May the Peoples Praise You by Keith and Kristyn Getty, Stuart Townend, Ed Cash, 2016.

1. You have called us out of darkest night Into Your glorious light.
That we may sing the wonders of the risen Christ.

2. May our every breath retell the grace that broke into our strife.
With boundless love and deepest joy, with endless life.

Observe: This song is a wonderful call to worship that expresses our deep-seated and irrepressible joy of being called out of darkness into God’s kingdom of light. Darkness is a condition of “no thing.” It is void, empty, nothingness, and, therefore, the metaphor for separation, blindness, cold, and evil. Light is the first material thing created in the physical realm and is synonymous with union, sight, warmth, and goodness.

God spoke, and there was light (Genesis 1:3). David sang, For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. (Psalm 36:9). Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). God’s kingdom is a kingdom of light, and He dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16). He has called us out of dark, cold, dead works into his glorious light by the wonders of the risen Christ. Our every breath should retell this marvelous truth.

Chorus. May the peoples praise You Let the nations be glad.
All Your blessing comes That we may praise,
May praise the Name of Jesus.

Verses 3 and 4 remind us that all we have, we have received from our Heavenly Father. Stewardship, the proper use of our time, talents, and material goods, demonstrates our joy and thankfulness for His loan of these things to us. Our greatest desire is to use our gifts for His kingdom work.

3. All the earth is Yours and all within Each harvest is Your own.
And from Your hand we give to You To make Christ known.

4. May the seeds of mercy grow in us for those who have not heard.
May songs of praise build lives of grace to spread Your Word.

Chorus

Verse 5 and the Bridge provide a picture of the glorious return of our savior and the realization of eternal life in the sin-free, grief free, death-free world to come. The Apostle John saw around God’s throne the living creatures and the elders (and heard) the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! (Revelation 5:11–13).

5. This our holy privilege to declare Your praises and Your name.
To every nation, tribe and tongue, Your church proclaims.

Bridge.

Holy, holy is the Lord Almighty,
Worthy, worthy is the Lamb Who was slain;
Holy, holy is the Lord Almighty,
All creation praise Your glorious Name!

Chorus.

Today we have a foretaste of this in our work and worship as we proclaim his glorious name. May you take this song into your day with joy, knowing that our blessings have come so that we may praise, may praise the name of Jesus!

Blessings, Pastor Don