Daily Devotions - Thursday, July 10

Thursday's Old, Old Song

A reading for today: Psalm 46

This week we’ve been looking at various hymns that have sustained people of faith. Yesterday we looked at a hymn inspired by the 46th Psalm and today we look at another one. Today’s hymn is particularly special, at least in the opinion of this chaplain. Today’s hymn is entitled “Be Still, My Soul.” This hymn is special because gifted women of faith did the text and its translation. Often the work of faith-filled women from the 18th and 19th centuries was overlooked.

Katharina von Schlegel wrote the original text in the early 1700’s. She was a Lutheran from Germany, taught at an evangelical women’s seminary and was influenced by the Pietistic Revival in her country. About 100 years later, Jane Borthwick translated the text into English. Borthwick was a part of a similar spiritual revival that took place in England through the Puritan and Wesleyan traditions. Here is the text:

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 every change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul—thy best, thy heavenly 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.


A prayer for today: Still my soul, O God. Help me to listen, to follow and to rest in the mysteries of your leading. Amen.

Ben Keckler
07.10.08