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A MONTHLY HYMN FOR YOUR FAMILY TO LEARN AND SING TOGETHER

THIS IS MY FATHER'S WORLD

 
FamilyHymnoftheMonth-Website-BG-Mar2022.jpg
 

June - This Is My Father’s World

Lyrics

VERSE 1

This is my Father's world,

And to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings

The music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world:

I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas—

His hand the wonders wrought.

VERSE 2

This is my Father's world:

The birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white,

Declare their Maker's praise.

This is my Father's world:

He shines in all that's fair;

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,

He speaks to me everywhere.

VERSE 3

This is my Father's world:

O let me ne'er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the Ruler yet.

This is my Father's world:

The battle is not done

Jesus who died shall be satisfied

And earth and heaven be one

This is my Father's world:

Why should my heart be sad?

The Lord is King: let the heavens ring!

God reigns; let earth be glad!

 

A good father in Singapore!

 

June Bible Memory Verse

Psalm 24:1-2 (NIV)

‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.’

 
 

Grace points to fish in Singapore

 

Story Behind the Hymn

‘This is my Father’s World’ was written by Maltbie Davenport Babcock. Now that’s a name! He was a minister from New York. This beautiful hymn about creation was first published in 1901 after he died. He died at only 42 after becoming very sick in his body and mind from a disease then known as the Mediterranean Fever. He had been visiting the Holy Land.

His wife Katherine found the lyrics in one of his journals. It would have made her smile to read it as she remembered how her husband liked to go out for walks. A favorite place to walk was along the Niagara Escarpment. Niagara is, of course, a huge waterfall and the photo here is of Gracie beside a small waterfall in Singapore, but it was still wonderful to see! As Babcock left for his walks, he used to tell her, ‘I’m going out to see the Father’s world.’ His wife gathered his poems together in a collection called ‘Thoughts for everyday living.’

This is perhaps his most well-known poem. His close friend Franklin L Sheppard wrote the melody for it and so enabled people to sing the words. There were originally 16 verses but we only sing a few of them! Sheppard called the melody ‘Terra Beata’ which means ‘Blessed earth’ in Latin. (Latin is an old language we don’t speak today but it helped shape so many other European languages that we continue to speak). The melody was inspired by an old English folk tune he remembered hearing his mother sing to him as a young boy. It sounds a bit like a lullaby doesn’t it?!

 

Flower photos taken in Singapore

 

Something to Think About

I remember when I first left home for Bible College in England at 18 years old. I was very excited but also very anxious about leaving my family! One night after I had been there for a few weeks and was very homesick, I took a little walk around the beautiful gardens just before bedtime. The sky was full of stars and the moon was big and bright. I remember thinking it was the same sky and moon that my mum would be looking at too, and that God knew exactly where we all were. It filled me with so much joy and courage to know that God not only created everything so marvelously but that it was all under His command and care as well!

It is a wonderful idea to look up at the stars, to walk by the ocean, to stroll through a garden, to wander amongst the trees. Creation always reminds us of the Creator - His power, His beauty, His voice. We just traveled to Singapore which has been called The Flower City because there are so many flowers everywhere. Many I had never seen before. God’s creative hand is so vast and wise and colorful! Psalm 24 reminds us that everything is His, absolutely everything.

The Lord Jesus spoke of the natural world to teach us to trust in God. He told us to look at the lilies and the birds and consider the care of God for these things. Then He told us to remember how much more valuable we are and how more the Lord cares for us. Even though we see brokenness and sadness in so many places, we know the power of the cross means life will win. Every spring, every new blossom, every star reminds us of that hope. All will one day be restored.

So next time you are playing in the yard, or building a sand castle, or climbing a tree, or watching a sunset, may your joy in these things grow even bigger - as you think on the One who made it all and Who loves us even more! Perhaps that joy will bubble over into a song. Perhaps you can sing ‘This is my Father’s World’!

Prayer

Father in heaven,

Thank you that all this world belongs to you and is held by you! As we look up and out at all you have made, may it grow our joy and our courage. May Your creation cause our voices to sing praise to You. 

Lord we see how sin has broken what you once perfectly made. Thank you that one day you will fix all that is broken and our eyes will see how it was meant to be! Even more, we thank you that you can take the ugliness of sin from our hearts because of Christ. Forgive us Lord and make us beautiful and holy by your grace, 

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

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