This favorite hymn embodies the knowledge that faith in Jesus Christ gives us strength through trust in our Lord and Savior.
In the early 1830’s, Lowell Mason relocated from Savannah, Georgia to Boston, Massachusetts. His purpose in moving was to focus entirely on teaching and writing music and directing choirs. In 1832, he met a young student at Yale who was completely overwhelmed by working two jobs, going to class and preparing for the ministry. Ray Palmer shared with Mason a personal prayer he had written for renewed hope during his times of discouragement.
Mason immediately embraced the words and in short order, wrote the music for Palmer’s prayer. And, the hymn “My Faith Looks Up to Thee” was born in 1832. Pastor Ray Palmer went on to great service to the American Congregational Union and as a local pastor. But he is most remembered for this hymn.
The beginning line of the hymn indicates that my faith looks up to thee. The two key words are “faith” and “thee”. As Christians, our faith is in Jesus Christ.
The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews is well known as the “faith chapter”. In the first ten chapters of Hebrews, the writer basically presents the case for the new covenant being far superior to the old covenant. Under the old covenant, priests offered objects of sacrifice for the sins of the people. This had to be done over and over again. The religious leaders subscribed to this sacrificial system and “works” righteousness – right standing with God based on law-keeping. But now the new covenant, which is the sacrifice of Jesus himself, makes us right with God forever. So, our faith is in Him.
Our faith is not in our own strength/power to determine our future or to “get right” with God. Our faith, which is a gift from God, causes us to put our trust in Jesus.
Not only do we believe Him (Heb 11:1), but we have a “conviction” that causes us to live by faith. Through faith in Jesus, all the promises of God “…find their Yes in Him…” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
Paul wrote that “the righteous shall live by faith” in Romans 1:17. This verse changed the life of a young monk in 1519 as he struggled to understand how God could love him. He stated “thus I raged with a fierce and troubled conscience”. But Martin Luther explained “I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates” when he saw that born again Christians live by faith that looks up to Jesus, who is our righteousness. This saving faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
The writer of the book of Hebrews begins chapter 11 with Cain and Abel and sweeps through the Old Testament to demonstrate to us a foundational Christian principle. Our relationship with God is based on faith. We connect to Him by faith. Verse three of that chapter tells us that it is by faith that we understand that God created the universe. But notice, the evidence of the faith of these saints identified in Chapter 11 is their obedience.
O, may God gift us with a faith that looks up to thee (Jesus)…a faith which produces good works and obedience to Christ our Savior.
— H. Carter
Hymns for Him 