Hymn: Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty
Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty
“Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.” (NLT)
We owe a debt of gratitude to Catherine Winkworth for translating this German hymn of Joachim Neander. He was born in 1650 was a fifth-generation minister of the gospel. But he was not just “born” into the “family business.” As a twenty year-old, he joined a group of students intent on going to St. Martin’s Church in Bremen to cause trouble during the service, only to be convicted by the message he heard. A few years later, he became the rector of the German Reform Church’s Latin School at Dusseldorf.
He loved nature and would go on worship walks, especially in a beautiful gorge near Dusseldorf, that would later be named after him called Neander Valley. He would usually compose hymns and sing them to the Lord during this time. When he was 30, while battling tuberculosis, he wrote these words:
Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation.
O my soul praise Him, for He is Thy health and Salvation.
Here is yet another hymn that came out of a time when it would have been easy to follow the advice of people like Job’s friends that told him to just curse God and die. But Joachim Neander chose to seek God and declare his praise to Him as long as he had life and breath.
Wake up! Don’t let your circumstances dictate or decide how or when you will praise God. Remember, He is with you always, and desires us to worship Him in all things.
YOUTUBE:
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LYRICS:
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration.
sheltering you under his wings, and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
if with his love he befriends you.
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound from his people again;
gladly forever adore him.