Be Still My Soul
History
This hymn came from a great time of German revival marked by the rise of Lutheran Pietism. The movement sparked from a response to the overly pragmatic approach of the early Reformation, which often focused more on doctrine than transformation. Pietists argued that an overly strong emphasis on doctrine and knowledge meant little if the life of the believer was wholly unmarked by holiness.
Amid this movement, a quiet hymn writer named Kathrina Von Schlegel wrote a collection of hymns, including this hymn. Little is known of Kathrina other than speculation and brief records of correspondence. Many believe that she may have been a part of the German aristocracy, as evidenced by her name. She had a brief correspondence with the small court of Köthen between 1750 and 1752. Some believe that she may have been a Lutheran nun, but there is little evidence to support this claim.
Her hymn, Stille, mein Wille; dein Jesus hilft, became popular in Germany throughout the Pietist movement. Nearly a hundred years later, her hymn caught the attention of the Scottish translator, Jane Borthwick. Borthwick translated the hymn to English, with a slight tweak of the meter and a removal of one stanza. This hymn, along with other German translations, appears in her collection, Hymns from the Land of Luther.
It would be another 50 years before the hymn found its final melody. The Finnish composer, Johann Julius Christian Sibelius, who would later be known as Jean Sibelius, had composed a concert called Finlandia. His composition was a sort of subtle anthem against Russian oppression. The tune from the main poetic theme of the composition was finally set to this hymn in the early 1920s and quickly became the most popular English setting.
Devotion
If I were to look for one simple phrase from Scripture that could match the encouragement found in this hymn, it would be hard to find a better example than Romans 5:5, “This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
What is this hope that Paul is referring to here? The peace we have with God through Jesus. Through the power of the cross, we have access to God. Even more than that, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit who lives in us, if our faith is truly in Christ. This is a powerful truth!
Life won’t ever get easier. There will always be turmoil, strife, obstacles, and difficulty. Sin will always stand ready to ensnare us with its thorny grasp. But the promise of Scripture is that we have peace and hope through Christ. This peace and hope is a supernatural gift of God that no natural force can ever steal.
This is part of the message that Jesus wanted to impart to the disciples as they crossed the sea during a storm. Do you remember that moment? The disciples were toiling against the wind and waves to cross a stormy Galilean sea while Jesus slept in the ship's bow, seemingly unfazed by the circumstance. The disciples assumed He was being careless, but they had forgotten what we so often forget in our own lives. The Prince of Peace is in control. As the disciples panicked and woke Jesus, frustrated by His apparent carelessness, He woke and calmed the storm with a voice, and chastised the disciples for their lack of faith.
Though sometimes we are blinded by the storm and it seems like all that is in front of us are rising seas, remember that Jesus is unfazed by the consequence. I love the encouragement in the second stanza of this hymn, that God will guide the future as He did the past. Our God is a God of hope and peace.
When life kicks and screams against the peace that we all so dearly desire, remember this encouraging truth: the same voice that stilled the waves comforts our very soul. Pause today and listen for His voice. Allow your spirit to be still in His presence and remember that God has poured the fulness of Himself into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. How sweet a day it will be when our deepest sorrows will be forgotten and our joy will be made complete in Him.
Related Scripture
Mark 4:35-41; Romans 5:1-5; Revelation 21:1-6
Be Still My Soul lyrics
Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to your God to order and provide;
in ev'ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; your best, your heav’nly friend
through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul; your God will undertake
to guide the future as he has the past;
your hope, your 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; when dearest friends depart
and all is darkened in the vale of tears,
then you will better know his love, his heart,
who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears.
Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay
from his own fullness all he takes away.
Be still, my soul; the hour is hast'ning 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.