, home, and work are gifts of God. Yet none of these things can provide a lasting foundation on which to build our hope. For each of us, a time will come "when ev'ry earthly prop gives way." Although solid enough under the ordinary circumstances of daily living, during illness, disaster, or grief such props become unstable and, in the face of death, these earthly foundations crumble entirely. Wealth, business success, and popularity cannot save us. Even family members who support us in faith and uphold us in prayer cannot defeat death.
Jesus Christ alone is the solid Rock on whom our hope is built. We have His oath, His promise: "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b). He died and rose in triumph over death and in so doing "abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel" (2 Timothy 1:10b). The new covenant of God's steadfast love and forgiveness was sealed in Jesus' blood shed on the cross. In the raging flood of life's trials, these things—Jesus' oath, His covenant and His blood—support us, and they cannot be swept away.
By God's grace through faith our lives are built on Jesus Christ, our solid Rock and sure Foundation. Earthly hopes may disappoint us, but we have a different kind of hope: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). This living hope, the hope of forgiveness and eternal life, cannot fail, even in the face of illness, disaster, loss, and death because it is the hope that is built entirely on Jesus. He will never fail us.
WE PRAY: Jesus, my hope is built on You alone. Support me in the raging floods of life. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less," which is number 575 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you try to prepare for future challenges?
2. Have you experienced a time when all you had left was Jesus?
3. Have your strategies of living responsibly changed through the years? How so?
Today's Bible Readings: Exodus 14-15 Matthew 26:36-75
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"