O how sweet to trust in Jesus, just to trust His cleansing blood,
Just in simple faith to plunge me ‘neath the healing, cleansing flood.
—Louisa Stead
Today, we begin a journey of several weeks through Hebrews 11, the great “hall of faith” which details a host of Old
Testament characters who walked “by faith.” The hymns we sing in this morning’s service encourage us to trust in
Christ, to place our hopes upon Him, and rely on Him in faith, just as those ancient heroes trusted in the promises of
God. The psalms remind us that “He is blessed whose hope of blessing on the Lord his God is stayed” (Hallelujah,
Praise Jehovah—Psalm 146). We respond, declaring, “My trust is in the Lord” and “all my trust on Thee is stayed,”
even when all around us is failing and the tempests are high (My Trust Is In The Lord—Psalm 11; Jesus, Lover Of My
Soul). We wait in quiet expectation, “trust[ing] in nothing but His love” (My Soul Waits In Expectation—Psalm 62),
because Jesus “holds our faith when fears arise” (Christ Our Hope In Life And Death). After all these stirring calls to
faith, trust, and hope, we conclude by asking the Lord for “grace to trust Him more.” —Henry C. Haffner
