God Centered Thanksgiving

Although I am not much of a singer I do have a great interest in hymns. My curiosity has resulted in a small collection of older hymnals that I enjoy turning to from time to time.

As I think about the coming of our national holiday of Thanksgiving I was once again struck with the man centeredness that surrounds the day. A problem that infects the professing church as much it does those who deny the Lord and His Word.

Those thoughts carried me back to my old hymnals and the following hymn.

“What our Father does is well;
Blessed truth his children tell,
Though he send for plenty want,
though the harvest floor be scant,
Yet we rest upon his love,
Seeking better things above.

What our Father does is well;
Shall the willful heart rebel?
If a blessing he withhold,
In the field or in the fold
Is he not himself to be
All our store eternally.

What our Father does is well;
Though he sadden hill and dell,
Upward yet our praises rise
For the strength his word supplies.
He has called us sons of God;
Can we murmur at his rod?

What our Father does is well;
May the thought within us dwell
Though no milk nor honey flow
In our barren Canaan now,
God can save us in our need,
God can bless us, God can feed.

Therefore unto him we raise
Hymns of glory, songs of praise;
To the Father and the Son
And the Spirit, three in one,
Honor, might and glory be,
Now and through eternity.

I don't know if the song is musically "singable" or not. I do know that it does point us away from the shallow self centered worship of our day that, at best, acknowledges the gifts of God while forgetting the giver. May we be those who praise and thank Him, not only for what He has done but also for who He is.