Hymn: If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee, Neumark

O My Soul:

This is a beautiful Christ-focused hymn. I listen to it not often enough.

Lutheran Hymn "Wer nur den lie ben Gott lässt wal ten" played in Reed Organ.

Words: Georg Neumark, 1641 (Wer nur den lie ben Gott lässt walten); first published in his Fortgepflantzer musikal­isch-poetischer Lustwald (Jena, Germany: 1657). Cather ine Winkworth translated the words from German to English in 1855, and published them in the Chorale Book for England, 1863.

Music: Neumark, Georg Neumark, 1641

The Lutheran Hymnal #518
The Lutheran Service Book #750 (entitled: If Thou but Trust in God to Guide Thee)

Lyrics (Original translation):

If thou but suffer God to guide thee
And hope in Him through all thy ways,
He'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee,
And bear thee through the evil days.
Who trust in God's unchanging love
Builds on the rock that naught can move.

What can these anxious cares avail thee
These never ceasing moans and sighs?
What can it help if thou bewail thee
O'er each dark moment as it flies?
Our cross and trials do but press
The heavier for our bitterness.

Be patient and await His leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whatever thy Father's pleasure
And His discerning love hath sent,
Nor doubt our inmost want are known
To Him who chose us for His own.

God knows full well when time of gladness
Shall be the needful thing for thee.
When He has tried thy soul with sadness
And from all guile has found thee free,
He comes to thee all unaware
And makes thee own His loving care.

Nor think amid the fiery trial
That God hath cast thee off unheard,
That he whose hopes meet no denial
Must surely be of God preferred.
Time passes and much change doth bring
And set a bound to everything.

All are alike before the Highest:
'Tis easy for our God, We know,
To raise thee up, though low thou liest,
To make the rich man poor and low.
True wonders still by Him are wrought
Who setteth up and brings to naught.

Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving,
Perform thy duties faithfully,
And trust His Word: though undeserving,
Thou yet shalt find it true for thee.
God never yet forsook in need
The soul that trusted Him indeed.


Hope in Christ &
God bless you,

-oms