This Is My Father’s World

Father, between this morning’s sermon and the experiences of the day, I just have to give You praise for all that You have created! It accomplishes so many things in our lives – peace, contentment, inspiration, and assurance – to name but a few. Praise You for Your mighty acts!

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My heart is full tonight and I need to run with it! Our mighty Creator has moved me! This morning my sermon was Creation Waits and a portion of it dealt with the Apostle Paul’s exhortation in Romans 8:20-21,

But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.

As I preached, I couldn’t help but think of the beauty I see every day! I write about it frequently. I share pictures of the beauty around me with family and friends alike. I enjoy scenes of grandeur shared by friends. Many have a great appreciation for the gifts our Heavenly Father has bestowed upon us and rejoice.

Before I even began to write, a hymn came to mind, This Is My Father’s World.

I’m sure you’re surprised but I have a few books that are composed of the stories behind our hymns – and I loved the story behind this one!

This Is My Father’s World is from a poem written by Maltbie Babcock, who at the time was pastoring the Lockport Presbyterian Church in Lockport, New York. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he was a jack of all trades and master of many, actually! He was an outstanding athlete. He directed his university’s orchestra and glee club. He sang. He played several instruments. He was an artist and entertained his friends with impersonations!

But he was most definitely a man who enjoyed God’s creation. While in Lockport he would tell his secretary, as he slipped out for a run or a hike in the countryside, “I’m going out to see my Father’s world.” And over time he wrote a sixteen-stanza poem about his love for God and His creation.

Here are the lyrics of the first three verses and I’ve included a recording of it by another one of my favorite Christian artists, Chris Rice. Enjoy the beauty of his rendition and get out to see our Father’s world!

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.

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.

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 Heav’n be one.

_{(Many of the details of Babcock’s life were from Then Sings My Soul: 150 pf the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories,
written by Robert J. Morgan, published in Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas Nelson, Inc. ©2003.)}

July 19^th, 2020, Sun, 9:11 pm