Daily Devotion – January 17, 2022 – The Rev. Andrew Bernard Hinderlie
https://www.luthersem.edu/godpause/
Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing (ELW 886)
1 Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer’s praise,
the glories of my God and king, the triumphs of his grace!
2 My gracious Master and my God, assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad the honors of your name.
3 The name of Jesus charms our fears and bids our sorrows cease,
sings music in the sinner’s ears, brings life and health and peace.
4 He speaks, and list’ning to his voice, new life the dead receive;
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice, the humble poor believe.
5 Look unto him, your Savior own, O fallen human race!
Look and be saved through faith alone, be justified by grace!
6 To God all glory, praise, and love be now and ever giv’n
by saints below and saints above, the church in earth and heav’n.
Devotion
When my family returned to the US from Europe in 1960, it took me some time to forget many of the foreign words I had picked up. I wish I hadn’t lost them. Years later, while taking Spanish and then French, I struggled with these languages—and don’t even get me started on Greek, though Hebrew seemed a bit easier as we could sing in it. However, it was in the community choir here at Trinity that I realized you only need one tongue or in some cases one means to sing God’s praises, especially when during the first concert one person stood in front and signed the songs. Truly, we don’t need a thousand tongues, we just need the means we have to praise our dear Redeemer.
Prayer
Lord, let me never forget that there are a myriad number of ways to praise you. Help us to sing, sign, draw, project, and live out our praises to you in all we do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
