Then Sings My Soul Saturdays - Praise!

What a joy it is to sing praises to the King of heaven! While our country only celebrates Thanksgiving once a year, as believers we should continually praise God and express our gratitude for His many blessings.

Singing is such a beautiful and natural way to praise God. David composed many of the Psalms as songs of adoration. And my choice for today's song is based on one of the most-loved Psalms.

"In 1834 the British clergyman Henry Francis Lyte published a collection 280 hymns basked on the book of Psalms. He called it The Spirit of the Psalms because these hymns were not strictly translations (like the old psalters still in use at the time) or even paraphrases (like much of Isaac Watts's work), but texts loosely inspired by the Psalms. This hymn was included as a development of Psalm 103. There are many points of comparison.

"The psalmist urges us not to forget the Lord's benefits; Lyte lists those benefits--'ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven.' And as the psalmist indicates that God is 'slow to chide,' Lyte adds that He is also 'swift to bless.' "

This song was chosen as the processional for Queen Elizabeth II's wedding on November 20, 1947 -- ironically, exactly 100 years after the Henry Lyte's death.

Source:
1. The Complete Book of Hymns: Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs, by William J. Petersen & Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale, 2006
2. Amazing Grace: 365 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel, 2002

You can read Psalm 103 here.

PRAISE MY SOUL, THE KING OF HEAVEN
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
To His feet thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise the everlasting King.

Praise Him for His grace and favor
To our fathers in distress;
Praise Him still the same for ever,
Slow to chide and swift to bless:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Glorious in His faithfulness.

Father-like, He tends and spares us;
Well our feeble frame He knows;
In His hand He gently bears us,
Rescues us from all our foes.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Widely yet His mercy flows.

Angels, help us to adore Him;
Ye behold Him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before Him,
Dwellers all in time and space.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Praise with us the God of grace.

WORDS: Henry Francis Lyte, 1834
MUSIC: John Goss

Find more songs to bless your weekend at Amy's!