This is hymn 9 of the Open Heavens daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
Hymn 09: IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, GOD ONLY WISE
1. Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious,
Thy great name we praise.
2.Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting,
Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.
3.To all life Thou givest, to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish, but nought changeth Thee.
4.Great Father of Glory, pure Father of Light
Thine angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render, O help us to see:
‘Tis only the splendour of light hideth Thee.
IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, GOD ONLY WISE HYMN COMMENTARY
Beloved in Christ, today’s hymn, “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise,” invites us into a unique and vital form of worship: the adoration of God for who He is in His transcendent essence. Unlike hymns that focus on our experience of salvation, this one lifts our gaze to the eternal, self-existent, and majestic nature of God Himself. It is a hymn that fills us with awe, corrects our hurried perspective, and grounds our trust in His unchanging character.
Why Sing This Hymn
We sing this hymn to expand our vision of God beyond our immediate needs and feelings. It is a spiritual discipline that reminds us we worship a Being of infinite majesty, whose ways are higher than our ways, and whose nature is the bedrock of all His promises. It cultivates holy reverence and deep, soul-quieting trust.
1. It is a Hymn of Divine Transcendence (Verse 1)
The opening lines confront us with the fundamental otherness of God. He is “Immortal” (without beginning or end), “Invisible” (spirit, not bound by form), and “God only wise” (the sole fountain of all true wisdom). He dwells in “light inaccessible”—a glory so pure and overwhelming that mortal eyes cannot behold it (1 Timothy 6:16). He is the “Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9), eternal and sovereign. Our only fitting response to this overwhelming reality is to ascribe praise to His great name. We worship not just for what He does, but for who He is.
2. It is a Hymn of Sovereign Providence and Perfect Character (Verse 2)
This verse masterfully contrasts God’s ways with our own. He is “Unresting” in His vigilance, yet “unhasting”—never anxious, never late, working with perfect, patient sovereignty. He is “silent as light” in His often quiet, pervasive work. He lacks nothing (“nor wanting”) and wastes nothing (“nor wasting”), ruling with flawless efficiency. His justice is as immovable and lofty as mountains, yet from Him flow ceaseless “fountains of goodness and love.” His might is perfectly balanced with His mercy.
3. It is a Hymn of Our Frailty and His Constancy (Verse 3)
Here, the hymn places our fleeting lives in stark contrast to God’s eternal nature. He is the source of “all life,” and the “true life of all.” Our existence is likened to leaves on a tree: we “blossom and flourish” for a season, then “wither and perish.” This is not morbid, but humbling and clarifying. The glorious, comforting truth is this: “but nought changeth Thee.” Our hope is not in our own durability, but in His glorious immutability (Malachi 3:6). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
4. It is a Hymn of Veiled Splendor and Our Human Limitation (Verse 4)
The final verse resolves the tension of God’s invisibility. Even the angels, in their adoration, “all veiling their sight”—they cover themselves before His overwhelming holiness (Isaiah 6:2). Our own desire to “render” all praise is met with a humble prayer: “O help us to see: ‘Tis only the splendour of light hideth Thee.” God is not absent; He is so blindingly glorious that His very radiance is what conceals Him from our finite senses. We see Him by faith, through the revelation of His Word and His Son.
A Word for Your Spirit Today
Are you anxious, hurried, or feeling the pressure of time? Meditate on the God who is “unresting, unhasting.” His plans for you are unfolding in perfect, sovereign time.
Are you feeling weak, temporary, or insecure in a changing world? Anchor your soul to the One of whom “nought changeth Thee.”
Do you feel distant from God, as if He is hidden? Remember, He is hidden not in darkness, but in “inaccessible light.” Approach Him with the reverence of the angels, and ask Him, as the hymn does, for the spiritual sight to perceive His sovereign goodness behind the veil of His splendor.
This hymn calls us to a worship that is less about asking and more about admiring. It is good for our souls to be still and know that He is God—immortal, invisible, and only wise.
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.(1 Timothy 1:17)
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