Still Will We Trust

Within the space of two years, William Henry Burleigh (1812-1871) buried his father, wife, eldest daughter, and eldest son. In a letter to a friend he said: "It is not without strong wrestlings that doubt and murmurings are put under my feet and I am enabled to struggle up into the purer atmosphere of faith." God used Mr. Burleigh's trials to bless all of us in the form of this hymn, "Still Will We Trust."

This hymn was God's gift of encouragement to me today: I'd stumbled across one stanza quoted in an Elisabeth Elliot book, not realizing it was a hymn until a quick Google search revealed the rest of the lyrics. Then God nudged me to look it up in our hymnbooks, though I didn't remember seeing it before. But there it was in the very first one I opened...and I played through it several dozen times, learning the beautiful melody and singing the words to God as a prayer. He has not forgotten me - or you.

Still will we trust, though earth seem dark and dreary,
And the heart faint beneath His chastening rod;
Though rough and steep our pathway, worn and weary,
Still will we trust in God!

Our eyes see dimly till by faith anointed,
And our blind choosing brings us grief and pain;
Through Him alone Who hath our way appointed,
We find our peace again.

Choose for us, God! Nor let our weak preferring
Cheat our poor souls of good Thou has designed;
Choose for us, God! Thy wisdom is unerring,
And we are fools and blind.

So from our sky the night shall furl her shadows,
And day pour gladness through his golden gates,
Our rough path lead to flower-enameled meadows,
Where joy our coming waits.

Let us press on, in patient self denial,
Accept the hardship, shrink not from the loss;
Our portion lies beyond the hour of trial,
Our crown beyond the cross.