My country, ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing:
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims’ pride,
From ev’ry mountainside
Let freedom ring!
My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love:
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.
Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom’s song:
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.
Our fathers’ God, to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing:
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King!
Samuel Francis Smith, 1832
Read Psalm 33:12-19
“America” is also known as “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” We could argue that it’s strange to have a patriotic song as a hymn, but the hymn’s point is that all the great things about America are there because God is the source of liberty, and God alone can preserve it. On this celebration of Independence Day, let us remember that all the blessings, including liberty, come from God.