Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving
To God the creator triumphantly raise.
Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,
Who still guides us on to the end of our days.
God’s banners are o’er us, His light goes before us,
A pillar of fire shining forth in the night.
Till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished
As forward we travel from light into light.
His law he enforces, the stars in their courses
And sun in its orbit obediently shine;
The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,
The deeps of the ocean proclaim him divine.
We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing;
With glad adoration a Song let us raise
Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving:
“To God in the highest, Hosanna and praise!”
What is great about this hymn is how she not only praises God for creation but shows how thinking of nature helps us.
As God pointed out to Job, looking at nature helps us to trust Him when things are difficult. Even when life is tough, we can still see His care in the big and small things of life. We can reset our viewpoint by just taking a look outdoors and remembering everything from the air we breath and the water we drink comes from God. It helps us to remember what really matters.
The created world also helps us recognize how good and right it is for us to obey God. After all, the laws of nature were designed by Him and even the stars and sun obey them!
And I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth and on the sea — yes, everything in them — saying,
“To the One sitting on the throne
and to the Lamb
belong praise, honor, glory and power
forever and ever!”
Revelation 6:13 Complete Jewish Bible
