A Song of Thanksgiving

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

“Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow,” known in many Christian circles as the Doxology, was written by Thomas Ken in 1671. It has since been published in over 1,000 hymnals and sung in churches all over the world. I’m most familiar with it because my wife’s family sings the hymn as our pre-meal prayer when we gather for holidays and special occasions. The tradition is rich, going back to when her grandparents were alive and holds special memories.

In reflecting on the words to this old hymn, I’m struck by its timeliness as we approach Thanksgiving.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow

We acknowledge that all we are and have is only through the provision of our Lord.

“What do you have that God hasn’t given you?” (1 Corinthians 4:7).

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

Whether we have much or find ourselves facing challenges, we should express thanks to God for his care and provision.

Praise Him, all creatures here below

All inhabitants of earth join together to declare God’s glory.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge” (Psalm 19:1,2).

“Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths … wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds…” (Psalm 148:7, 10).

“Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story …” (Psalm 107:2).

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host

All creatures and residents of heaven also join in declaring His praise.

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests’” (Luke 2:13,14).

“All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: ‘Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!’” (Revelation 7:11,12).

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Finally, we worship our holy and almighty God who is one Lord in three persons.

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21,22).

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

The doxology is helpful in reminding us to join with all inhabitants of earth and heaven to declare God’s praise and express our gratitude for His many blessings.