Our hymn for this week’s hymn devotion is hymn 740: O God, My Faithful God
In the Gospel lesson appointed for this coming Sunday, the Pharisees confront Jesus about his disciples. The Pharisees were upset that Jesus allowed his disciples to eat with “unclean hands.” This was a rabbinic tradition that developed among the Jews, and wasn’t a necessary part of God’s law for his people. This allows Jesus to speak about something far more important than ceremonial cleanliness: why we obey God’s commands in the first place. Quoting the prophet Isaiah, Jesus says: “These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching human rules as if they were doctrines.” Jesus doesn’t want followers who blindly do what he asks but don’t care why. Jesus wants dedicated followers who serve him out of love, not anything else!
The hymn we’re focusing on this week helps us remember to do God’s will out of joy, not out of fear because we’re forced to. Each stanza of the hymn focuses on ways we glorify God: our thoughts, our words, and our actions. As we look at each hymn stanza, we’ll be reminded how we need God to bless our efforts if they are to succeed.
Verse 1: O God, my faithful God, O Fountain ever flowing, who good and perfect gifts in mercy are bestowing, give me a healthy frame, and may I have within a conscience free from blame, a soul unhurt by sin.
At Yellowstone National Park, there’s a geyser named “Old Faithful.” It earned its name because out of the hundreds of geysers in Yellowstone, Old Faithful consistently erupts every 60 to 90 minutes, depending on how long the last eruption was. Ever since the area was first surveyed in the late 1800s, the geyser has been erupting on a consistent schedule year after year. That’s pretty cool given the random nature of geysers! But God’s faithfulness is more incredible than even that amazing natural phenomenon. Even though we’re sinful and don’t deserve God’s faithfulness, he shows it to us day after day. With that faithfulness comes many gifts, like a healthy frame of mind. Each of us has been washed and redeemed through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Because of that, our consciences can trouble us no longer, and our souls are freed from satan’s accusations and the penalty of death. It’s in this forgiveness and new life that we ask for the strength to do God’s will, which is what the next verse is about.
Verse 2: Grant me the strength to do with ready heart and willing whatever you command, my calling here fulfilling, that I do what I should while trusting you to bless the outcome for my good, for you must give success.
Sometimes as Christians, we will be called to do things we don’t want to do. Maybe it’s letting go of a pet sin that we’re especially fond of. Maybe it’s dealing with rejection or ridicule from the people of this world. Or maybe it’ll be preaching the gospel to people who don’t want to hear it. These situations will be hard in different ways and for different reasons. But regardless of how difficult it may be or how much we don’t want to do it, we don’t have to worry. Jesus will be there to strengthen our faith and trust in him. He does so through his Word and sacraments poured out on us day after day. Whenever we feel weakened or unable to do as he asks, this verse is a wonderful reminder to us to seek strength in him through prayer and his Word.
Verse 3: Keep me from saying things that later need recalling; grant that no idle words may from my lips be falling, but when within my place I must and ought to speak, then fill my words with grace lest I offend the weak.
Living in an online world has made people forget just how powerful words can be on another. We’ve all heard the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me.” And while it’s true, words don’t cause bodily injuries, they leave mental wounds that are much harder to see and heal. As Christians, we use words to tell others about the Word that became flesh and lived among us. Therefore we need to be extra careful how we talk about Jesus and how we use the gift of speech. In order for us to be faithful and careful stewards of the Word of God, it’s important for us to remember the power of the gospel, and how it is able to change hearts and minds from death to life. When we speak, may we remember well the prayer contained in this verse: to use our speech to glorify God and to bring others to know him when he grants us the opportunity to speak about him.
Verse 4: Lord, let me win my foes with kindly words and actions, and let me find good friends for counsel and correction. Help me, as you have taught, to love both great and small and by your Spirit’s might to live in peace with all.
It’s difficult being a Christian sometimes. We live in a world that hates us among people that don’t understand us. At all times we are tempted by our own sinful natures and a devil who is constantly on the prowl, looking for weaknesses. Jesus wants followers who follow him and serve him from the heart and nothing else. This is hard, dangerous work! This is why we need encouragement and help. And we have both in abundance! We have Christian friends who are able to pick us up when we fail and to help us bear our burdens. We have a savior who loved us enough to die for us and give his life in exchange for ours! And that same savior sends out his Holy Spirit to keep us strong and to help us grow in our faith! Yes, being a follower of Christ is hard. But with the Spirit’s help and the urging of our fellow brothers and sisters, we will make it through this world of hardship and arrive at last at our true home in heaven.
Why serve God at all if it’s going to be so difficult? How can we be expected to succeed when there’s so much that stands in the way of being a faithful follower? The answer is quite simple: we look to Jesus for our strength. He is faithful, he will not leave us without help. He promises to be with us. All we need to do is seek him, and he will find us, walk with us, and bring us home to be with him. May he help us in our heavenward journey all the days of our lives. Amen.