In the late 1970s, Henry Smith was struggling to find work after finishing his education. He also lived with a degenerative disease that caused him to become legally blind. But one day he heard a pastor explain that Jesus became poor so we might become rich through him.
This idea inspired Smith to craft a song of thanks for God’s gift of Jesus. Though Smith wrote more than 300 songs, only this one became widely known (sometimes labeled “author unknown” or misattributed, but finally rightfully credited to him).
“Give thanks with a grateful heart,” the song begins exuberantly. One of its most poignant lines urges, “Let the weak say, I am strong … because of what the Lord has done for us.” Across two millennia, Smith’s words and faith echo the apostle Paul:
“[The Lord] said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NRSV).