Scripture Verse

Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? Psalm 77:13

Introduction

Words: From The Psal­ter (Pitts­burgh, Penn­syl­van­ia: Unit­ed Pres­by­te­ri­an Board of Pub­li­ca­tion, 1912), num­ber 211.

Music: Va­ter un­ser Geist­liche Lied­er (Leip­zig, Ger­ma­ny: 1539). Har­mo­ny by Jo­hann S. Bach, 1726 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Johann S. Bach (1685–1750)

Lyrics

O God, most holy are Thy ways,
And who like Thee deserves my praise?
Thou only doest wondrous things,
The whole wide world Thy glo­ry sings;
Thine outstretched arm Thy people saved,
Though sore distressed and long enslaved.

O God, from Thee the waters fled,
The depths were moved with mighty dread,
The swelling clouds their torrents poured,
And o’er the earth the tempest roared;
’Mid lightning’s flash and thunder’s sound
Great trembling shook the solid ground.

Thy way was in the sea, O God,
Through mighty waters, deep and broad;
None understood but God alone,
To man Thy footsteps were unknown;
But safe Thy people Thou didst keep,
Almighty Shepherd of Thy sheep.