Today’s hymn is one that should be a question every Christian rhetorically asks as they ponder on the mystery of the gospel and the amazing grace freely given to them. The words to this hymn first appeared in The New York Observer in 1868 titled “Always Rejoicing,” and it was attributed to ‘Pauline T’. William B. Bradbury (1816–1868) in his collection of songs called “Bright Jewels for the Sunday School: A new collection for Sunday School songs” with the designation “R. L.” for Robert Lowry (who also wrote “Nothing But The Blood of Jesus”), in the upper right corner of the score, who likely only contributed the tune. I hope you enjoy this one!

My life flows on in endless song
Above earth’s lamentation
I catch the real though far-off hymn
That hails a new creation

Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear that music ringing
It finds an echo in my soul
How can I keep from singing?

Refrain
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that rock I’m clinging
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?

What though my joys and comforts die
I know my Saviour liveth
What though the darkness gather ’round
Songs in the night He giveth

Refrain

The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart
A fountain ever springing
All things are mine since I am His
How can I keep from singing?

Refrain

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Today’s hymn has been a favourite in our household lately, and it’s written by modern hymn writers Matt Boswell, Bryan Fowler and Matt Papa. It’s based on Psalm 145:2-3 “every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.” I hope this song encourages you to sing about the greatness of our great God… enjoy!

Refrain
How faithful the Father above
How wondrous the works of the Son
How sweet is the Spirit given to us
How great is the greatness of God

Morning by morning, with every dawn
My soul with a new song awakes
Even in evening my praise goes on
Forever my God is the same

Refrain

When my heart gazes on Calvary
At all of Your mercies arrayed
Oh, that my Saviour would die for me
I sing out with infinite thanks

Refrain

Oh, what a comfort in every trial
His presence is all that I need
Power that brought resurrection life
That power is living in me
Oh, that power is living in me

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Today’s song comes from a NCC Collective, a music ministry of Northwest Community Church in Arizona. Regarding their music philosophy, they write: God-centered, Christ-exalting music plays a necessary part in corporate worship. Songs that rehearse the character of God and His gracious redemptive acts inform our minds, stir our hearts, and provide a platform for us to lift our voices in engaging worship. Congregational singing includes two parts. First, we obey God when we worship Him through song (Psalm 149:1). Singing the Lord’s praise is a command for believers to obey with joy! Second, we serve the Lord and one another through singing (Colossians 3:16-17). Congregational singing does not entertain; it provides an opportunity for the saints to glorify God in gratitude and encourage one another in truth¹.” Yes and amen! I hope you enjoy this one!

Oh how many years their hearts
Had wandered near and far
Forgetting what their fathers’ God had done
But they were not left in darkness
Only by the kindness
Of their covenant-keeping God
So they waited for His provision
The Son of David their deliverance

How glorious the thought
That the Holy Yahweh, God
Would keep His age-old promise to His chosen ones
That the Lord would bless the nations
Make a way for their salvation
How the prophets longed to see when hope would dawn!
Oh how very glorious the thought!

Oh to have been among the lowly
Shepherds when the holy
Hosts of angels filled the sky
Oh to have heard their voices saying
All those years of waiting
Were over for a child was born that night
Peace on earth, goodwill to all men
For God’s Messiah He had come to them

And how glorious the thought
That the only Son of God
Would put on flesh to live among such fallen ones
That this child would heal the nations
Be the way of their salvation
How with gentleness the hope of all had dawned!
Oh how very glorious the thought!

We rejoice in our Redeemer
Our faith’s perfect keeper
He alone has saved us from our sin
And with boldness we proclaim
That Jesus is His name
That ev’ry sinning soul might yield to Him
Let us press on with great endurance
Until the Lord comes in His radiance

How glorious the thought
That the world will worship God
The day that He returns for all His Faithful Ones
Ev’ry tribe and ev’ry nation
Will declare the Lord’s salvation
How the gates of Hell will quake when that day dawns!

And how glorious the thought
That the Church will dwell with God
He will finish what He’s started in His Chosen Ones
There will be no tears or night
God Himself will be our light
And that Son will never set once it has dawned
Oh how very glorious the thought

¹https://nccphx.org/ministries/music/

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Today’s hymn comes from Fanny Crosby, writer of around 8000-9000 under different pseudonyms. Today’s hymn is an encouragement to praise God for all he has done for us; I hope today you can break forth in glorious praise to your Saviour; enjoy!

Meter:

Break forth, break forth, O joyful heart,
And make His goodness known,
Who all thy life, though undeserved,
Such love to thee has shown.

Refrain
Break forth, break forth, O joyful heart,
Break forth, no longer silent be;
Break forth, break forth in grateful praise
To Him who came to ransom Thee.

’Twas Jesus sought my wand’ring soul,
And with a shepherd’s care
He brought me kindly to His fold,
And still protects me there. [Refrain]

He is my advocate with God,
My Savior and my friend,
His mercies new with every morn
Like balmy showers descend. [Refrain]

My soul shall magnify the Lord,
My voice His love proclaim,
And every power within me join
To bless and praise His name. [Refrain]

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Today’s hymn comes from Samuel J. Stone (1839-1900), an Anglican priest and poet. Stone wrote a collection of hymns, ‘Lyra Fidelium – Twelve Hymns on the Twelve Articles of the Apostles’ Creed’, which arose out of a theological controversy in the mid-nineteenth century. Another Anglican bishop of Natal, South Africa, wrote a book that expressed critical views of the historicity of parts of Scripture and questioned some articles of the Christian faith. Stone was one of the people who defended the orthodox Christian faith. Today’s hymn is based on the article “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth“¹. Enjoy reading this one!

In addition, moving forward I will include the meter for each hymn if I have it, since it has been requested 🙂

Meter: 8.8.8.8.8.8

None else but Thee, for evermore,
One, All, we dread, believe, adore:
Great Earth and Heaven shall have their day
And worn and old shall pass away,
But Thou remainest, on Thy throne
Eternal, changeless, and alone!

None else we praise! in every form,
In peace of calm and power of storm,
In simple flower and mystic star,
In all around and all afar,
In Grandeur, Beauty, Truth, but Thee
None else we hear, None else we see.

None else we love! for sweeter grace
That made anew a ruined race:
The heirs of life, the lords of death,
With earliest voice and latest breath,
When days begin, when days are done,
Bless we the Father for the Son!

None else we trust! our flesh may fail,
Our heart may sink when foes assail,
But Thou art strength to be our stay,
And Glory not to pass away:
None else in life and death have we,
But we have all in all with Thee!

Yea, None but Thee all worlds confess,
And those redeemed ones numberless:
None else, from everlasting One,
And evermore beside Thee none.
Of all that is, has been, shall be,
Father of Life, None else but Thee!

¹cardiphonia.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/lyra-fidelium-twelve-hymns-on-the-apostles-creed/

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Today’s song is a new one from CityAlight. This is a good one to reflect on during trials and difficulties. Enjoy!

I have seen my Father’s glory
Revealed in Jesus Christ
And the more that I behold Him
The more He satisfies
When I gaze upon His beauty
When I see Him as I should
Then my eyes are lifted upward
For His glory and my good

There is hope in every trial
For I can trust the Lord
He will turn my heart towards Him
And help me bear the thorn
So in faith I follow Jesus
On the road not understood
For I know that He is working
For His glory and my good

Refrain
To our God be the glory
To our God be praise
He alone the name above all names
I will boast ever only in the Lord my God
For I know His glory is my good

See the open arms of Jesus
Upon the cross that day
What they understood as weakness
Deserves my every praise
For the charge that was against me
It was nailed into the wood
Yes I know that He has saved me
For His glory and my good [Refrain]

Would I gladly be made nothing
That Christ would be made more
Would I seek the only kingdom
That far outweighs them all
I will stand before my Father
Where the faithful saints have stood
And with joy my heart shall praise Him
For His glory and my good [Refrain]

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Today’s hymn comes from Tom Pennington and his wife Sheila. Tom has been the Pastor-Teacher at Countryside Bible Church in Southlake, Texas since 2003. I think some of the best hymns in history have been written by faithful, biblical pastors and I’m so glad that pastors still continue today to write sound songs for their congregations to sing; enjoy!

Our Sovereign God by His own word
Sustains this world and reigns as Lord.
No angel, demon, sinful man can change
His course, restrain His hand.
O sovereign God, we praise Your pow’r;
Your wisdom, goodness we adore!
We bow our hearts before Your throne;
Help us, O Lord, to trust You more,
Help us, O Lord, to trust You more.

When the fullness of the time had come,
God sent His own Beloved Son.
To keep God’s law, live in our place,
To bear our sin, guilt and disgrace.
Dead in our sin, estranged from God,
We fled as rebels from His love.
In sovereign grace He made us sons,
And saved us from the wrath to come,
And saved us from the wrath to come.

Before our birth He planned our days,
Laid out our course, ordained our ways.
The moments of our lives He weaves
So all the glory He receives.
To those He loved before all time,
To all He called, and grace renewed,
He cannot lie; His word is true,
He makes all things to work for good,
He makes all things to work for good.

He has written history’s final page
His Son’s return will end this age.
The Lamb will come in glorious might,
Take back His world and end it’s night.
How deep the wisdom of our God,
Unknown, unfathomed are His ways.
None counsels Him or knows His mind.
We bow before Him all our days,
We bow before Him all our days
O sovereign God, we praise Your pow’r;
Your wisdom, goodness we adore!
We bow our hearts before Your throne;
Help us, O Lord, to trust You more,
Help us, O Lord, to trust You more.

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Today’s hymn comes from George W. Robinson (1838-1876) and it was published in 1876 after Robinson’s death and an English pastor and revivalist put the words to music. Robinson was born in Cork, Ireland, and was educated at Dublin’s Trinity College and New College in London. He was as a Congregational Minister in churches in Ireland and England. Enjoy!

Loved with everlasting love,
drawn by grace that love to know,
Spirit sent from Christ above,
thou dost witness it is so.
O this full and precious peace
from his presence all divine;
in a love that cannot cease,
I am his and he is mine.

Heav’n above is deeper blue,
earth around is sweeter green,
that which glows in ev’ry hue
Christless eyes have never seen.
Birds in song his glories show,
flow’rs with richer beauties shine
since I know, as now I know,
I am his and he is mine.

Taste the goodness of the Lord:
welcomed home to his embrace,
all his love, as blood outpoured,
seals the pardon of his grace.
Can I doubt his love for me,
when I trace that love’s design?
By the cross of Calvary
I am his and he is mine.

His forever, only his–
who the Lord and me shall part?
Ah, with what a rest of bliss
Christ can fill the loving heart.
Heav’n and earth may fade and flee,
firstborn light in gloom decline,
but while God and I shall be,
I am his and he is mine.

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Today’s hymn is an old chant called Te Deum laudamus, Latin for ‘Thee, God, we praise’. It is traditionally ascribed to Ambrose of Milan and St Augustine in the 4th Century. It is central to the Ambrosian hymnal, which spread throughout the Latin Church in the 6th to 8th centuries¹. Below is the version from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. If you search on Youtube, you will find lots of different church traditions using the below hymn, particularly in Gregorian Chant. Enjoy reading this one!

We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therein.
To thee cherubin and seraphin continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee:
the Father of an infinite majesty;
thine honourable, true and only Son;
also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.

Thou art the King of glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage.
Govern them and lift them up for ever.
Day by day we magnify thee;
and we worship thy name, ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.

¹https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Te_Deum

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Today’s hymn comes from the great hymn writer Charles Wesley. It tells of the wonderful truth that Jesus has died for us, and the joy unspeakable that comes from grasping this truth. I hope this is your song today, enjoy!

Jesus hath died that I might live,
Might live to God alone;
In Him eternal life receive,
And be in spirit one.

Saviour, I thank Thee for the grace,
The gift unspeakable,
And wait with arms of faith to embrace,
And all Thy love to feel.

My soul breaks out in strong desire
The perfect bliss to prove;
My longing heart is all on fire
To be dissolved in love.

Give me Thyself; from every boast,
From every wish set free;
Let all I am in Thee be lost;
But give Thyself to me.

Thy gifts, alas, cannot suffice
Unless Thyself be given;
Thy presence makes my paradise,
And where Thou art is heaven!

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