Lyrics
How good it is to sing,
To bring our praise to Him
Whose love and mercy knows no end.
He brings the sun and rain,
He calls each star by name,
The universe resounds with praise.
O shout for joy to God and sing a new song,
Extol the Lord of life for His provision,
And He delights in those who love and fear Him,
All those who put their hope in God.
He gathers families,
Orphans and refugees,
And binds the wounds of those who mourn;
The humble lifted high,
The proud He casts aside,
His justice faithful as the dawn.
What friend or foe can last
Before His icy blast?
The winds and waves obey His voice.
Yet mercy will prevail,
His love will reconcile
The nations of the earth to Him.
The story behind this song
I’m really excited about this new song! Co-written with Brenton Brown (‘Everlasting God’, ‘God of the humble’) and Keith Getty, I find it a great, fun song of praise that will work in a number of different contexts. It’s based on Psalm 147, a Psalm which explores the dynamic image of God’s power and might expressed in the words of Scripture and creation, but married to His care and concern for the weakest and the most vulnerable among us. To see His power expressed in the icy blast (Psalm 147 v17) and power of creation, and to recognise simultaneously that He cares for the orphan and the refugee (expressed as the ‘exiles’ in the Psalm) is a profound and wonderful message for all of us, and encourages everyone to put their hope fully in God.
There’s an interesting parallel between the exiles of the Old Testament and the way in which Scripture exhorts us all to see ourselves as exiles on earth, far from our true home with Christ. This biblical outlook on life magnifies the worldwide refugee situation in the world today, and should only encourage us to show greater compassion for those who find themselves far from home, rejected and exiled, and looking for a place to belong.