How Great Thou Art

We were in Wishek, North Dakota, this past week for Ross' Gramma's funeral. She was 96 years old! She lived in Wishek all her life and was laid to rest there next to her husband who died quite a few years ago.

One of the songs we sang during the funeral was the old hymn, "How Great Thou Art." Now I have sung this song many times before, and have played it on the piano many times before, too, but, the words have never stood out to me before like they did during the funeral, particiuarly the second verse:

"When through the woods and forest glades I wander, I hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze"

Maybe it was the setting we were in, or maybe it was that I have never really sung the second verse before, but something about these words just hit me. I pictured everything this verse describes and thought about the contrast of the lofty mountain grandeur to the gentle breeze and realized that God created it all. And that God cares about everything, and E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G we see was created by God! The words in this song are so true and certainly do stand the test of time.

I have the lyrics to the song below, and here's a link to a beautiful version of this song performed by Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill.

O Lord my God,when I in awesome wonder consider all the works Thy Hand hath made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed;

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When through the woods and forest glades I wander, I hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur and hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze;

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing; sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shouts of acclamation, and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart! Then I shall bow in humble adoration and there proclaim,"My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art! How great Thou art!