“Be Still, My Soul.”
Poem by Catharina von Schlegel (1697-?), Germany
Translated into English by Jane Borthwick (1813-1897), Scotland
Music by Jean Sibelius, Finland in 1899
cello played by Steven Sharp Nelson
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
Through 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,
though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in the vale of tears;
Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears.
Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
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.
Beautiful, beautiful.
These words were originally written in Germany during a time of Christian revival. The Spirit of God was invading the pharisaical religions of that day with a simpler, more compelling Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit was emphasizing the need for a heart-kind of faith . . . where people really cared about other people and God was really the Lord. And God was boldly addressing particular strongholds within the church community:
- Egotism of church leaders
- Idolatrous attachments to particular doctrines and systems of worship
- Persecution of those who desired freedom of faith and would not be controlled by established practices and rulers
There was a new hunger for purity in the Body of Christ during this revival. Not the kind of purity that made one person better than another person, but the kind of purity that made all people fall to their knees at the feet on the only Pure One . . . truly desiring to become more like Him. People began to re-examine their ethics, their devotion, their charity, and their own motives. The Lord challenged His people to give up their strident loyalty toward particular people or particular doctrines or particular churches in exchange for a heartfelt empathy and real acceptance of simple, honest Christian discipleship.
So if God was doing such a beautiful work of revival in His people, then why are the words in this hymn so full of consolation? If something great was happening, why was there such a need to “be still” and be assured?
People needed to hear these words because this was not a rain-down-from-above and make-everyone-dancing-happy kind of revival. This wasn’t the kind of revival where you could fall to the ground weeping during a church service and then walk out of the church door laughing about “such an awesome meeting.” This revival was gut-wrenching. It happened in the hearts of believers . . . not within the prescribed walls of a particular church building. It was a call to the type of life change that impacted not only individuals, but also revolutionized families, communities, and even countries.
And being still . . . still to the very core of their souls . . . was the first step.
Did you rush through the reading of this song’s lyrics so you could quickly scan to “the point” of my essay? I urge you to read the lyrics slowly and thoughtfully. Or get your hymnal out and play it on the piano. Or download it onto your ipod.
Dear reader, I hear this beautiful hymn calling to me through the corridors of revivals past. I can feel its lyrics beginning to pluck my heartstrings with slow, determined strokes. I can sense its melody soaking into deep, dusty crevices of my soul. And with this hymn of hope and consolation, I can hear the voice of the Lord calling . . .
America needs a revival like this.
We need a revolution of heart and soul and spirit.
We need God.
I know that such a revival also comes with great cost. All heavenly treasures are very costly indeed.
But I believe it is time.
Time to be still.
Time to know that God is really God.
Time to grasp our shovels and dig up the deep, ancient wells of Truth in God’s Holy Word.
Time for repentance to pave a way for restoration.
Americans . . . friends . . . brothers and sisters in Christ . . . can you hear this song too?
Will you sing it along with me?
I will be praying for you.
Will you pray for me?
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.
The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
Psalm 46:10-11
