April 27, 2024

My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less

October 10, 2015 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

When darkness seems to veil His face
I rest on His unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

His oath, His covenant and blood
Support me in the ‘whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand

When the last trumpet’s voice shall sound
O may I then in Him be found
Clothed in His righteousness alone
Faultless to stand before His throne

Sovereign Grace Music
Words by Edward Mote (1797-1874)

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We use the word ‘hope’ often in our daily lives.  We hope it’s a sunny day, we hope there are good sales when we go to the grocery store, we hope we sleep well at night.  There’s also the more serious hopes.  We hope our kids stay healthy, we hope we get the job promotion, we hope our budget stretches to the end of the month, we hope we make it to Heaven.  I’m sure you have heard all of those hopes, have even said them…and many more.

Those hopeful comments express the day-to-day feeling of desire for a certain thing to happen, a wishful thinking.  The hope that is sung about in this old hymn is based on a trust in something or someone.  Defined by one Biblical source it is an ‘expectation of, a looking forward to, something beneficial now and in the future’.  Another source uses the words ‘confidence, to anticipate, welcome, an expectation of what is sure, certain’, to describe this kind of hope.

Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed)
of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see
and the conviction of their reality
[faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
Hebrews 11:1 AMP

…So that by two unchangeable things,
in which it is impossible for God to lie,
we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement
to hold fast to the hope set before us.
Hebrews 6:19

As a child, I remember ‘belting out’ the words to this chorus, “On Christ the solid rock I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.”  I love the words of this old hymn, because they are true.  The hope I have is built on Christ, The Rock, His blood and His righteousness.  That is all I ever want to trust in. All other hope is “sinking sand.”  People, as caring and well-meaning as they can be, are not enough to secure my standing before God.  In the “high and stormy gale” there is no anchor that holds me like Jesus.

For it says in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.”
So the honor is for you who believe…
1 Peter 2:6-7

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:11

Here are just a few Scriptures of assurance that God is our Hope, our Refuge, our Strength in life:

On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Psalm 62:7 NASB

He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Fortress; I shall not be shaken.
Psalm 62:6 ESV

You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7 NASB

The LORD is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the Stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1 ESV

God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present Help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear…
Psalm 46:1-2 ESV

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, “My Refuge and my Fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:1-2 ESV

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 ESV

I encourage you to meditate on this parable from Jesus:

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

Matthew 7:24-27

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Who or what is your rock, your refuge?  Do you live in hope, in confidence, and in certainty of Jesus Christ as your sure foundation?  My prayer is that you can ‘belt out’ this song with me:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
IT IS SO!

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More Of You

November 5, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I made my castle tall
I built up every wall
This is my kingdom and it needs to fall
I want You and no one else
Empty me of myself
Until the only thing that’s left is

More of You
Less of me
Make me who I’m meant to be
You’re all I want all I need
You’re everything
Take it all I surrender
Be my King
God, I choose
More of You
Less of me

This life I hold so close
Oh, God, I let it go
I refuse to gain the world and lose my soul
So take it all—I abandon everything I am You can have it
The only thing I need is

All to You I surrender
All to You, my blessed Savior
I surrender all

 Singer/Songwriter ~ Colton Dixon with Ben Glover and David Garcia

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“I made my castle tall, I built up every wall…and it needs to fall….” This lyric gives me a visual of a sandcastle and reminds me of the parable in Matthew 7:24-27.

Everyone therefore who hears these words of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Everyone who hears these words of Mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.

If our lives are not built on the solid foundation of Jesus…it will quickly dissolve away much like the sand….

And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their Redeemer.
Psalms 78:35

I need more of HIM and less of me…. When I start to focus on myself and my circumstances more than focusing on God, I quickly dissolve into a puddle of despair with no hope.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12 NIV

We must continue to focus on God and draw our strength in the journey from Him.

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Heavenly Father, all to You I surrender, my blessed Savior…I need more of You and less of me!  In Jesus’ name, Amen!!!

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I Will Not Be Moved

June 26, 2014 by

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I have been the wayward child, I have acted out
I have questioned sovereignty and had my share of doubts
And though sometimes my prayers feel like they’re bouncing off the sky
The hand I hold won’t let me go
and is the reason why…

I will stumble, I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes, I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved

Bitterness has plagued my heart many times before
My life has been like broken glass, and I have kept the score
of all my shattered dreams and though it seemed
that I was far too gone
My brokenness helped me to see it’s grace I’m standing on

I will stumble, I will fall down
But I will not be moved
I will make mistakes, I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved

And the chaos in my life has been a badge I’ve worn
And though I have been torn
I will not be moved

I will not be moved
I will make mistakes, I will face heartache
But I will not be moved
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
I will not be moved

Singer / Songwriter: Natalie Grant
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What does it mean to be solid in your faith?

The definition of the word solid is “…firm and stable”.  How can we be firm and stable—solid— in our faith when the storms of life are threatening to take us down? Although not the easy path the answer is a simple one—it is a choice.

When life seems out of control and you don’t feel as though you are going to get through it, you have to choose to trust in God. He promises to get us through the storms and, if we don’t give up or lose hope, we will see the victory in the end.

A solid faith is not based on circumstances.  It is trust and hope in God in the midst of the circumstances…refusing to be moved from that place.  I trust in You, Lord, for You are faithful!!!

Although most of my circumstances have not been pleasant (and many I would not have chosen), God has been faithful. In each and every one, I have experienced Him in such a powerful way and learned lessons I would not have otherwise learned. When something comes my way, I am always looking for those blessings in disguise along with what God wants me to learn through it.

Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise,
like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise
and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
But anyone who hears My teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish,
like a person who builds a house on sand.
When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house,
it will collapse with a mighty crash.
Matthew 7: 24-27 NLT

We must be building our lives on Christ the Solid Rock and refusing to be moved when the storms of life come.  Otherwise we are on sinking sand…and there goes our hope and our strength.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12 ESV

Let us become a tree of life as we choose to put our hope in Him.

And let us not grow weary of doing good,
for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Let us choose not to become weary
Galatians 6:9 ESV

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Oh Father, life is hard—there is no doubt about it.  But You have told us to take heart because You have overcome the world.  May we choose to put our hope and trust in You and not grow weary and give up!  If we continue to fight the good fight, we will be victorious.  Thank You for that promise…in Jesus’ name, amen.

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