Be Still my Soul – A call to Trust God
The world is in turmoil. Ukraine, Haiti, South Sudan, Palestine, and even the North and South-West Regions of Cameroon are experiencing wars, violence, and unimaginable suffering. If you are like me, you find these things bothersome.
Katharina von Schlegel was Lutheran woman who lived in Germany a century after Luther began the Reformation there. Not much is known about her. She may have been the canoness of a women’s seminary—but it is not certain. We do know that she wrote a number of hymns. “Be Still My Soul” is the only one that has survived.
Inspired by God’s promise and the Psalmists declaration in Psalm 46:10, 11 – “… Be still, and know that I am God” … The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress, she wrote the popular Hymn, “Be Still my Soul”. It is the only surviving Hymn of hers, thanks to Jane Borthwick, a British woman who translated it into English a century after it was written.
Be still my soul is a reflection on God’s “Hesed”—His loyal love and faithfulness. Kathharina is “speaking” to her soul, reminding it – herself not to worry too much about pain and suffering because of God’s loyal love and faithfulness. Pain and suffering are a part of life so much so that if you “Preach to the suffering, and you will never lack a congregation. There is a broken heart in every pew.” – Joseph Parker. God however tells us in in Exodus 20:6 that He lavishes His hesed “for a thousand generations” on those who love Him and obey His commands. This trustworthy, ever-enduring, loyal aspect of God’s covenantal love resonates throughout the Bible and throughout “Be Still my Soul”
In stanza 1, Katharina tells us to bear patiently our crosses of grief or pain and to trust God for protection and provision. He will remain faithful and lead us through thorny ways to a joyful end.
God has been faithful to us in the past and Katharina in Stanza 2 reminds us that God has undertaken to guide our future as He has the past. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has plans to plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future and so nothing should shake us. Katharina also reminds us of the story of Jesus calming the storm in Luke 8. She reminds us that the waves and winds that raged that day and by extension the waves and winds that cause turmoil in our lives still know voice of He, Jesus who had authority over them while he dwelt on earth. No matter what you are going through, remember that when Jesus will (and He will) say “Be still”, It’ll all be still. All the storms will be calmed. They still remember and fear His name.
Stanza 3 tells us that when dear friends depart and all is darkened in the vale of tears, we will know the heart and love of He who comes to soothe our sorrow and thy fears.
The hour that will usher into our eternal reunion with the Father is hastening on. Then, all disappointment, grief and fear will be no more. Our sorrow forgotten and love’s purest joys restored. We can thus begin the song of praise on earth, believing and acknowledging God our words and ways. If we faithfully serve Him and believe in Him, we can enjoy eternity with Him. He has freely redeemed us through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ on the cross and all we need do is to accept it and then while waiting, sing the words of Katharina von Schlegel – “Be Still my Soul”
