Something to sing about!

O how the grace of God amazes me!

It loosed me from my bonds and set me free!

What made it happen so?

His own will, this much I know,

set me, as now I show,
at liberty.

My God has chosen me, though one of nought,

To sit beside my King in heaven’s court.

Hear what my Lord has done:

O, the love that made him run

to meet his erring son!
This has God wrought.

Not for my righteousness, for I have none,

but for his mercy’s sake, Jesus, God’s Son,

suffered on Calvary’s tree -

crucified with thieves was he -

great was His grace to me,

his wayward one.

And when I think of how, at Calvary,

he bore sin’s penalty instead of me,

amazed, I wonder why

he, the sinless One, should die

for one so vile as I:

my Saviour he!

Now all my heart’s desire is to abide

in Him, my Saviour dear, in Him to hide.
My shield and buckler he,

covering and protecting me:

from Satan’s darts I’ll be

safe at his side.

Lord Jesus, hear my prayer, your grace impart;

when evil thoughts arise through Satan’s art,

O, drive them all away

and my God, from day to day,

keep me beneath your sway,

King of my heart.

Come now, the whole of me, eyes, ears and voice,

join me, creation all, with joyful noise:

praise Him who broke the chain

holding me in sin’s domain,

and set me free again!

Sing and rejoice!

Emmanuel Sibomana, c.1910-75

Translated by Rosemary Guillebaud