The song in my head

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven

Do you ever wake up with a song in your head?
Perhaps it starts while you are dozing, half awake, emerging from sleep.

Well I do, and this is the one I woke up with this Sunday morning.

I’m old enough to have sung it many times in church, though not recently.
I have no idea why I woke with it today. I had not heard it or thought about it for a long time.

But I did.

And perhaps it was simply a reminder of what my soul, my innermost being, needed to do. Maybe it’s what you need, too.

Singing along with the song in my head filled me with peace and joy today.

The hymn is some 200 years old, but to me as new and as relevant as the day it was written.

Thank you, Henry Francis Lyte for the wonderful words, John Goss for the inspiring music and Duane Funderburk for this amazing arrangement.

Listen and let it fill and feed your soul!

1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
to his feet your tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
evermore his praises sing:
Alleluia, alleluia!
praise the everlasting King!

2 Praise him for his grace and favour
to his people in distress.
Praise him, still the same as ever,
slow to chide¹, and swift to bless,
Alleluia, alleluia!
glorious in his faithfulness!

3 Fatherlike he tends and spares us;
well our feeble frame he knows.
In his hand he gently bears us,
rescues us from all our foes;
Alleluia, alleluia!
widely yet his mercy flows!

4 Angels, help us to adore him;
you behold him face to face.
Sun and moon, bow down before him;
all who dwell in time and space,
Alleluia, alleluia!
praise with us the God of grace!

Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847)

Notes:

1. Chide means scold or rebuke