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E strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
This hymn of 1752, published in English in 1855, combines the strong and uplifting music of Finlandia by Jean Sibelius with the correspondingly strong and inspiring lyrics of Kathrina von Schlegel. It is an unusually strong union of music and lyrics that join to create one of the most beautiful hymns of the Lutheran Church. The power of the music takes us from the low notes of common life up to a higher plane of joy and ecstasy beyond the Celestial Gates.
Be Still my Soul
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to your God to order and provide;
in ev'ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; your best, your heav’nly friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul; your God will undertake
to guide the future as he has the past;
your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
his voice who ruled them while he lived below.
Be still, my soul; when dearest friends depart
and all is darkened in the vale of tears,
then you will better know his love, his heart,
who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears.
Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay
from his own fullness all he takes away.
Be still, my soul; the hour is hast'ning on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
Be still my soul; when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
1 Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side; bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; leave to your God to order and provide; in ev'ry change he faithful will remain. Be still, my soul; your best, your heav’nly friend through thorny ways leads to a joyful end. When we were toddlers in diapers, we cried out if our mother took two steps out of our sight. It is true of many professing Christians today who doubt the Lord’s promise to never leave nor forsake us. Regardless the hard rigors of life, Christ is always with us in both sunshine and in shadow. He presides over our daily walk as well as our nocturnal sleep. Bearing our crosses joyfully may not always seem easy, but it certainly was not ‘easy’ for our Lord who suffered shame and hurt for us thereon. If we expect a great return on our investments in life, we must make a measurable deposit. In the end, the Lord will reward handsomely our every service for Him and for others. Do not panic at the emergence of danger or sorrow. Be still and Know that He is God. He will see us through the billowing waves of a restless sea. Do you not know He is you best Friend, and not only that, but a Friend who is able to sustain and keep you in secure arms. The Narrow Road leading up requires effort and concentration, but a blue sky and smothe seas await beyond.
2 Be still, my soul; your God will undertake to guide the future as he has the past; your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know his voice who ruled them while he lived below. What does it mean to Be Still My Soul? It means to shutoff the noise and murmurs of the world and get still in prayerful silence. Listen to Him through the study of His mighty Word. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. (Psalm 46:10-11) We often try heroically to solve the impossible problems of life not trusting the power of One who is able beyond all question to solve those problems. He will turn the problem to a blessing if we will be still and allow Him. The day will come when all mysteries are wiped away and we will see face-to-face the One who is a Maker and revealer of all truth. The same voice that stilled the gales and waves of Galilee is still able to still the turbulent seas of modern life.
3 Be still, my soul; when dearest friends depart and all is darkened in the vale of tears, then you will better know his love, his heart, who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears. Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay from his own fullness all he takes away. When our Lord was betrayed in the Garden, His closest companions deserted Him. He must needs go to the cross alone for He alone was able to redeem us by the pains of the cross. The darkest nights reveal the brightest stars, and Christ is our Bright and Morning Star. Like the military trainee, life is difficult for a purpose. He causes the recruit to grow in the manly virtues of the soldier. So it is in this life that the challenges of life for the Christian are not removed, but rather he is enabled to overcome each challenge through Christ and grow stronger. The reward for the soldier comes when he stands proudly under the colors of his country at graduation day. So it is with the Christian. He will not have to cross Jordan Waters alone.
4 Be still, my soul; the hour is hast'ning on when we shall be forever with the Lord, when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored. Be still my soul; when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed we shall meet at last. In times past, I have had some close calls with death both as a soldier and in health crises. My greatest surprise and comfort during those times was that I discovered I really was not fearful of death. What a comfort that is to the believer! Amazingly, time drags on in our youth so that months seem to be years; but as we grow old, years seem to be months. We have reached the critical mass of age in which we are rushing headlong to our reward. To the believer, that is not a fearful thing. We will soon be in the Holy Place to which God has, from the beginning, beckoned us forth. I do not weary my heart with questions of what Heaven will be like, but I know for certain that its joys will be beyond human description for we will be with our Maker and Friend.
