My Faith Looks Up to Thee

“We walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7 NASB

Ray Palmer came from a distinguished family. The son of a judge, Ray, who was born on this day in 1808, spent most of his life as a pastor.

One day, he was overwhelmed with all that he owed to Jesus, with “the riches of His grace and love.” As he did so often, he wrote a poem to express these convictions, never intending that anyone else would see his words. He called the poem, “My Faith Looks Up to Thee.” It was filled with words “born of my own soul.”

Several months later, he happened to meet composer Lowell Mason, who asked him to provide some hymns. Palmer responded by showing Mason his poem about faith. The composer quickly realized its impact, and wrote the tune for which Palmer’s words have been sung ever since. Mason felt that these were the words for which Palmer would be “best known to posterity.”

Palmer’s words focused on Jesus, the “Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine!” His cry was, “Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away, O let me from this day be wholly Thine!”

He realized that his heart was “fainting,” so he asked God to grant him strength and make him “a living fire.” Knowing that life could be uncertain, like a “dark maze,” he asked God to be his guide. He prayed, “Bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow’s tears away, nor let me ever stray from Thee aside.”

Today, remember the importance of faith for your life. Remember that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). Remember that you are justified by faith, not the things you do (Galatians 2:16). Remember that faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Ask God to help you live by faith, not by sight.

Prayer: Father, I have faith in You. I declare that Your promises are true for me. Make my life a living fire, and keep me from straying from You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.