Prime Your Praise with Nature’s Grandeur
For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. … Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Psalm 95:3–7
The mid-morning sun transforms the lake surface into a shimmering swath of silver sequins. Its rays glint off the bronzes and coppers of mountainside foliage. Ruby and topaz leaves glitter in the crisp autumn air. A swan family glides along the lakeshore while squawking geese head south and a bald eagle soars upward in lariat loops. The knot at the back of my neck eases; my shoulders relax as leaves crackle beneath my feet. The beauty of western North Carolina stretches around me like a hug from God.
Lines from a classic hymn flit through my mind: “For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies … for the wonder of each hour … hill and vale and tree and flower … Christ, our Lord, to you we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.” My spirit swells with thanksgiving to the Designer of mountains and lakes, eagles and waterfowl, falling leaves and cooler mornings.
According to hymnary.org, Folliott Sandford Pierpoint wrote the lyrics of “For the Beauty of the Earth” after “admiring the country view and the winding Avon River” from a hilltop outside Bath, England, in the spring of 1863.[i] I wonder if he sought that hilltop the way I seek a nearby lake to distance myself from life’s confusion and conflict and to recenter my spirit. For me, a lake walk always restores my soul by shifting my perspective to the Maker of all I see.
Psalm 95 is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to “the Lord our Maker.” The psalmist writes, “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song” (v. 2). The psalm also celebrates God’s sovereignty and dominion over all earthly rulers (v. 3). It reminds us that the Maker of the mighty sea is powerful, yet he shepherds us with compassion (vv. 5–7).
A warning follows: Don’t harden your heart; don’t test your King and Maker. Worship him. Trust him (vv. 7–11).
The holiday season can be difficult for those facing fractured relationships, grueling grief journeys, uncertain health diagnoses, and stressful financial challenges. Your well of thanksgiving may have been drained dry, but you can still avoid the mistake of forgetting God’s past blessings. Visit a lakeside, a hilltop, or a park and let the wonder of God’s creation prime your praise. Read the lyrics of Pierpoint’s hymn or the words of a psalm. Open your heart to God. Spill out your pain and sorrow, giving him the opportunity to fill your heart with his presence and peace.
Whatever current circumstances may indicate, the “Lord is the great God, the great King above all Gods,” and he will carry us through this day to the next and the next until we, like the psalmist, are able to “shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation” for blessings received and those ahead.
Dig Deeper
Psalm 104 is another hymn of praise to God the Creator. What does the psalmist celebrate? What does he determine to do in verse 33? Can you say the same? Why?
Read 2 Corinthians 4:8–18. What did the apostle Paul believe would “cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God”? How did that hope influence his perspective about hardship?
Read Job 12:7–10. In the midst of his pain, Job looked to the natural realm to remind himself of God’s sovereignty. What has God used to remind you of his sovereignty recently?
Read all the lyrics of “For the Beauty of the Earth,” and maybe you’ll be inspired to write your own hymn or poem of praise to the Lord our Maker.
Denise K. Loock
[i] “For the Beauty of the Earth,” hymnary.org, accessed November 6, 2025, https://hymnary.org/text/for_the_beauty_of_the_earth#google_vignette.