Psalm 37:7, "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him"
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Three different composers worked to create "Be Still, My Soul." A woman involved in the Pietism Movement, Katharina von Schlegel wrote the lyrics. A century later, Jane Borthwick, a Scottish-born composer, translated the hymn into English. The last contributor was Jean Sibelius, Finland's finest composer. The music from "Finlandia" is used as the tune for this hymn. God used three people with three different languages to give us this most wonderful example of Christian patience. This was the favorite hymn of the Olympic athlete Eric Liddell, who became famous in 1924 for not competing on the Sabbath. He became a missionary in China and in World War II was captured. He taught this song to fellow prisoners at the compound where he was held. Eventually he died in the prison camp of a brain tumor. I sincerely trust that you will enjoy this old hymn as have:
Be Still, My Soul
Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side!
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide.
In ev'ry change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul! Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy 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 dwelt below.
Be still, my soul! the hour is hastening 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.
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Further thoughts:
Many times in our walk with the Lord, we are hemmed in by uncontrollable circumstances. We slowly stop, moving only occasionally, and then not very far. We wish we could see what's up ahead, and impatience and even anger on our part often compound the situation. Patience for many people is hard to acquire… especially those who drive to one-hour photo shops, take their clothes to one-hour cleaners, and get breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a drive-through window. We cook dinner in microwave ovens and gulp down remedies that offer "fast relief." Overnight mail is too slow, and we get irritated waiting for a fax. People we live with, work with, play with, and worship with can absolutely unnerve us. They can be obstinate, frustrating, selfish, and insulting. Thus, it's hard to be patient with them, and it's even harder to wait patiently on the Lord. However, we must choose not to fight life's traffic jams, but rather to view them as opportunities to learn to wait patiently for God. Through the emotional and physical thorns that God allows in our lives, we learn what it means to trust Him, and in the process, we also learn patience and kindness toward all. Patience is a lost skill we need to cultivate in our lives, and if we do, we'll find God will give us what is best, but in His time. Those who wait on the LORD will never be disappointed! So, how are you doing in the area of patience? We all can use more including myself!
__________
Patience is a virtue that carries a lot of wait!
__________
Three different composers worked to create "Be Still, My Soul." A woman involved in the Pietism Movement, Katharina von Schlegel wrote the lyrics. A century later, Jane Borthwick, a Scottish-born composer, translated the hymn into English. The last contributor was Jean Sibelius, Finland's finest composer. The music from "Finlandia" is used as the tune for this hymn. God used three people with three different languages to give us this most wonderful example of Christian patience. This was the favorite hymn of the Olympic athlete Eric Liddell, who became famous in 1924 for not competing on the Sabbath. He became a missionary in China and in World War II was captured. He taught this song to fellow prisoners at the compound where he was held. Eventually he died in the prison camp of a brain tumor. I sincerely trust that you will enjoy this old hymn as have:
Be Still, My Soul
Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side!
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide.
In ev'ry change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul! Thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as he has the past.
Thy hope, thy 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 dwelt below.
Be still, my soul! the hour is hastening 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.
__________
Further thoughts:
Many times in our walk with the Lord, we are hemmed in by uncontrollable circumstances. We slowly stop, moving only occasionally, and then not very far. We wish we could see what's up ahead, and impatience and even anger on our part often compound the situation. Patience for many people is hard to acquire… especially those who drive to one-hour photo shops, take their clothes to one-hour cleaners, and get breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a drive-through window. We cook dinner in microwave ovens and gulp down remedies that offer "fast relief." Overnight mail is too slow, and we get irritated waiting for a fax. People we live with, work with, play with, and worship with can absolutely unnerve us. They can be obstinate, frustrating, selfish, and insulting. Thus, it's hard to be patient with them, and it's even harder to wait patiently on the Lord. However, we must choose not to fight life's traffic jams, but rather to view them as opportunities to learn to wait patiently for God. Through the emotional and physical thorns that God allows in our lives, we learn what it means to trust Him, and in the process, we also learn patience and kindness toward all. Patience is a lost skill we need to cultivate in our lives, and if we do, we'll find God will give us what is best, but in His time. Those who wait on the LORD will never be disappointed! So, how are you doing in the area of patience? We all can use more including myself!
__________
Patience is a virtue that carries a lot of wait!
