I Am Thy God

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I am thy God, thy greatest boon

Author: Joachim Neander; Translator: Henrietta Ruff
Published in 1 hymnal

Representative Text

The God of Covenant
1 I am thy God, the greatest boon!
For reconciliation
Much blood was shed in thy behalf,
To gain thy soul's salvation.
The wicked I from doom shall save
And then those who were Satan's slave
Shall be my heirs and children.

The Believer
2 O Lord, I deem myself too low
To merit this attention,
One who blasphemed without remorse,
Who sinned without abstention.
Who am I, Lord? Where my retreat?
For my transgressions, my deceit,
Thy wrath could cast me downward.

The God of the Covenant
3 Nay, nay! my free-will covenant,
A bond of peace and mercy,
A surety that intervenes,
Will save thee, and protect thee.
A God of sinners, I am He,
But thou must take Christ unto thee,
Refrain from further sinning.

The Believer
4 Then give to me a heart so pure,
O Lord of all creation!
Make me contrite, that I repent,
And thus may earn salvation.
Without Thee I am naught indeed,
God, strengthen me in my great need,
Thou Counselor most mighty!

The God of the Covenant
5 My thoughts have ever been with thee
In infinite forbearance.
Jesus has made the bond secure,
In His arms find assurance.
His wisdom and His righteousness
Will sanctify thee and will bless
And thus redeem all mankind.

Source: The Amana Church Hymnal #67

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Author: Joachim Neander

Neander, Joachim, was born at Bremen, in 1650, as the eldest child of the marriage of Johann Joachim Neander and Catharina Knipping, which took place on Sept. 18, 1649, the father being then master of the Third Form in the Paedagogium at Bremen. The family name was originally Neumann (Newman) or Niemann, but the grandfather of the poet had assumed the Greek form of the name, i.e. Neander. After passing through the Paedagogium he entered himself as a student at the Gymnasium illustre (Academic Gymnasium) of Bremen in Oct. 1666. German student life in the 17th century was anything but refined, and Neander seems to have been as riotous and as fond of questionable pleasures as most of his fellows. In July 1670, Theodore Under-Eyck came to Breme… Go to person page >

Translator: Henrietta Ruff

(no biographical information available about Henrietta Ruff.) Go to person page >

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Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	I am thy God, thy greatest boon
Title:	I Am Thy God
Original Language:	German
Author:	Joachim Neander
Translator:	Henrietta Ruff
Language:	English
Publication Date:	1992
Copyright:	This text may still be under copyright because it was published in 1992.