26

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Full Text

1 He’s got the whole world in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.
He's got the whole world in his hands.

2 He’s got the wind and the rain in his hands.
He’s got the wind and the rain in his hands.
He’s got the wind and the rain in his hands.
He's got the whole world in his hands.

3 He’s got the little tiny baby in his hands.
He’s got the little tiny baby in his hands.
He’s got the little tiny baby in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.

4 He’s got you and me, brother, in his hands.
He’s got you and me, brother, in his hands.
He’s got you and me, brother, in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.

5 He’s got you and me, sister, in his hands.
He’s got you and me, sister, in his hands.
He’s got you and me, sister, in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.

6 He’s got everybody here in his hands.
He’s got everybody here in his hands.
He’s got everybody here in his hands.
He’s got the whole world in his hands.

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Scripture References

Further Reflections on Scripture References

The text confesses the same them of the Lord’s cosmic rule that is proclaimed in the kingship psalms such as Psalm 47 and 93-99: “The Lord reigns!” The stanzas give examples of aspects of the “whole world”–nature, human creatures, and in fact, everything and everybody.

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Boldly proclaiming that “(God’s) got the whole world in his hands,” this African-American spiritual is clearly rooted in a conviction of God’s sovereign care. Our World Belongs to God, paragraph 1 heartily professes, “We declare with joy and trust: Our World Belongs to God!” because “Jesus Christ rules over all” (paragraph 43). Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 9, Question and Answer 26 reassures us that “the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…still upholds and rules…by his eternal counsel and providence.”

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He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Call to Worship

A text especially mindful of children
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made the bright, warm sunshine and the freezing-cold snow.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made the little tiny flowers and the great big pine trees.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made the peaceful ponds and the crashing waves.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made the cornfields and the rocky mountains.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made the creeping caterpillars and kicking kangaroos.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God made you, and God made me.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Come, let us praise God for making all things good!
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
A call to worship especially mindful of children
God makes the sun rise and set.
He is faithful from generation to generation.
God makes summer and winter come and go.
He is faithful from generation to generation.
God helps plants grow and flowers bloom.
He is faithful from generation to generation.
God gives us food to eat, places to live, and people to love us.
He is faithful from generation to generation.
God is always with us.
He is faithful from generation to generation.
God keeps his promises to us.
He is faithful from generation to generation.
Let us praise our faithful God.
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Additional Prayers

Lord, you saw the wheel in your mind
before we saw it roll on your good earth.
You put iron in the bowels of your earth
and imagined the great girders
that would hold up bridges over land and sea.
You heard the motor in your mind before we revved it up on our roads.
You saw the computer chip before we harnessed it in our offices
and the laser before we discovered how to use it
for blasting mines or for performing delicate surgery.
Now bless our hands as we manipulate the machines we have made.
Teach us how to use them wisely so that we will not be used by them.
Bless our grinding and polishing, our honing and hammering.
Let our demands for precise and careful work be as rigorous as yours
so that we may rest as safely in our cars and planes as in your arms.
Help us in all this, Lord, with joy and thanks,
to see your upholding hand, great creator of metal and mountain,
master artist of sunset and rainbow.
May we not sit on foam rubber without feeling your grace
or read by a lightbulb without feeling a current of thankfulness
for your marvelous creation running through our veins.
Hear our prayer for your Son’s sake. Amen.
[Reformed Worship 14:39]
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
A prayer especially mindful of children
God, our creator,
thank you for all that you have made,
and help us remember every day
always to take care of your world
for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
A Prayer of Acclamation
 
To you, great God, we bring thanksgiving and praise. You are lofty and transcendent; you are pure and holy; you hate evil. And yet you have the whole world in your hands. Amazing! Amen.
— Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
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He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Tune Information

Name
WHOLE WORLD
Key
E♭ Major
Meter
irregular

Recordings

26

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands

Hymn Story/Background

"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is a traditional American spiritual. It was first published in the paperbound hymnal Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New, in 1927. In 1933, it was collected by Frank Warner from the singing of Sue Thomas in North Carolina. It was also recorded by other collectors, including Robert Sonkin of the Library of Congress, who recorded it in Gee's Bend, Alabama, in 1941. That version is still available at the Library's American Folklife Center.
 
Frank Warner performed the song during the 1940s and 1950s, and introduced it to the American folk scene. Warner recorded it on the Elektra Album American Folk Songs and Ballads in 1952. It was quickly picked up by both American gospel singers and British skiffle and pop musicians.
— Wikipedia

Composer Information

Hezekiah Brinson Jr. (b. 1958) is a composer, recording artist and international performer who currently lives in New Orleans, LA. A classically trained pianist, Hezekiah currently concentrates on rearranged hymns, standard classical piano pieces, traditional Negro spirtuals, as well as combining classical and gospel music. Hezekiah is employed by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office as the Director for the Band of Excellence. In addition to his Band of Excellence responsibilities, Hezekiah also serves as the Minister of Music at various churches, including West Bank United Seventh Day Adventist Church, and Nineveh Baptist Church. Hezekiah is the CEO of Brinson International Music Studio Inc. and has had his works featured on sites such as iTunes and Rhapsody, as well in multiple hymnals.
— Hezekiah Brinson Jr. (http://hezekiahbrinsonjr.com/)

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