Rev. Don Campbell
Nehemiah 11-13
A SONG A DAY, January 14, 2020
“My Faith Looks Up to Thee”
Ray Palmer a theologian and Lowell Mason, a Doctor of Music, met in Boston in 1830. Palmer shared with Mason a poem he had written, and Mason included it in Spiritual Songs for Social Worship, a compilation that was being prepared by Mason and Thomas Hastings for publication within a couple of years.
This is one of the most famous hymns from American history, even used as a source of encouragement and serenity by Civil War soldiers. Palmer believed his hymn flourished since it “embodied, in appropriate and simple language that which is most central in all true Christian experience—the act of faith in the divine Redeemer—the entrusting of the individual soul to Him entirely and forever.”
Several biblical passages could be associated with this hymn, but the one which comes to my mind follows the Honor Roll of Faith in Hebrews 11: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray,
take all my guilt away;
O let me from this day
be wholly Thine.
May Thy rich grace impart
strength to my fainting heart,
my zeal inspire;
as Thou hast died for me,
O may my love to Thee
pure, warm, and changeless be,
a living fire.
While life’s dark maze I tread,
and griefs around me spread,
be Thou my guide;
bid darkness turn to day,
wipe sorrow’s tears away,
nor let me ever stray
from Thee aside.
When ends life’s transient dream,
when death’s cold, sullen stream
shall o’er me roll,
blest Savior, then in love,
fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above,
a ransomed soul.
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, ‘For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.’) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:35-37, NLT).
“Link to YouTube Video – My Faith Looks Up To Thee”
