Scripture Verse

The Lord hath anointed me…to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning. Isaiah 61:1–3

Introduction

Words & Mu­sic: John G. Crabbe, 1889 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
John G. Crabbe (1865–1924)

Lyrics

illustration
Jesus Unrolls the Book in the Synagogue
James Tissot (1836–1902)

I sing the love of God, my Fa­ther,
Whose Spir­it abides with­in,
Who chang­es all my grief to glad­ness,
And par­dons me all my sin.
Though clouds may low­er, dark and drea­ry,
Yet He has pro­mised to be near;
He gives me sun­shine for my sha­dow,
And beau­ty for ash­es here.

Refrain

He gives me joy in place of sor­row;
He gives me love that casts out fear;
He gives me sun­shine for my sha­dow,
And beauty for ash­es here.

I sing the love of God, my Sav­ior,
Who suf­fered upon the tree,
That, in the sec­ret of His pre­sence,
My bond­age might free­dom be.
He comes to bind the brok­en­heart­ed;
He comes the faint­ing soul to cheer;
He gives me oil of joy for mourn­ing,
And beau­ty for ash­es here.

Refrain

I sing the beau­ty of the Gos­pel
That scat­ters, not thorns, but flow­ers,
That bids me scat­ter smiles and sun­beams
Wherever are lone­ly hours.
The gar­ment of His praise it of­fers
For hea­vi­ness of spir­it drear;
It gives me sun­shine for my sha­dow,
And beau­ty for ash­es here.

Refrain