O God, Our Help in Ages Past
Open Your Bible
Genesis 9:8-17, Psalm 90:1-17, Lamentations 5:19
BY Kaitlin Wernet
Text: Genesis 9:8-17, Psalm 90:1-17, Lamentations 5:19
Isaac Watts never wanted to write hymns. In fact, he didn’t even enjoy singing. A scraggly and rebellious teenager in Southampton, England, Watts was a poet who refused to sing psalms in church because they didn’t rhyme.
Watts’ lyrical appreciation and incessant poetics were an annoyance to everyone around him, including his own preacher father, who threatened to whip his son if he continued his daily rhyming. The son replied, “O Father do some pity take, and I will no more verses make!” (McKay 67).
After his anger subsided, Watts’ father challenged his writer son to create something “better” than King David’s psalms. At just 18 years old, Watts began writing hymns that were loosely rooted in the Psalms and aligned with his own singing preferences (which, of course, included rhyming). He aimed to communicate timeless gospel truths in contemporary language, as if King David was writing in the present-day 1700s (Watts 15).
His hymn “O God, Our Help In Ages Past” is based on Psalm 90:4:
For in Your sight a thousand years
are like yesterday that passes by,
like a few hours of the night.
When Watts’ signature style is applied to this passage, it becomes a singable hymn:
A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
Whether sung in original psalmic context or modern rhyming prose, the importance of recalling God’s character remains the same. When we adopt the practice of recalling His past faithfulness, we are reminded of His present kindness.
O God, Our Help in Ages Past
Isaac Watts
Our 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 your throne
your saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is your arm alone,
and our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood
or earth received its frame,
from everlasting you are God,
to endless years the same.
A thousand ages in your sight
are like an evening gone,
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
soon bears us all away;
we fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
Our God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
still be our guard while troubles last,
and our eternal home!
McKay, Graham. A Hymn a Day. Franklin, TN: O’More Publishing, 2003.
Watts, Isaac. The Psalms of David – Imitated in the Language of the New Testament and Applied to the Christian State and Worship. Qontro Classic Books, 2010.
90 thoughts on "O God, Our Help in Ages Past"
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Hi She’s! It’s great to say that I’m feeling much better. Thank you so much for praying for me.
I don’t know today’s hymn but loved some of the words. I esoteric like:
Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Still be our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.It brings such comfort to know that God has been, will be, and currently is our help and guard. No matter what we’re facing, He is here, in the midst, never leaving us alone.
I’m praying for all requests, including:
KRISTINE LOUGHMAN and MOLLY R – for both of your families who are experiencing a bug going through everyone. For healing, rest, and comfort.
MOLLY R – for your friend who has a new cancer diagnosis, and for her and her family in new home surroundings.
RHONDA J – for your son experiencing a breakup with his girlfriend.
HEATHER LAMASON – that your meeting with the recruiter was fruitful and that God will guide you to the job position where He wants you, and can use you.
KIMBERLY Z – for the situation with your son. -
MOLLY R- I remember that recommendation and appreciate the reminder!
MERCY – My heart goes out to you, dear SHE! Praying for a fresh door to be opened to you soon!
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Morning she’s,
The poem/lyrics were so beautiful and I appreciate it such talent. I have not recognized any of the hymns thus far, but I love it. There is a sense of formality and grandeur to them. The reading today made me reflect on these verses:
“The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away”(Psalm 90:10 ESV)
KJV says, “Yet is their strength labour and sorrow”. Do I want the strength of my life to be labour and sorrow? Is it like that currently? Yes. I do not want to wake up early work through the day, and then come home and feel sad that it is still not enough (since the end mark keeps on being moved by men’s standards). A famous wise teacher, King Solomon, once shared the same sentiment saying hard work is futile. And this tied in with my current situation at work, just labour, troubleshooting, and be overlooked (sorrows). Labour & its sorrow. How futile.
But yet, the HOPE was glimmering through these Psalm verses:
“Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, And the years wherein we have seen evil”(Psalm 90:15 KJV).
“Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: And establish thou the work of our hands upon us, Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it” (Psalm 90:17 KJV)
Our gladness comes from the Lord. The flavour of life comes from Him. I have seen my uncle ( a very successful self made millionaire) sitting feeling completely void of joy or any flavour of life. So I pray for gladness today to replace the futility of hard work and the grind culture that adds just sorrow. I pray that my life is not just about labouring and running around and giving others my best, but to focus & give God my best. Lord let me not be at the mercy of others, but at Your Mercy… for Your Mercy is rich and it endures forever.
“ O satisfy us early with thy mercy; That awe may rejoice and be glad all our days.” (Psalm 90:14 KJV).
Prayers for our sisters, RHONDA (your son’s break up, healing and God’s leading to the right person), LYNN FROM AL (happy early birthday, may God bless you with good health and much joy, I will probably come back tomorrow and send good wishes again, prayers for JACK and his mind), healing for our she’s and families that are down with sickness, MOLLY R and others.
Be blessed dear sisters. -
I’m 4 for 4! Love these old hymns and the chance to see some scripture behind them!
KRISTINE LOUGHMAN, I feel your lament in my soul! My husband is currently down with the dreaded bug that is working its way through our 6 person family. He makes #3. I am so anxious about who is next and WHEN that I am not sleeping well – jumping out of bed at every sound, thinking someone else has succumbed! I am weary, too, and will be praying for you and others in this season of sickness!
SEARCHING – thank you for yet another great resource. I can’t wait to look it up and maybe add some of the knowledge to our homeschool study. Since my kids won’t get the same “small church with hymns” experience that I did, at least I can expose them to the richness found in them.
CEE GEE – Shane and Shane are a big “go-to” for me. Love their Psalms and Hymns and often play them while doing housework or out for walks.
During the Psalms study, someone recommended “Poor Bishop Hooper” and I just recommended it to a dear friend recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer who is in the midst of processing the news and her and her family’s new future. They recently moved from a place where they were surrounded by support of family/friends and now they are in a new state with no support system set up and a whole new future to grapple with along with a new home and new friends to make. Thankful that God goes with us, always.
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