San Francisco Central Seventh-day Adventist Church

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103 O God Our Help

TODAY'S HYMN OF PRAISE is the old favorite O God, Our Help in Ages Past, our hope for years to come! by the great hymnwriter of the early 18th century, Isaac Watts (edited slightly by John Wesley). It is a paraphrase of the first part of Psalm 90.

O Lord, You have been our Dwelling Place,
Through all the generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth:
From everlasting to everlasting,
You are God!
—Psalm 90:1-2

The tune is by William Croft, in about 1700, and is named for St. Anne�s church in Soho, London.. It is remarkable for having been borrowed so often by great composers: Handel, Beethoven, J. S. Bach, and Ralph Vaughn Williams, to name a few!

O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home!

Under the shadow of thy throne,
still may we dwell secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting, thou art God,
to endless years the same.

A thousand ages, in thy sight,
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night,
before the rising sun.

O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come;
be thou our guide while life shall last,
and our eternal home!