November 4, 2005

Have faith in God –
Do not His church neglect;
Have faith in God –
Nor His true Word reject;
Have faith in God –
Believers to perfect.
Have faith, dear friend, in God.

Praise to the Lord, The Almighty

Joachim Neander, 1650-1680
Translated by Catherine Winkworth, 1829-1878

    May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Psalm 67:3.

    The author of this inspiring hymn text, Joachim Neander, has often been called the greatest of all German Calvinist Reformed hymnwriters. He wrote approximately 60 hymns and composed many tunes. Nearly all of his tunes are triumphant expressions of praise.
    This hymn is a free paraphrase of Psalm 103:1-6, which begins, "Bless the LORD, O my soul: And all that is within me, bless His holy name." The translator of this text, Catherine Winkworth, is regarded as one of the finest translators of the German language. Her translations helped to make German hymns popular in England and America during the 19th Century. The tune, "Lobe Den Herren" ("Praise to the LORD"), first appeared in a German hymnal in 1665. It is said that Neander personally chose this tune for his text, and the words have never been used with any other melody.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, Who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, Who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when tempests their warfare are waging,
Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,
Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,
Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, Who, when darkness of sin is abounding,
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheddeth His light, chaseth the horrors of night,
Saints with His mercy surrounding.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

Have Faith in God by H.M.S. Richards, Used by Permission