We Thank Thee, O God

Perhaps because I have to speak in church on Sunday and my topic is gratitude, the hymn, "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet," has been running through my head this week. I really like this hymn, but I'm a little embarrassed to say that for many years, I thought it was about the Prophet, particularly the third verse where it talks about praising "him"...I just thought the "him" referred to was the prophet. (In my defense, we sing this a LOT around General Conference time, when the living prophets and the Apostles speak to us, so maybe it's not that weird that I misunderstood the song.) Anyway, it did take me years to realize that this song isn't so much about the prophet as it is about God and it lists several of the blessings that we have received from Him: a prophet, the Gospel, and hope and deliverance through the Lord, and is an opportunity to praise the Lord for His goodness, His mercy, His protection, and more. So, it took me a long time to understand the song, but I am grateful for the blessings I've received from the Lord, and I offer this brief blog post as a small bit of praise to Him. The Lord is the source of all of our blessings, and I thank Him.

We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
(words by William Fowler, music by Caroline Sheridan)

We thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet,
To guide us in these latter days;
We thank Thee for sending the Gospel
To lighten our minds with its rays;
We thank Thee for every blessing
Bestowed by Thy bounteous hand;
We feel it a pleasure to serve Thee,
And love to obey Thy command.

When dark clouds of trouble hang o’er us
And threaten our peace to destroy,
There is hope smiling brightly before us,
And we know that deliv’rance is nigh;
We doubt not the Lord, nor His goodness,
We’ve proved Him in days that are past;
The wicked who fight against Zion,
Will surely be smitten at last.

We’ll sing of His goodness and mercy,
We’ll praise Him by day and by night,
Rejoice in His glorious Gospel,
And bask in its lifegiving light;
Thus on to eternal perfection
The honest and faithful will go,
While they who reject this glad message,
Shall never such happiness know.

(To listen to the song, go here.)