How Good to Thank Our God

Lyrics as Poetry

How good to thank our God,
    and speak our Savior’s name,
with flute and trumpet, heart and voice,
    God’s wonders to acclaim:
    Sing praises, sing praises,
        with psalms and hymns and songs!

Yet streams of praise go foul,
    or run into the sand,
if justice cannot run its course
    and water all the land:
    Do justice with kindness,
         and sing our Savior’s song!

When wealth’s uncaring ways
    our neighbor’s hopes destroy,
the house of prayer that bears God’s name
    is dead, though filled with joy:
    Do justice with kindness,
        and sing our Savior’s song!

Yet Christ has shown the way
    of love and praise combined,
and treads the path of peace on earth
    with justice intertwined:
    Sing praises, sing praises,
        with psalms and hymns and songs!

Our praises cannot wait
    till word and deed are one.
The Spirit fills us through and through
    with all that God has done:
    Sing praises, sing praises,
        with psalms and hymns and songs!

Then let us walk in love —
    By love our faith is shown.
Unloving, we are far from God.
    In loving, God is known:
    Through justice, with kindness,
        we’ll sing our Savior’s song!

Words by Brian Wren
Copyright © 1993 by Hope Publishing Company (Carol Stream, Illinois) for USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Copyright © 1993 by Stainer & Bell Limited (London, England) for all other territories.