This is another hymn I came across in my daily devotional while reading a hymnal. Written by John Newton and included in his Olney Hymns book in 1779, this one was written under the heading of Perseverance. This hymn can easily be used to encourage yourself, as well as other believers, when trials come and difficulties arise. Why don’t you save this hymn and then come back to it once you meet a trial? I’m sure it will encourage your soul. Enjoy!

Rejoice, believer, in the Lord,
Who makes your cause his own;
The hope that’s built upon his word
Shall ne’er be overthrown.

Though many foes beset your road,
And feeble is your arm,
Your life is hid with Christ in God
Beyond the reach of harm.

Weak as you are, you shall not faint
Or fainting shall not die!
For Jesus, strength of ev’ry saint,
Will aid you from on high.

Though unperceived by mortal sense,
Faith sees him always near!
A guide, a glory, sure defense;
Then what have you to fear?

As surely as he overcame
And triumphed once for you,
So surely you that love his name
Shall in him triumph too.

This hymn, with an added refrain and verse by Zac Hicks based on Psalm 30:5 & Job 1:21, was originally written by Frances Ridley Havergal in1879, who is most famous for her hymn, “Take My Life and Let it Be” and “Like A River Glorious”. This hymn teaches us that worship is a choice more than a feeling…that the hope of what God has in store is worth holding onto, no matter the circumstances¹.

Light after darkness, gain after loss,
Strength after weakness, crown after cross;
Sweet after bitter, hope after fears,
Home after wandering, praise after tears.

Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain,
Sight after mystery, peace after pain;
Joy after sorrow, calm after blast,
Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last.

Refrain
Weeping may remain for a night
But joy arrives in morning’s new light
I’ll praise the God of merciful plight
Still I will praise him, still I will praise him, my God.

Near after distant, gleam after gloom,
Love after loneliness, life after tomb;
After long agony, rapture of bliss,
Right was the pathway, leading to this.

Refrain

You give and you take away
In darkness still I will say:
“A good God I serve this day.”
Still I will praise you, still I will praise you.

Refrain

¹zachicks.com/light-after-darkness/

Samuel Rodigast was a German philosophy teacher at the University of Jena in the late 1600s. While the circumstances that led him to write this hymn are not certain, it may be that a sick friend of his asked him to write a song for his funeral. Catherine Winkworth then went on to translate this hymn from German to English in the mid-1800s¹. I often have to remind myself that “whatever my God ordains is right” whenever I meet trials or face anxious situations.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still, whate’er He doth,
And follow where He guideth.
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall,
And so to Him I leave it all

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path;
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, I’m drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew,
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.

Whate’er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet am I not forsaken.
My Father’s care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.

¹https://medium.com/@jamespoteetii/hymn-exegesis-whateer-my-god-ordains-is-right-b2f19f706c51

Does your theology have room for lament? If not, our lives and the Scriptures show us that we should. This song was written by Sol Fenne, Music Coordinator at 20schemes. He based it on a book written by the pastor of the church’s music ministry¹. Mez McConnell’s book “The Creaking on the Stairs: Finding Faith in God Through Childhood Abuse” uses his own story of childhood abuse to tell us about a God who is just, sovereign and loving. A good Father who knows the pain of rejection and abuse, who hates evil, who can bring hope even in the darkest place². I hope this hymn can be used in your times of suffering and sorrow.

God will judge this world so full of evil
And bring each work of darkness into light;
On that day His enemies will tremble
When the King returns in glorious might

Finally oppression will be over
Secret acts of cruelty made known;
Nowhere left to hide for the abuser
Every deed laid bare before the throne.

Refrain
We long for that day when Jesus comes again
When sorrow and pain will all come to an end;
When justice is done and evil cast away;
Oh may we all be found in Christ that day.

On that day we’ll stand before our Maker
To face our debt of sin which must be paid;
There is no-one righteous, none can measure
the perfect standard Christ alone displayed.

But there is hope for all who trust in Jesus
For all who know forgiveness in His name;
He faced the wrath deserved by ruined sinners
To save us from our anger, fear and shame.

Then as the light descended into darkness
The Son of God forsaken on a tree
In agony our Saviour died abandoned
The innocent was crushed to set us free

But on the third day Jesus rose in glory
And now He reigns in heaven from His throne
Praise the King for such an act of mercy
One day He will come to take us home

Refrain

¹20schemesequip.com/we-long-for-that-day/
²10ofthose.com/uk/20schemes-titles

The concept of the song is to explore what it means to be a Christian; it’s designed to acknowledge that it can be very difficult to be a Christian. It sings of the relentless fight against sin, a sorrow you cannot explain, and the persecution we endure. The second verse in particular was inspired by a Christian brother who they were praying for who was going through a very difficult time, yet they could not understand why. The “but’s” in each verse signifies the promises we can hold on to and give us hope¹.

Mine are days that God has numbered
I was made to walk with Him
Yet I look for worldly treasure
And forsake the King of kings

But mine is hope in my Redeemer
Though I fall, His love is sure
For Christ has paid for every failing
I am His forevermore

Mine are tears in times of sorrow
Darkness not yet understood
Through the valley I must travel
Where I see no earthly good

But mine is peace that flows from heaven
And the strength in times of need
I know my pain will not be wasted
Christ completes His work in me

Mine are days here as a stranger
Pilgrim on a narrow way
One with Christ I will encounter
Harm and hatred for His name

But mine is armour for this battle
Strong enough to last the war
And He has said He will deliver
Safely to the golden shore

And mine are keys to Zion city
Where beside the King I walk
For there my heart has found its treasure
Christ is mine forevermore

Refrain
Come rejoice now, O my soul
For His love is my reward
Fear is gone and hope is sure
Christ is mine forevermore!

¹youtube.com/watch?v=r7Kd2Gi4-jA

While today’s society tends to expect the “quick fix”, Mary Peters’ hymn acknowledges that Christians will have difficulties (“tribulation”) in life that can produce severe anxiety. She first paints a picture of God’s plan to insulate his people from devastating hopelessness. Through his Son, God has provided a constant, faithful protector whose blood heals and whose grace seals believers. And who is their guide? The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, leads them to spiritual maturity, to holiness of life¹. The version I have included is by 20schemes; a music ministry which exists to plant and revitalise local churches in Scotland’s schemes/council estates. 1 or 2 words are slightly different to the words below, but this rendition is wonderful nonetheless.

Through the love of God our Saviour,
All will be well.
Free and changeless is his favour,
All is well.
Precious is the blood that healed us,
Perfect is the grace that sealed us,
Strong the hand stretched forth to shield us,
All must be well.

Though we pass through tribulation,
All will be well.
Ours is such a full salvation,
All is well.
Happy, still in God confiding,
Fruitful, if in Christ abiding,
Holy, through the Spirit’s guiding,
All must be well.

We expect a bright tomorrow,
All will be well.
Faith can sing through days of sorrow,
‘All is well.’
On our Father’s love relying,
Jesus every need supplying,
In our living, In our dying,
All must be well.

¹http://www.hymnologyarchive.com/all-is-well

Former slave trader John Newton wrote this hymn in 1779. Although we do not know the exact reasons why we suffer just like Job, John Newton imagines what God would have us learn during these seasons. The version I have linked below is perhaps more sombre than a version you have heard before, but I feel it nicely fits the tone of the poem.

I asked the Lord that I might grow
in faith and love and ev’ry grace;
might more of his salvation know,
and seek more earnestly his face.

’Twas he who taught me thus to pray,
and he, I trust, has answered pray’r,
but it has been in such a way
as almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favoured hour
at once he’d answer my request,
and by his love’s constraining pow’r
subdue my sins and give me rest.

Instead of this he made me feel
the hidden evils of my heart,
and let the angry pow’rs of hell
assault my soul in ev’ry part.

Yea more, with his own hand he seemed
intent to aggravate my woe,
crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
humbled my heart, and laid me low.

“Lord, why is this?” I, trembling, cried;
“Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?”
“Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.

“These inward trials I employ
from self and pride to set thee free,
and break thy schemes of earthly joy
that thou may’st find thy all in me.”

Dear Friends,

While the UK and many other countries mourn the death of the longest reigning British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, I wanted to share this hymn of lament written by Anne Steele in the 1700s. A daughter of a Particular Baptist minister, and losing her mother at 3, she was a bright and cheerful woman, but one who suffered greatly from her ongoing health problems. Her hymns reveal that her health problems provoked great spiritual struggles as well, and she is often wrestling with doubts and assurance of salvation – some of which can be felt in this hymn. This version from Indelible Grace, for me, really captures the tone and heart felt cry of the words

Dear refuge of my weary soul,
On Thee, when sorrows rise
On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,
My fainting hope relies
To Thee I tell each rising grief,
For Thou alone canst heal
Thy Word can bring a sweet relief,
For every pain I feel

But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,
I fear to call Thee mine
The springs of comfort seem to fail,
And all my hopes decline
Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?
Thou art my only trust
And still my soul would cleave to Thee
Though prostrate in the dust

Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face,
And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of sovereign grace,
Be deaf when I complain?
No still the ear of sovereign grace,
Attends the mourner’s prayer
Oh may I ever find access,
To breathe my sorrows there

Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet,
Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet