All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. (Psalm 22:27-28)
Psalm 22, the lectionary psalm for this Sunday, paints a picture of grandeur. It speaks of the whole earth worshiping the God who rules over all. When I was reading this psalm in preparation for Sunday, the might and majesty on display here took my mind immediately to the hymn “I Sing the Mighty Power of God” by Isaac Watts.
If you have been reading my blog posts or if you attended last Wednesday as I talked about my new piano book, you will know that my favorite aspect of God is the juxtaposition of might and love. The hymns that I chose to arrange for that piano collection are reflections of Christ’s reign and love. That is why I love Isaac Watts’s hymn so much.
The hymn begins by glorifying God for his mighty power and wisdom. God is Lord over all creation.
I sing the mighty power of God that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at God’s command, and all the stars obey.
The next stanza is praise for God’s goodness. God is the sustainer of creation. The third line, in particular, stands out to me. God’s wonders are displayed everywhere. This is not just the wonders of God’s amazing creation, but also the wonder of God’s love. The God of might loves us enough to take a personal interest in our most seemingly insignificant concerns. God is leading and guiding us perfectly. God is always good.
I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
Who formed the creatures through the Word and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how thy wonders are displayed where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread or gaze upon the sky.
The last stanza recaps both the glory and grace of God. It speaks directly to God in praise. Everything on earth testifies the greatness of God, and everything is ever in God’s care.
There’s not a plant or flower below, but makes thy glories known,
And clouds arise, and tempests blow by order from thy throne;
While all that borrows life from thee is ever in thy care;
And everywhere that we can be thou God art present there.
We worship a mighty, good, and glorious God!
– Shelton