O Bless the Lord, My Soul

This Sunday we’re going to be singing O Bless the Lord, My Soul. I thought it might be good if I shared a thought or two about it so that we would sing the hymn with a better grasp of what we are singing about. My hope is that this will help us to sing with greater feeling.

The hymn is someone talking to himself, reminding himself. He is reminding himself to praise his God. And so that he does this well, he gives himself reasons to do it. He reminds himself of God’s mercies and forgiveness, His love and grace – and more. This is a hymn that we can use to talk to ourselves and to remind ourselves to praise God for the many gifts that are ours because of Jesus.

Here are the words to the hymn.

O bless the Lord, my soul;
Let all within me join,
And aid my tongue to bless his name,
Whose favors are divine.

O bless the Lord, my soul,
Nor let his mercies lie
Forgotten in unthankfulness,
And without praises die.

'Tis he forgives thy sins,
'Tis he relieves thy pain,
'Tis he that heals thy sicknesses,
And makes thee young again.

He crowns thy life with love,
When ransomed from the grave;
He that redeemed my soul from hell
Hath sovereign power to save.

He fills the poor with good;
He gives the sufferers rest;
The Lord hath judgments for the proud,
And justice for th'oppressed.

His wondrous works and ways
He made by Moses known;
But sent the world his truth and grace
By his beloved Son.