How Great Thou Art: God Is Greater Than Our Troubles

Devotional

Day 1: Thunderstorms Reveal God’s Power and Peace

The sudden storm over Sweden’s countryside left Carl Boberg speechless at creation’s raw power—until stillness descended like a whisper. This tension between awe and intimacy mirrors our God who splits skies with lightning yet bends to hear sparrows sing. His greatness isn’t distant spectacle but near enough to calm chaos. When life’s tempests rage, creation itself testifies: the God who rules thunder holds your fragile heart. [47:46]

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” (Job 38:1-4, ESV)

Reflection: When has a chaotic moment in your life become a doorway to encounter God’s peace? How might creation’s storms remind you of His nearness today?

Day 2: Hymns Born in Ukraine’s Remote Villages

Stuart Hine scribbled “How Great Thou Art” while watching Ukrainian villagers weep at Christ’s sacrifice. These weren’t abstract lyrics—they were survival songs for persecuted believers. Like brooks carving mountains, generations have carried this hymn through war, hospice rooms, and hospital beds. Its power lies not in poetry but in ordinary people finding extraordinary hope. What brokenness in your story could become a anthem of resilience? [55:33]

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. (Psalm 40:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: What song has anchored you during life’s storms? How might singing it today shift your perspective on current challenges?

Day 3: Grand Canyon Moments in Daily Life

A single bird’s song silenced the hymnwriter’s pen—not just melody, but a divine fingerprint. We miss God’s daily “Grand Canyons” while chasing spiritual spectacles. The God who hung stars also numbers sparrow feathers. His greatness isn’t measured by what dazzles us but by what sustains us: morning light, steady breath, a child’s laugh. What ordinary wonder have you overlooked this week? [52:39]

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (Genesis 1:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: When did you last pause to marvel at something “small” God made? How might noticing daily creation-moments deepen your trust in Him?

Day 4: Blood-Stained Hymns and Calvary’s Weight

The hymn’s third verse cost Stuart Hine tears—Ukrainian converts gripping crosses as they sang of Christ’s sacrifice. This isn’t sanitized theology but blood-stained truth: the cross transforms theoretical belief into scars we touch. Every “How Great Thou Art” declares that nails didn’t just pierce wood but divine flesh. What burden feels too heavy to lay at those scarred feet today? [55:09]

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (Romans 5:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: How does the physical reality of Christ’s wounds challenge you to bring your rawest struggles to Him? What pain have you been intellectualizing rather than entrusting?

Day 5: Anticipating the Hymn We’ll Sing Forever

The hymn’s final verse strains toward eternity—not wishful thinking but the believer’s sure horizon. As farmers in Ukraine scanned skies for Christ’s return, so we live between “How Great Thou Art” and “Holy Holy Holy.” This tension fuels endurance: our present songs are rehearsals for the unending anthem. What would change today if you lived as though the next breath might join heaven’s chorus? [58:00]

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: What earthly struggle dims when you imagine Christ’s return? How might living with eternal anticipation reshape your priorities this week?

Sermon Summary

“How Great Thou Art” begins with awesome wonder before the works of God’s hands. The hymn carries the heart of people who have walked through storms, tragedies, victories, and trials, yet found comfort, joy, peace, and strength in the Lord. Carl Boberg saw a powerful storm suddenly turn peaceful in Sweden, and that moment led him to write words that would travel across generations and around the world.

Creation declares that God is great. The stars, mighty thunder, woods, birds, mountains, brooks, and gentle breeze all point to the Creator who spoke the heavens and earth into being. Genesis shows that when God said, it came to be. God’s greatness does not make Him far away from ordinary life, because the same God who made the universe knows the cry of every heart, sees every difficult time, and cares about the small details.

The cross reveals an even deeper greatness. The third verse declares that God did not spare His Son, but sent Him to die, bearing sin on the cross. Stuart Hine saw people in remote villages of Ukraine receive Christ with joy, and those real encounters with salvation shaped the words that many still sing today. Jesus Christ bled and died to take away sin, and His blood still has power to cleanse and change lives. Communion remembers that Christ was crucified, rose again on the third day, and will come again.

The coming of Christ gives believers hope and calls them to be ready. Christ promised in John 14 that He is preparing a place for His people and that He will come again to receive them to Himself. The day and hour may be unknown, but Christ’s promise is sure. Faithfulness matters because Christ is coming back for His church.

The refrain becomes personal in every trouble: “Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee, how great Thou art.” God is greater than issues, pain, sin, failures, cancer, mountains, valleys, and every trouble of life. Psalm 145 declares that the Lord upholds those who fall and lifts those who are bowed down. God remains near to those who call on Him in truth, and a soul that has been brought through trials can sing these words with a deeper faith.

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Key Takeaways

1. Creation points to the great Creator Creation is not merely beautiful scenery. The thunder, stars, birds, and mountains bear witness that God made what human hands cannot make. God’s power in the universe also assures the heart that He is not confused by the details of human life. [52:39]
2. The cross still changes lives Christ did not remain distant from sin and suffering. Jesus bore the burden of sin on the cross, died, and rose again so that forgiveness and new life would be possible. The blood of Christ is not an old story with no power, but God’s present power to cleanse and restore. [55:33]
3. Christ is coming back again Christ’s return is a promise that gives hope in a troubled world. Jesus is preparing a place for His people, and His coming calls every believer to live faithfully rather than casually. The unknown timing is not meant to create fear, but readiness. [57:21]
4. God is greater than every trouble Pain, failure, sickness, and fear can feel bigger than faith in a hard moment. God does not always remove the trouble immediately, but His greatness is never reduced by what His children face. The soul learns to sing when it remembers that the Lord upholds those who fall.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[43:00] - A New Series From Five Hymns
[44:48] - Why Hymns Touch the Heart
[47:25] - The Story Behind How Great Thou Art
[49:09] - A Hymn That Reached the World
[50:37] - God’s Greatness in Creation
[54:30] - The Saving Mission of Jesus
[56:57] - Christ Is Coming Again
[59:15] - Then Sings My Soul
[60:23] - God Is Greater Than Every Problem

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 145:14,18
“The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” [01:00:41]

John 14:1-3
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” [58:00]

Genesis 1:1-3
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” [54:10]

Observation questions

In Genesis 1:1–3, what repeated action of God shows His power in creation? [54:10]
What parts of creation are named as reasons for awe and worship in “How Great Thou Art”? [50:58]
According to Psalm 145:14,18, what two kinds of people receive God’s help and nearness?
In John 14:1–3, what does Jesus promise He is doing for His people, and what does He promise to do again? [58:00]

Interpretation questions

Genesis presents God as speaking creation into being. What does this show about God’s authority, and why does that matter when life feels chaotic or out of control? [54:22]
The greatness of God is seen both in creation and in His care for the small details of life. How can God be mighty enough to create the universe and still be near to a hurting person? [52:14]
Jesus’ promise to prepare a place and come again was meant to calm troubled hearts. How can the promise of Christ’s return bring hope without making believers careless about life today? [58:00]
Psalm 145 says that God upholds those who fall and lifts those who are bowed down. What might it look like for someone to call on God “in truth” while facing pain, failure, or fear? [01:00:34]

Application questions

Where have you recently seen something in creation—a storm, stars, trees, birds, a sunset, or another detail—that helped you pause and recognize God’s greatness? How could you make room for that kind of worship this week? [52:39]
God knows the cry of every heart and the ordinary details of life. What is one specific burden or concern that you need to bring honestly to Him right now? [52:07]
Christ bore sin on the cross, and His grace still cleanses and changes lives. Is there a sin, failure, or shame that you have been carrying as though Jesus cannot forgive or restore you? What would it look like to trust Him with it? [56:05]
Christ is coming again, though the day and hour are unknown. What area of faithfulness—relationships, serving, prayer, forgiveness, or obedience—needs fresh attention as you live ready for Him? [57:21]
God is greater than pain, sickness, failure, mountains, valleys, and every trouble of life. What difficulty has felt especially large lately, and how can the group encourage you to remember God’s nearness and strength in it? [59:56]
Think of a time when God carried you through a hard season. How has that experience given deeper meaning to the words, “Then sings my soul”? [01:00:23]

Sermon Clips

34s

#Communion

“We are gonna take communion in a few minutes. And every time we take communion, we remember that Christ has died. That means he was crucified. He was put... The nails were put in his hands. The piers were put on his side. And when he died, he said the last word. It is finished. And then on the third day, he rose again. And whenever we take communion, we remember that he has, he died, he rose again, and he is coming back for you and me one day.”

38s

#JesusIsComing

“We don't know when the Lord will come, but the scripture points to many scripture. The day and the hour is unknown when the Lord will come. But what this song is reminding us that you and I need to be prepared for the coming because he is coming back. He is coming back so that we would not have to face the troubles of this life anymore. He's coming back for his church. He's coming back for people that have maintained and they've they've been faithful to his calling. They have they're finishing that race. They're walking with God. They're serving God. God is coming back for you and me, my friends.”

45s

#HymnsOfHope

“you and I have sung this hymn and oftentimes when we hear a certain hymn, it reminds us of something. It maybe reminds us of our of our grandmother singing that song or it reminds us of a small little country church that you grew up singing that song. I believe that these these hymns, these songs, have provided comfort for us in the midst of our sorrows. These hymns have provided joy in our pain, peace in the midst of uncertainty, strength in the midst of weakness, and inspiration to look at Jesus Christ, our source of life and peace.”

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