September 11, 2021 (Saturday)
The hymn for this weekend is, “To God Be the Glory,” which, although written in the 19th Century, fell into disuse until 1954, when Cliff Barrows revived it for the Billy Graham London Crusade. It was so popular in London that he used it back in the U.S.A. in the Nashville Crusade, after which it found a place in the hearts of American Christians, and now is found in most church hymnals.
Words: Fanny Crosby
Music: William Howard Doane
1872
To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life our redemption to win,
And opened the life-gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.
Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.
Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.
Twenty years ago today the twin towers in New York City fell crashing to the ground, as powerful passenger planes, loaded with fuel and passengers, crashed into them and also the Pentagon, and, but for the bravery of passengers aboard a fourth plane who attempted to gain control, forcing it to crash into an open field, either the White House or the Capitol would have been a target. The tragedy is very much with us. Many people died that day and many more have died since. People in many nations are feeling the effects of senseless terrorism. Let us pray for all those directly affected by the wars that have resulted from this awful turn of events, and let us pray for peace in this old world.Can we still praise God in this kind of world? By all means. Let us be like the prophet Habakkuk who was experiencing similar days, when he said, “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls–Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NKJV).