The following is from: https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-song-carl-boberg-how-great-thou-art/
In 1885, Carl Boberg, a Swedish editor and future politician, was walking home in the bayside town of Mönsterås, located on Sweden’s south-eastern coast. A thunderhead appeared on the horizon. Lightning flashed. Thunderclaps shook the air, sending Boberg running for shelter.
When the storm began to relent, he rushed home. He opened his windows to let in the fresh bay air, and the vision of tranquility that greeted him stirred something deep in his soul. The sky had cleared. Thrushes sang, and in the distance, the resonant knell of church bells sounded. With the juxtaposition between the roaring thunderstorm and such bucolic calm as background, Boberg sat down and wrote “O Store Gud”—the poem that, through a winding series of events would become “How Great Thou Art.”
The following is from here: https://www.gospelchops.com/how-great-thou-art/
Stuart K. Hine was a Bristish Methodist missionary on a mission trip in Ukraine in 1931 when he heard the Russian translation of a German song inspired by Carl Boberg's poem "O Store Gud" (O Great God). Hine began to translation the song to English and added several verses. The third verse was inspired by the conversion of villagers in Russia who cried out to God loudly as the repented and realized God's love and mercy - "And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in."
Stuart Hine and his family left Ukraine as famine and World War Two began, and settled in Somerset, Britain where he continued to serve as a missionary to Polish refugees. The forth verse of "How Great Thou Art" was inspired by displaced Russians who experienced great loss and looked forward to seeing their loved ones again in heaven - "When Christ shall come with shoult of acclamation to take me home, what joy shall fill my heart."
We are created to worship our Lord, so it is naturally our response to look at the beauty and wonder of creation and become awestruck. Creation is evidence of our amazing God who is almighty to make such things in fine detail, such as thunder and lightning. Looking around and seeing evidence of God is general revelation. Think about it. What is your first reaction when you see a newborn baby? A sunset? God creates some beautiful, unbelievable things. Recently, I was walking out of Kroger and saw clouds blocking the sun with the beams of light extending out. I will post a picture to my Instagram, but to see it in person was just awestrucking. My first thought was the title of this hymn: "How great Thou art." We can find gratitude in the little moments of seeing God's handiwork, that even just for a second, there's always some reminder of how great God is. Remembering who God is really puts life into perspective when we're having an off day or just getting caught up in ourselves. Something as simple as a thunderstorm reminds us that if God created something like that, then we can definitely trust Him with our lives. Such beauty also reminds us of the goodness of God, specifically how He came incarnated (think Trinity) as Jesus Christ and was crucified and risen to satisfy His own wrath against our sins, paving a way for eternal life for those who repent and believe. Do you remember how you felt the first time you fully internalized what good news it is that we are saved from our sins and never returned to your old self? That feeling is a joy that should always fill our hearts, on both the good and the bad days. Our hearts should always be positioned in a response of praise for God. I challenge you to take small moments throughout the day to be mindful of the little things around you to praise God for and watch how much better your days go and how much you have to praise God for. To start you off with something to praise God for, thank God for your salvation, the gift of grace for eternity that no one can take from you once you have it.
Lyrics to the Hymn
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Chorus: Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art. Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art! When through the woods, and forest glades I wander, And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees. When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze. Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art. Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing; Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; That on a Cross, my burdens gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin. Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art. Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art! When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!” Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art. Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
Supporting Scripture
Deuteronomy 3:24 (ESV)
"‘O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours?'"
Jeremiah 10:6 (ESV)
"There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might."
Psalm 96:4 (ESV)
"For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods."
Romans 1:20 (ESV)
"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."
Psalm 19:1 (ESV)
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
By: Bible and Hot Cocoa (IG: @bibleandhotcocoa)
Jules is the founder of Bible and Hot Cocoa. She is a law student with a passion for standing up for those who cannot speak for themselves. In any free time, she loves to read, study theology, write, and draw or paint. Jules's favorite book of the Bible would have to be a tie among John, Psalms, and Romans (as of now), and her favorite figure besides Jesus is King David or Paul.
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