Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ

Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ

LSB #565

v. 1: Thy works, not mine, O Christ,
Speak gladness to this heart;
They tell me all is done,
They bid my fear depart.
To who save Thee,
     Who canst alone For sin atone,
          Lord, shall I flee?

I decided to use this hymn for this very first devotion (even though I don’t believe we’ve ever sung it!) because it seems to me what this entire Lenten season is all about. Lent is not about what I do. It’s all about what Christ has done for me. All five verses of the hymn speak to that: Thy works, Thy wounds, Thy cross, Thy death, Thy righteousness - not mine. So much of what passes for Christianity today focuses on what we do; and while it’s important that we fulfill the vocations given to us by God and strive to do good, that’s not the center and focus - Christ is. And more specifically, Christ crucified. What we do comes from that, from our dying and rising with Christ to a new life. So this hymn starts off this Lenten season the right way, with the right focus. Lent is all about Jesus the Christ. If you get a chance, get your hymnal out and read all the verses. Then thank the Lord for all He has done - for you.