Hymn 775 - Thy Strong Word

This weekend we will focus on the power of God's Word in our lives, and one hymn that emphasizes that is "Thy Strong Word" by Martin Franzmann. Franzmann was the son of a Lutheran pastor and knew from a young age that is what he wanted to be as well. After seminary he served as a teacher of Greek and as a professor of New Testament during very tumultuous years at the end of the Synodical Conference. He was known as a staunch defender of the inerrancy of God's Word against the Historical Critical method which was taking root in the Missouri Synod at that time. This hymn is a reflection of that conviction. 

In the opening verse he presents the power of God's Word which brought the natural world into existence. God said, and it was! We thank Him for His work of creation.

Verse 2 shows that God was also concerned about the spiritual darkness that overtook His creation after the Fall. In His Son, God revealed a path to salvation. The world which was lost in darkness was given the light of salvation in Jesus, "the Light of the world." How did God accomplish this? By declaring sinners "righteous" in the person of Jesus, who took our sin and its punishment upon Himself. We are covered with the righteousness of Christ by faith in Him. And God did this, in His wisdom, through the "foolishness" (from the world's perspective) of the cross. This was the tool that God used to accomplish salvation for sinners. Like the Apostle Paul, our boast is in the cross of Christ.

And so our prayer is that God would give us the ability to reflect that LIGHT to the world around us, through our words and actions. Give us lips to sing Thy glory!

The final verse concludes with a doxology (word of praise) to the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God who has shone into our lives the Light of salvation in Jesus!

May the LORD bless your worship this weekend!