“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night, On an instrument of ten strings, On the lute, And on the harp, With harmonious sound.” (Psalm 92:1–3)
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord.” And it is good to share and celebrate thanksgiving with music. If you play classical guitar, here are a few hymns for you to enjoy:
For the Beauty of the Earth We Gather Together Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Now Thank We All Our God Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
You can download free sheet music for these hymns (and more) here:
You are welcome to copy and share these hymns with friends and fellow guitarists. You can use them for accompanying congregational singing, playing prelude or offertory music, or simply playing for your own enjoyment. Please copy the full page with the website address and the “Used by Permission” notice at the bottom (see Permissions).
Excerpt from: “Reforming Church Music” A Paper presented at the 2001 Founders Conference
Ken Puls
God has purpose and intent in including music as an element of worship. The Bible has much to say about music and its role in worship. The following list summarizes seven roles that will help us define the purpose of music in worship.
1. Music is a primary means of praising God. The majority of references to music in the Bible, including verses that teach about music, as well as Psalms and other passages that are the texts to songs, are in the context of praising God. Through music we exalt, glorify, honor, bless, and adore God. We marvel at the perfection of His character, attributes, gifts, names, and works, ascribing to Him in song all that He is! The Psalter itself culminates in praise:
Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! (Psalm 150:1–2)
Music exists first and foremost to the glory and praise of God and Scripture convincingly bears this out.
2. Music is a primary means of giving thanks to God. Thanksgiving is a grateful acknowledgment or public confession of the goodness of God manifest in what He has done for His people. It is a grateful response to God for His deliverance, healing, forgiveness, salvation, and other blessings that He brings to us. Music accompanies thanksgiving in worship:
Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart In the company of the upright and in the convocation. (Psalm 111:1)
Thanksgiving is also sung in the context of evangelism:
I will give thanks to You among the peoples, O Lord; I will sing praises to You among the nations. (Psalm 57:9)
As with praise, references in Scripture to giving thanks most often occur in song.
3. Music serves as a means of prayer. Many of the songs and psalms of Scripture are addressed directly to God. David, for example, in Psalms 4 and 5 pours out his heart to God, brings petitions and asks for help and mercy. Throughout the Psalter, psalmists lament over sorrows, anguish over difficulties, confess their sinfulness, rejoice over God’s kindness, celebrate His goodness, and express numerous other emotions as they pour out their hearts before Him. Music can serve as invocation, petition, supplication, intercession, repentance, lamentation, and other forms of prayer, lifting our concerns before God.
4. Music serves as a means to proclaim truth. As we sing praise, thanksgiving, and prayer we voice our words to God, but music can also bring God’s Word to us. We can sing the words of Scripture, Psalms and other passages set to music. We can also teach and admonish one another in song with the truths of Scripture. Psalm 1, for example, is a didactic song that teaches us the difference between the blessed and the ungodly. Music helps us to remember and meditate on the truths of Scripture. It serves alongside preaching as a means of proclamation, edifying the church and evangelizing the lost, as it provides an emotional context in which we can interpret, understand, and express the truths of God’s Word.
5. Music serves as a means of exhortation. Music lifts our words to God in prayer and brings God’s Word to us in proclamation, but it can also voice our words to one another. Psalm 95, for example, is a call to worship. We exhort one another with the words:
Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. (Psalm 95:1–2)
Through music God’s people speak to one another, stirring up one another to good works. Music can call us to worship, exhort us to love and serve one another, encourage us to live in obedience to God’s Word, admonish us to flee from sin and pursue holiness, and enjoin us to go out and witness and share the gospel.
6. Music serves as a means to confess our faith. With music God’s people can express common beliefs and doctrines as one voice. In the Old Testament Israel rehearsed their faith and history through music. Psalm 118, for example, is a public confession of the goodness and enduring mercy of God. The New Testament contains several confessional statements such as 2 Timothy 2:11 that many scholars believe are fragments of early hymns. Music provides an effective way to unite in declaring our confessions of faith.
Perhaps the most notable example of this in church history is the “Doxology,” written by Thomas Ken in 1709, a musical affirmation of the doctrine of the Trinity:
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
7. Finally, music serves as a means of enriching worship with beauty. According to Scripture, singing praise to God is pleasant and beautiful. Psalm 147:1 reads:
Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
It is good when we unite our voices together in singing to God. Music provides a beautiful garb in which we dress our words and actions in worship. It is a pleasant means of joining together to express our love and devotion to God in worship.These are seven roles or functions of music that God affirms in His Word. God has commanded us to make music and included it in His design for worship. It is not the purpose of music to amuse, manipulate, or entertain us in worship. God has given us music that we might beautifully lift our praise, thanksgiving, and prayers to Him; that we might proclaim the truth of His Word, confess our faith, and exhort one another to good works as we gather in corporate worship.
Ken Puls, “Reforming Church Music,” in Reclaiming the Gospel and Reforming Churches: The Southern Baptist Founders Conference, 1982–2002, ed. Tom Ascol (Cape Coral, FL: Founders Press, 2003), 438–442.
The book Reclaiming the Gospel and Reforming Churches is a compilation of papers presented over the first 25 years of the Founders Conference and is available for purchase from Founders Press.
To have Christ is to have all we need! To rest in Him is more valuable and more satisfying that anything this life can offer. But too often the trials and troubles of this world overwhelm us and keep us from fully laying hold of the riches we possess in Christ.
John Ryland, an English Baptist pastor and hymn writer, understood this struggle of faith. In 1777 (the same year he wrote “Sovereign Ruler of the Skies”), he composed the hymn “O Lord, I Would Delight in Thee.” The hymn is a prayer expressing his desire for a “stronger faith” anchored in God’s sure Word. In it he exposes his own (and our) folly. We focus too intently on the parched world around us, whose “streams are dried,” bemoaning our thirst, when all the while Christ is near— “a fountain which will ever run with waters sweet and clear.” Ryland reminds himself of God’s goodness. “While Christ is rich,” we “can’t be poor”! Even if all the joys and blessings of this world fade away, Christ’s “fulness is the same.”
The hymn was written December 3, 1777 and published in Rippon’s Selection (1798). The lyrics were heartfelt and especially meaningful to the hymn writer. According to John Julian in the Dictionary of Hymnology, Ryland attached a note to the manuscript that read: “I recollect deeper feelings of mind in composing this hymn, than perhaps I ever felt in making any other.”
May God stir in us such heavenly desires! In these uncertain times, may we cast all our cares upon the Lord, and may our “great concern” be to love and praise Him more!
O Lord, I Would Delight in Thee
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)
O Lord, I would delight in Thee, And on Thy care depend; To Thee in ev’ry trouble flee, My best, my only Friend.
When all created streams are dried, Thy fulness is the same; May I with this be satisfied, And glory in Thy Name.
Why should the soul a drop bemoan, Who has a fountain near— A fountain which will ever run With waters sweet and clear?
No good in creatures can be found, But may be found in Thee; I must have all things and abound, While God is God to me.
O that I had a stronger faith, To look within the veil; To credit what my Savior saith, Whose words can never fail.
He that has made my heav’n secure Will here all good provide; While Christ is rich, I can’t be poor; What can I want beside?
O Lord, I cast my care on Thee; I triumph and adore; Henceforth my great concern shall be To love and praise Thee more.
Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150)
Psalm 150 anticipates the coming of Christ and foresees the day when God’s praise will cover the earth. Jesus said that “all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me” (Luke 24:44). This psalm, like all the psalms, points us to Christ. The final words of Psalm 150 anticipate Christ’s words in the Great Commission. The psalmist calls upon “everything that has breath” to “praise the Lord.” In Mark 16:15 Jesus commands His disciples to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” We are to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). Psalm 150 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the conquering grace of Christ displayed in His church.
Church history is a testimony to the fulfillment of Psalm 150. God is at work sanctifying instruments and voices from every tribe and tongue, culture and nation for His glory. He is continually adding new voices, new instruments, new cultures, and new songs to the tapestry of His praise through the ages.
The fulfillment of Psalm 150, however, has not been without opposition. Satan has been enraged and at war with church since its beginning (Revelation 12). It has been his scheme to thwart the spread of God’s praise. He has attempted to shroud the world in darkness so that men remain blind to truth. He has sought to hinder the spread of the gospel so that men remain in bondage to their sin. He has sought to distort truth about God so that men believe and sing lies. And he has cast doubt on music (especially the use of musical instruments) miring them in sinful associations.
In the early days of the church, many musical instruments from Greek and Roman culture were associated with pagan worship and pagan cults. The aulos (a wind instrument like the flute) was used in the worship of the goddess Diana. The lyre (a stringed instrument) was said to be played by the Greek god Apollo. Many Christian writers and commentators of the first three centuries condemned such instruments based on their associations with pagan rituals. Some presented farfetched explanations and allegories in an attempt to reinterpret passages like Psalm 150, that include clear commands to worship God with musical instruments. (An excellent resource is: Music in Early Christian Literature by James McKinnon, Cambridge University Press, 1987.)
Throughout the history of the church, well-intended arguments have been made that certain musical instruments are incompatible with worship. Some have tried to constrict the Regulative Principle so that it excludes the use of musical instruments in the church altogether. Drums, guitars, banjos, kazoos, and even the piano have been scorned and disparaged.
One musical instrument that was slow to be accepted by the church to accompany praise to God was the organ. This may be surprising, since today the organ is regarded as the grandest musical instrument of the church.
“The organ was invented around the 3rd century BC. Back then it was designed to use water rather than air in the pipes and was called the hydraulis. The water organ was quite loud and was used most prominently in the amphitheaters.
“During the time of the Roman Empire it was used to accompany the processions and events at the gladiatorial games. Some ballparks today use the organ in a similar way to create a festive atmosphere—to signal and stir up the crowd. It was to the celebrative sounds of the organ that many Christians were paraded in before cheering crowds to be martyred.
“So you can imagine the difficulties with association that early Christians must have had whenever someone finally had the idea to introduce the organ into church as a worship instrument. How could this instrument that accompanied so much death, ever be used in worship?
“But God had a purpose for the pipe organ. He designed to rescue that instrument and use it for His glory. Rome was sacked in 410 and the empire fell over the next 150 years. The organ was finally brought into the church around 7th century AD—well after the fall of Rome. It was not until the 1300s that the first organ was permanently installed in a church. But for hundreds of years after, the pipe organ was a prominent instrument in carrying the praise of God’s people.” (from Thoughts on Music and Worship)
The reality is that there are no musical instruments that cannot be used to worship God, only instruments that are incompatible with our comfort zone and expectations as to what worship music should sound like.
Certainly, we want to use music wisely. We want to be like the sons of Issachar and have “an understanding of the times” (1 Chronicles 12:32). We want to employ music in ways that will adorn worship and serve our singing, not hinder worship and obscure the words we are singing. The inscriptions on the psalms in Scripture teach us to be intentional in our musical arrangements. In an earlier study on the Psalm Inscriptions, I concluded:
“The psalms set a musical precedent for worship that God will accomplish in fuller measure in the New Testament through the church. Throughout church history, God has added and continues to add many musical styles and sounds to His praise. As the gospel goes out in the power of God’s Spirit, conquering hearts and lives, people from each generation and from every tribe and tongue and nation add their voice to the music of the church. There is not one sound that is solely sacred, but a vast array of musical composition that God is weaving into a tapestry of praise for His glory.” (from Lessons from the Psalm Inscriptions: Titles of Interpretation).
The sanctification of music—musical expression, musical styles, musical instruments—to the praise and glory of God is an outcome of the spread of the gospel and fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Some will still ask: Where are the musical instruments in the New Testament? Where in the New Testament do we find precedent for using them in the church? Musical instruments are there, of course. They are inherent in the New Testament fulfillment of God’s commands to fill the earth with His praise. They are implied in Paul’s admonitions to sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19). And they are explicit in John’s descriptions of music in heaven (Revelation 5:8; 8:2, 6; 9:14; 14:2, and 15:2). But it should come as no surprise that the New Testament doesn’t provide an orchestration for music in the church. The New Testament emphasizes the spiritual nature of worship and sees it spread to the ends of the earth. Unlike the worship music of the Old Testament that was specific to one place (the tabernacle / Temple), music in the New Testament is adaptable to every place—everywhere there is breath!
We don’t have descriptions as to how to build our buildings and worship spaces.
We don’t have orders of worship to plan and design our services.
And we don’t have specific instruments designated as necessary and sacred.
There may be times when the church is not able to use musical instruments. They may be scarce. There may not be skilled musicians available to play them. Most of the first three centuries of the church, believers faced severe persecution and had to worship in secret. Loud instruments and music would have needlessly attracted attention.
As the gospel goes out and conquers hearts and lives, where there are musical instruments, they should be sanctified and employed for God’s praise. Where there are no musical instruments, God can still be worshipped with voices alone. He is sovereignly orchestrating His praise throughout the ages and around the world. All glory is His!
It is a great comfort that we can say, if we are in Christ, “My righteousness is in heaven.” When we put our faith and trust in Christ, God declares us to be righteous in Him. Our standing before God is no longer on the basis of our own righteousness. If it were, we would stand before God condemned by our sin. In Christ, our righteousness is Jesus Himself! We are justified by faith in Christ alone.
When we are justified, God imputes our sin to Jesus (He treats Jesus as if He had sinned and was guilty). “The wages of sin of death” (Romans 6:23a) and so Jesus died on the cross to pay the wages due our sin. He paid the price, so we are no longer condemned. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). But that is not all! God also imputes Christ’s righteousness to us (He treats us as if we had perfectly obeyed His Law). “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b). In Christ we have life. We are clothed in His righteousness, accepted and beloved as sons and daughters, and brought near to God.
Here is rest for our souls! The measure of our righteousness is not our own feeble and often failing efforts, but the finished and perfect work of Christ. We are protected from pride, knowing that on our best days, we are no more righteous than on our worst days. We must confess every day that we are sinners in need of mercy and grace. And we are protected from despair, knowing that on our worst days, we are no less righteous that on our best days. We are ever safe in the arms of our Savior, who is “able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him” (Hebrews 7:25).
John Bunyan describes this comforting truth in Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners:
But one day, as I was passing in the field, and that too with some dashes on my conscience, fearing lest yet all was notright, suddenly this sentence fell upon my soul, “Thy righteousness is in heaven.” Then it seemed to me that I saw, withthe eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at God’s right hand. There, I say, is my righteousness; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, He wants my righteousness, for that was just before him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse; for my righteousness was Jesus Christ Himself, the same yesterday, and today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).
Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, par. 229
Unchanging Righteousness
In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The LORD is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6 ESV).
There sits My Righteousness, Enthroned at God’s right hand: The perfect, spotless Lamb of God, In Him alone I stand. No better is my stand On days when all feels right, No worse when days are dark and gray, For nothing dims His light.
Unchanging Righteousness, My only hope and plea, That Jesus came and lived and bled And died and rose for me.
The Law cannot condemn, Since I in Christ abide. It sees His perfect work and is Completely satisfied. When God looks down on me, He sees no lack or need, For there in heaven, My Righteousness Does always intercede.
Unchanging Righteousness, My only hope and plea, That Jesus came and lived and bled And died and rose for me.
By imputation mine, Through faith in Christ alone, Enfolded in His righteousness That God has made my own. A never ending store, A bountiful supply! Each day the same, My Righteousness Exalted reigns on high.
Unchanging Righteousness, My only hope and plea, That Jesus came and lived and bled And died and rose for me. That Jesus came and lived and bled And died and rose for me.
O Spirit, now we thank You For giving us Your Word. Please bless its proclamation, The truths that we have heard. Indwell us and empow’r us, And cause us to obey; Shine now the light of Scripture On all we do and say.
Great Artist of the Scriptures, In beauty You have made God’s Word to shine in glory That cannot fail or fade. In poetry and proverbs, Through narrative and line; In prophecy and hist’ry, God’s truth in splendor shines.
You, down through many ages Inspired men to write, Progressively revealing, You brought God’s truth to light. O Spirit, come illumine This truth for us today; And guide us in sound doctrine, The straight and narrow way.
Wield now Your Sword, O Spirit, The quick and living Word, And rend our hearts asunder With truths that we have heard. O search us now and know us, Expose iniquity; Conform us to our Savior, And holy we shall be.
This hymn is a prayer addressed to the Holy Spirit, who inspired and crafted the Word of God. It is written to serve as a closing hymn following the preaching of the Word. In the hymn we respond to the preaching by asking the Spirit to “bless its proclamation” and apply it in an effective way to our lives. The final verse is based on Hebrew 4:12. Scripture is the sword of the Spirit, who skillfully and lovingly lays bare our hearts with truth.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
The idea for the hymn came in October 1995 during a Sunday School class taught by Steve Garrick at Heritage Baptist Church. Steve was teaching a series of lessons on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. During the lesson on October 22nd, he compared the Spirit’s work in bringing us God’s Word to that of an artist. When God revealed His Word to us, he did not package it as a “systematic theology.” He chose and inspired men to write from their own experiences in poetry, proverb, narrative, history, and prophesy. The Bible is a great work of art crafted by the Spirit “through many ages” as God-breathed revelation. I thought during the class that the comparison would work well for lyrics to a hymn. I finally wrote the hymn several months later. I finished the lyrics on July 8, 1996 while driving to Dallas Baptist University, where I was teaching Classical Guitar during the summer semester. The hymn tune is named for Pastor Steve Garrick.
A new recording of the song I wrote for my daughter Anna is now available on Bandcamp. I surprised her with the song and sang it at her wedding this past August (2019). My thanks to the students in the audio tech class at Florida Southwestern State College for recording and mixing the song for me during the 2019 Fall semester.
Listen and down the song here:
Anna’s Song
From little girl to radiant bride From dolls and toys to dresses sewn God’s hand has guided every step With joy I’ve watched you as you’ve grown
In early days when you were small To fountains, shops and malls we went Your hand I held to keep you close And treasured all the time we spent
For years you dreamed about this day In patience waited, made your plans You prayed and rested in God’s hands You sought your prince, now here he stands
The day has come to say your vows Now two are one for all of life Your hand in marriage now I give To make a home as man and wife
Now in your home may Christ be known In you His gospel on display Your lives committed to His hands His love your anchor day by day
For years you dreamed about this day In patience waited, made your plans You prayed and rested in God’s hands You sought your prince, now here he stands
We have every reason to pray. We are fragile and have great needs. God is great and does wondrous things (Psalm 40:10). We are burdened and weighed down by sin. God is “is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8). We are troubled and oppressed. God alone can save; salvation belongs to Him (Psalm 3:8).
Hope and help are always close at hand, yet too often we fail to pray. The very reasons that should compel us to seek God in prayer become the cause of our discouragement. We feel weighed down by our needs and undone by our sin. We feel weak and ashamed. We wrongly conclude that God will reject us when we come to Him. We think that He will turn us away, and so we do not pray.
Daniel Herbert’s hymn, “Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace,” is a welcoming encouragement to pray. Though we are “wretched sinners,” we can lay our load at Jesus’ feet. Though we are “lost and blind and lame” in our sin, the Lord will befriend us. Though we are “bankrupt” and feel the terrible weight of sin’s condemnation, we are assured of the promise: “The Lord will take you in.” Because of Christ we can “come boldly to the throne of grace” and “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace
Come boldly to the throne of grace, Ye wretched sinners come; And lay your load at Jesus’ feet, And plead what He has done. “How can I come?” some soul my say, “I’m lame and cannot walk; My guilt and sin have stopped my mouth; I sigh but dare not talk.”
Come boldly to the throne of grace, Though lost and blind and lame; Jehovah is the sinner’s Friend And ever was the same. He makes the dead to hear His voice, He makes the blind to see. The sinner lost He came to save, And set the pris’ner free.
Come boldly to the throne of grace, For Jesus fills the throne; And those He kills He makes alive, He hears the sigh or groan. Poor bankrupt souls; who feel and know The hell of sin within, Come boldly to the throne of grace, The Lord will take you in.
Tom Wells (Heritage Baptist Church in Mansfield, Texas) composed the tune for this hymn. Download free sheet music (PDF), including a guitar chord charts and an arrangement of the hymn tune HERBERT for classical guitar.
Throughout the ages the church has confessed that there is One God in Three Persons. We declare it in our creeds:
“I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord; Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary; Suffered under Pontius Pilate; Was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into hell; On the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, The holy catholic church; The communion of saints; The forgiveness of sins; The resurrection of the body; And life everlasting. Amen.”
The Apostle’s Creed
We affirm it in our confessions of faith:
“In this divine and infinite Being there are three subsistences, the Father, the Word or Son, and Holy Spirit, of one substance, power, and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided: the Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son; all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations; which doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all our communion with God, and comfortable dependence on him.”
1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, 2:3
And we celebrate it in our songs. Below is a list of psalm settings, hymns, and spiritual songs that teach on the doctrine of the Trinity: One God in Three Persons. This List is from my Theological Index of Music for Worship. If you have additional suggestions for songs related to the doctrine of the Trinity that should be included in the index, please comment or send me a message.
Note: The songs are listed below by title and author. For more complete entries (including tunes and hymnal page numbers) see the page for Songs and the Trinity in the Theological Index of Music for Worship online. I will be updating the online Index with more songs and topics in the days ahead as I receive recommendations.
Songs and the Trinity: There is one God in Three Persons
All Creatures of Our God and King (St. Francis of Assisi / William H Draper)
Angels from the Realms of Glory (James Montgomery)
Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation (Latin Hymn – 7th C / J M Neale)
Come Praise and Glorify (Bob Kauflin / Tim Chester) • Sovereign Grace Music
Come, Thou Almighty King (Anonymous)
God, Our Father, We Adore Thee (G W Frazer / A S Loizeaux)
Holy God, We Praise Your Name—Te Deum(Anonymous / I Franz / C Walworth)
Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber)
Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now (Anonymous / Catherine Winkworth)
We Believe—Apostles Creed (Keith and Kristyn Getty / Stuart Townend)
2. The work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Creation
All Creatures of Our God and King (St. Francis of Assisi / William H Draper)
Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber)
Of the Father’s Love Begotten (Prudentius / J M Neale / H Baker)
We Believe—Apostles Creed (Keith and Kristyn Getty / Stuart Townend)
3. The work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Salvation
All Glory Be to Thee Most High—Gloria in Excelsis (Latin Hymn)
Behold, My Soul (Ken Puls) to DUANE STREET • Ken Puls Music
Come Praise and Glorify (Bob Kauflin / Tim Chester) • Sovereign Grace Music
God, Our Father, We Adore Thee (G W Frazer / A S Loizeaux)
Heavenly Father, Beautiful Son (Mark Altrogge) • Sovereign Grace Music
Vast the Immensity, Mirror of Majesty (Edmund Clowney)
Only Jesus (Doug Plank) • Sovereign Grace Music
Savior of the Nations, Come (Ambrose of Milan / M Luther / W M Reynolds)
There Is a Redeemer (Melody Green)
We Believe—Apostles Creed (Keith and Kristyn Getty / Stuart Townend)
Wonderful, Merciful Savior (Dawn Rogers / Eric Wyse)
4. Prayer to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
All Glory Be to Thee Most High—Gloria in Excelsis (Latin Hymn)
Blessed Jesus, at Thy Word (Tobias Clausnitzer / Catherine Winkworth)
Come, Thou Almighty King (Anonymous)
God, Our Father, We Adore Thee (G W Frazer / A S Loizeaux)
Heavenly Father, Beautiful Son (Mark Altrogge) • Sovereign Grace Music
Holy God, We Praise Your Name—Te Deum(Anonymous / I Franz / C Walworth)
Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber)
Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Thy Word (Martin Luther / Catherine Winkworth)
O God, We Praise Thee—Te Deum (Anonymous – 5th C)
Only Jesus (Doug Plank) • Sovereign Grace Music
Wonderful, Merciful Savior (Dawn Rogers / Eric Wyse)
5. Praise and adoration to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
All Creatures of Our God and King (St. Francis of Assisi / William H Draper)
Alleluia! Alleluia! (Christopher Wordsworth)
Angels from the Realms of Glory (James Montgomery)
Blessed Jesus, at Thy Word (Tobias Clausnitzer / Catherine Winkworth)
Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation (Latin Hymn – 7th C / J M Neale)
Come Praise and Glorify (Bob Kauflin / Tim Chester) • Sovereign Grace Music
Come, Thou Almighty King (Anonymous)
Doxology (Thomas Ken)
God, Our Father, We Adore Thee (G W Frazer / A S Loizeaux)
Holy God, We Praise Your Name—Te Deum(Anonymous / I Franz / C Walworth)
Holy, Holy, Holy (Reginald Heber)
Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now (Anonymous / Catherine Winkworth)
O God, We Praise Thee—Te Deum (Anonymous – 5th C)
Of the Father’s Love Begotten (Prudentius / J M Neale / H Baker)
Savior of the Nations, Come (Ambrose of Milan / M Luther / W M Reynolds)
The God of Abraham Praise (Thomas Olivers)
Wonderful, Merciful Savior (Dawn Rogers / Eric Wyse)
For more complete entries (including tunes and hymnal page numbers) see the online Index:
Many voices in our day are crying out for justice. We see oppression and we want it to stop. We see pain and we want to bring relief. We know that there is much wrong with the world and we want to make things right. But try as we might, evil and suffering persist. We still live in a fallen and broken world. How are we to overcome pain and find peace? How can we offer forgiveness, yet achieve true justice? How can we pursue reconciliation, yet punish evil? The answers to these questions elude us. Our ways fail and fall short. The world simply cannot provide the justice and righteousness that we long to see.
But there is hope! Where we stumble, God triumphs. His ways are not our ways. He alone can accomplish what we cannot. His ways are astounding! His ways are astonishing. Isaiah speaks of “the latter days” when
Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the Lord. (Isaiah 2:3–5)
God judges the nations. He will bring us true and lasting peace. Through the prophet Hosea, God gives us His promise.
“I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me In righteousness and justice, In lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, And you shall know the Lord.” (Hosea 2:19–20)
God is righteous and just. He cannot overlook our sin. His Law demands that He punish our sin. Yet God is merciful and abundant in lovingkindness. He looks upon us with compassion. He has made a way to rescue us from sin. How can He do both? He has accomplished both by sending His Son. In Christ we see His perfect righteousness as well as His abundant lovingkindness. At the cross He united justice and mercy. In Christ there is hope! In Him there is righteousness that we could never attain on our own. In Him we find true peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. We must go to the cross if we are to be made whole.
How astounding! How astonishing Are the ways of our God! Look to His Word, Find rest in His love, Come walk in the light of the Lord!
“O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the Lord” (Isaiah 2:5).
How can we know what’s just and right? The world is dark and blind. And where is hope for those condemned? Forgiveness who can find? When sinned against and faced with wrongs, The world decries its loss; But God says look beyond our grief To hope found at the cross
How astounding! How astonishing Are the ways of our God! Look to His Word, Find rest in His love, Come walk in the light of the Lord!
We seek for justice, yet we know, The world can’t satisfy. Its methods to atone for sin Fall short or go awry. The righteousness we long to see, The world cannot provide. The only place where sins are cleansed: The cross where Jesus died.
How astounding! How astonishing Are the ways of our God! Look to His Word, Find rest in His love, Come walk in the light of the Lord!
The full forgiveness of God’s love, The world can’t comprehend. For it seeks justice in its own Perpetual revenge. But in the Gospel of God’s grace Is love the world can’t give. Because we are forgiv’n in Christ, We also can forgive.
How astounding! How astonishing Are the ways of our God! Look to His Word, Find rest in His love, Come walk in the light of the Lord!
So come and see the love of God Unto the world revealed. Come kneel before the cross for there Our deepest pains are healed. Believe the promise in His Word, The world our God so loved. He will forgive, raise up, and call A sinner His beloved.
How astounding! How astonishing Are the ways of our God! Look to His Word, Find rest in His love, Come walk in the light of the Lord!
