For the Beauty of the Earth
“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. (Psalm 8:1 NIV)
In 1864, a young poet by the name of Folliot S. Pierpoint, in Bath, England, looked out over the countryside and was inspired to write the hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth.” What he saw marveled him, and he stopped, let his mind take in all the beauty of his surroundings, and was drawn to praise and worship of the One who created it all. He originally wrote eight stanzas, but we will focus on just four.
In the first verse, while speaking of earth’s beauty and the sky’s glory, he focuses on the love we have received from God since our birth.
“For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.”
He becomes more specific in the second verse as he mentions various sources of beauty throughout the day and night.
“For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.”
In verses three and four he speaks of music and art; “For the joy of ear and eye.” And he speaks of human love, another gift of God, the love of brothers and sisters, parents and children, and friends. Verse five speaks of the church and its praise and love for our Lord.
“For thy church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.”
In the last verse, Pierpoint expresses his love and thankfulness for the greatest gift of God.
“For thyself, best Gift Divine
To the world so freely given,
For that great, great love of thine,
Peace on earth, and joy in heaven:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.”
This man articulates the feelings and love I have for our Lord and for his creation better than I do. God’s creation is fantastic, for which we need to be grateful, but our greatest appreciation must be for God Himself.
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