This is My Father’s World

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.” (Psalms 24:1-2 NIV)

Many are familiar with and sing a hymn written by Maltbie Babcock.

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and young me rings the music of the ‘spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees of skies and seas, His hand the wonders wrought.

Mr. Babcock was from upstate New York and frequently walked near the Niagara Escarpment which overlooked Lake Ontario and some beautiful scenery. He would often tell his wife, before leaving on a walk, that he was “going out to see the Father’s world”. He died quite young, at 42 years of age. After his death his wife published a collection of his poems which included a poem, “My Father’s World”. Franklin Sheppard, a close friend of Babcock’s, set it to a tune he knew from childhood, adapting it to fit these words.

I can’t help but wonder if Mr. Babcock thought of Psalm 24 when he began writing his poem. It is said that there were phrases from various scriptures that he based his poem on, with the last verse being a paraphrase of Psalm 96:10-11.

This is my Father’s world: Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King: let the heaven ring! God reigns: let the earth be glad!

Are we as thrilled with what we see around us as David was in Psalm 24 (the superscription attributes this one to David) and Maltbie Babcock was? Do we thrill when we see a beautiful sunrise or sunset? Are we amazed when we see nature in its fullest beauty? When I was younger I used to frequently walk the hills of Scotland and fells of northern England with a group of other Christian men. Why did we do it? Because the views from the mountains were breathtaking, what we saw filled us with awe of the one who created it. I remember one day, at the end of a walk in some of Scotland’s hills, that we had to pause and give thanks to God for the beauty that we had seen that day.

The more we know about God the more we realise that he loves beauty. Often some of the most beautiful flowers are in remote places which are rarely seen by people. Who did he make those for? I he made them because he enjoys beauty. He must, because he created so much of it!

I am saddened when I read explanations of what is on the earth as being by accident with no thought or planning. What I see in the world around me is design – beautiful design. Yes, we can come up with scientific explanations about the conditions needed to have sunrises and sunsets. But that doesn’t take away the thrill of the many colours that are found in it or just the sheer brilliance. When I delivered newspapers in the wee hours of the morning as a married college student I came to appreciate sunrises, which are often more beautiful than sunsets.

What should all of this tell us? Here is the way Mr Babcock put it:

This is my Father’s world, O let me never forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.

Despite how bad the world may look, David asserted that “The earth is the Lord’s”. We need to remember that and give him the glory for what we see around us. When life isn’t going particularly well, take a look around you and know that God is still there. Give thanks for the beauty of the creation.

Photo by Jon Galloway – sunrise over Netherburn.

Readings for next week: Psalms 22-34