On any given Sunday, when God’s people gather, we come from various places in our weeks. Some enter having celebrated joyous milestones like weddings and births. Some from the “status quo” in the regularity of life. And some come bearing the weight of work stresses, family tension, or real tragedies. In all of these situations, what do we need most? To gaze upon the glory of our God and Savior.
When the allures of this life draw us in, we’re reminded that “true delight is found in God alone.” When we casually approach the Lord for the 300th Sunday in a row, we’re reminded that His grace is “a well too deep to fathom.” And when we’re bogged down by life’s trials, we’re reminded that our Lord is our “Rock and Redeemer”, a strong shield and defender, who guarantees our refuge by His faithfulness. And ultimately, our hope lives in our risen Savior, Jesus Christ, who broke the bonds of our sin and shame, conquering the grave and death!
Modern hymn “O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer” helps us posture ourselves in three ways before God.
Verse 1: We begin by orienting our praise first to God’s good character and our desperate need for Him.
Verse 2 continues this thought by giving us vocabulary to claim God’s power to persevere under trial.
Verse 3: And of course, the hymn crescendos to look at Christ’s atoning death and glorious resurrection.
In light of our “Representation” in Christ we’ve been learning in Romans 5. His death is our death to sin. And his resurrection is our resurrection to new life. Here and for eternity. Let us cry out to God together as we sing.
- Jonathan
O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer
Written by Nathan Stiff
Lyrics:
VERSE 1
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Ps 19:14)
Greatest treasure of my longing soul (Ps 42:1; Matt 13:44; Phil 3:8)
My God, like You there is no other (1 Sam 2:2; 2 Sam 7:22)
True delight is found in You alone (Ps 1:2, 37:4, 73:26; Mt 6:33)
Your grace, a well too deep to fathom (Ps 103:12; Rm 5:20; Eph 2:7)
Your love exceeds the heavens’ reach (Ps 19:1, 36:5, 103:11)
Your truth, a fount of perfect wisdom (Ps 19:7; Pr 9:10; Col 2:2-3; Ja 1:5)
My highest good and my unending need (Ps 40:17, 136:1; Rm 8:28)
VERSE 2
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Ps 18:2)
Strong defender of my weary heart (Ps 50:15, 145:19)
My sword to fight the cruel deceiver (Ps 28:7-8; Heb 4:12)
And my shield against his hateful darts (Gen 15:1; Ps 91:3; Eph 6:16)
My song when enemies surround me (Deut 33:27; Ps 40:3)
My hope when tides of sorrow rise (Rm 5:1-2; Col 1:27; 1 Pt 1:3)
My joy when trials are abounding (Rm 5:3-5; Ja 1:2; 1 Pt 1:6)
Your faithfulness, my refuge in the night (Ps 46:1, 62:7; 91:4; 2 Th 3:3)
VERSE 3
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (Ps 62:2)
Gracious Savior of my ruined life (Ps 51:1-2; Lk 2:11, 19:10; Rm 8:1)
My guilt and cross laid on Your shoulders (Is 53:6; Rm 4:25; 1 Pt 2:24)
In my place You suffered bled and died (Rm 5:6; Col 2:14; 1 Pt 3:18)
You rose, the grave and death are conquered (Rm 1:4; 1 Co 15:55-57)
You broke my bonds of sin and shame (Rm 6:4-8, 8:2; Gal 5:1)
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer (1 Pt 2:4)
May all my days bring glory to Your Name (Eph 1:4-6; 1 Co 10:31; 1 Pt 2:12)
Written by Nathan Stiff © 2017 Sovereign Grace Worship CCLI #193208