How Great Thou Art

“Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:15

Carl Gustaf Boberg (1859-1940) was a Swedish pastor, editor, and member of the Swedish parliament. One day he and his companions were walking home from an afternoon service in Kronobäck, Sweden when a severe thunderstorm rose out of no where. They had to hurry to find shelter from the strong winds, thunder and lightning. The squall soon died down and when Boberg got home, he looked out the window over the clear bay of Mönsterås and heard church bells in the distance. There was a rainbow and birds singing. 

A perfect peace filled his heart after the fierceness of the storm that he was inspired to write the words of the wonderful hymn, “How Great Thou Art”. 

“O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power 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, And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees. When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur And see 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 shout of acclamation, And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

How wonderful when all our experiences provoke us to contemplate how great God is! Many things happen in a day, let us not be too busy to turn our thoughts to God for He can meet us anywhere, in our peaceful moments and in the storms of our life.