“We Praise You, O God” (ELW 870)
1 We praise you, O God, our redeemer, creator;
in grateful devotion our tribute we bring.
We lay it before you; we kneel and adore you;
we bless your holy name; glad praises we sing.
2 We worship you, God of our fathers and mothers;
through trial and tempest our guide you have been.
When perils overtake us, you will not forsake us,
and with your help, O Lord, our struggles we win.
3 With voices united our praises we offer
and gladly our songs of thanksgiving we raise.
With you, Lord, beside us, your strong arm will guide us.
To you, our great redeemer, forever be praise!
Devotion
This hymn is included in the largest section in Evangelical Lutheran Worship titled “Praise, Thanksgiving.” The hymns in this section reveal the faith community’s desire and need to praise and give thanks to God.
Today’s “We Praise You, O God” lifts up praise for God as guide “through trial and tempest”; proclaims God’s constant companionship—“when perils o’ertake us, you will not forsake us”; and sings of God’s encouragement and hope: “with your help, O Lord, our struggles we win.”
Whatever we encounter today, tomorrow, or tomorrow’s tomorrow, God is with us. The challenges, struggles, fears, and anxieties of life do not have the last say about us. God has the last word. It is the word of love and new life. Now that is worthy of praise and thanksgiving! With whom and for what will you raise your voice in praise and thanksgiving today?
Prayer
O God, worthy of our praise and thanks, keep our hearts and minds in your love and grace, and bind us together in hope. Amen.