God, Who Made the Earth and Heaven

Earth, heaven, light and darkness are not only God's creation, but His gifts. The hymn "God, Who Made the Earth and Heaven" (LSB 877) may make you think of Martin Luther's Evening Prayer: "Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me." Long before Luther, this petition was part of the final collect of Compline and the Church's evening prayers. Rooted in the imagery of Psalm 91, it asks God to watch over His people in the hours of darkness and sleep.

1 God, who made the earth and heaven,
Darkness and light:
You the day for work have given,
For rest the night.
May Your angel guards defend us,
Slumber sweet Your mercy send us,
Holy dreams and hopes attend us
All through the night.

2 And when morn again shall call us
To run life’s way,
May we still, whate’er befall us,
Your will obey.
From the pow’r of evil hide us,
In the narrow pathway guide us,
Never be Your smile denied us
All through the day.

3 Guard us waking, guard us sleeping,
And when we die,
May we in Your mighty keeping
All peaceful lie.
When the last dread call shall wake us,
Then, O Lord, do not forsake us,
But to reign in glory take us
With You on high.

4 Holy Father, throned in heaven,
All-holy Son,
Holy Spirit, freely given,
Blest Three in One:
Grant us grace, we now implore You,
Till we lay our crowns before You
And in worthier strains adore You
While ages run.

Text: Public domain