‘How Great Thou Art’ is arguably one of the most beautiful hymns ever written. Proclaiming the greatness and glory of the Lord using wonderfully poetic language, it has become an anthem of the global Church. But it also has personal meaning to millions, not least to 97-year-old Robert Earl “Bob” Walters.
In an achingly beautiful video taken by Walter’s granddaughter Melissa Moss, her grandpa could be heard singing the glorious song as he lay in his bed at Ohio Health Mansfield Hospital. Listening to the elderly man declare praises to God during his final moments is something of incredible power – you really can tell that he believes every single word.
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“I captured the sweetest moment when they were singing a hymn together, just listen to his sweet voice praising Jesus,” Melissa wrote January 12. She then detailed that Robert had gone to be with Jesus shortly afterward. “This morning my precious grandpa got to meet Jesus face to face as he peacefully went home to be with Him, uncle Rick by his side,” Moss wrote.
“Oh wow…this is what we sang around my grandpa’s hospital bed,” one person commented on the video, which was shared by Love What Matters. “My oldest daughter was 4 years old (now 8 yrs old) and she still calls it ‘great grandpa’s song.’”
“This is why we should still sing hymns at church…they connect generations together,” she finished her comment.
“He was the most amazing man, our HERO. I was blessed to have him for 48 years. God bless my grandpa!!!” another person wrote.
“I was blessed to capture a video of my 97-year-old grandpa, as he sang: ‘How Great Thou Art’ from his hospital bed, with dear friends and family,” Moss wrote on Facebook. “The next morning, he went to be with Jesus.”
Melissa revealed that the video of her grandfather has gone viral and that any monetary income received from the licensing of the video would be donated to a ministry organization.
“So I woke up this morning to a message from a company that licenses viral videos, somehow overnight grandpa’s video on my page was viewed over 3000 times and apparently went viral and they were interested in licensing and promoting grandpa singing,” she wrote on Facebook.
“I talked to uncle Rick and aunt Jeanne and we knew we didn’t want to make a personal profit off this video, so we decided to donate every single penny to WorldView Ministries where grandpa had asked any monetary donations to go to in lieu of flowers. Pastor Ken Fielder is grandpa’s former pastor and he founded this incredible ministry, and he also happens to be the one holding grandpa’s hand and singing along in the video.”
“We’re just so blessed and amazed, grandpa has touched over a half a million hearts on the Love What Matters page alone, and we’re very excited to be able to support WorldView Ministries in his memory.”
You can learn more about WorldView Ministries by visiting their website here.
Read and contemplate on the amazing lyrics below:
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”