Sing Praise To God Who Reigns Above
Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
Sing praise to God who reigns above,
The God of all creation,
The God of pow’r, the God of love,
The God of our salvation.
With healing balm my soul He fills,
And ev’ry faithless murmur stills:
To God all praise and glory!
What God’s almighty pow’r hath made
His gracious mercy keepeth,
By morning glow or evening shade
His watchful eye ne’er sleepeth.
Within the kingdom of His might,
Lo! all is just and all is right:
To God all praise and glory!
The Lord is never far away,
But, through all grief distressing,
An ever-present help and stay,
Our peace and joy and blessing.
As with a mother’s tender hand
He leads His own, His chosen band:
To God all praise and glory!
Thus all my toilsome way along
I sing aloud His praises,
That men may hear the grateful song
My voice unwearied raises.
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart!
Both soul and body bear your part:
To God all praise and glory!
Translated by Frances Elizabeth Cox (1812–1897)
ONE HUNDRED YEARS after Martin Luther, the Lutheran church in Germany needed a revival. God used a Lutheran pastor in Frankfurt, Philip Jacob Spener, to begin the Pietist movement and breathe life into dead orthodoxy. Spener emphasized the importance of personal commitment to Jesus Christ as well as a continuing devotional life. Johann Schütz, a prominent Frankfurt lawyer and an authority in civil and canon law, helped Spener establish cell groups throughout the area. Schütz also wrote several hymns and was responsible for a number of religious publications.
The warmth and personal application of the Pietist movement exudes from Schütz’s hymns. Notice the third stanza. “The Lord is never far away” displays the Pietist emphasis on the nearness of God in our daily affairs. “As with a mother’s tender hand, He leads His own” reveals the emotional power of the movement.
Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. Let all the people of Jerusalem shout his praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you.
Isaiah 12:5-6
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