Thursday, August 1, 2024

The Lord Will Provide

Though troubles assail 
And dangers affright, 
Though friends should all fail 
And foes all unite; 
Yet one thing secures us, 
Whatever betide, 
The scripture assures us, 
The Lord will provide. 

The birds without barn 
Or storehouse are fed, 
From them let us learn 
To trust for our bread: 
His saints, what is fitting, 
Shall ne’er be denied, 
So long as ’tis written, 
The Lord will provide.


We may, like the ships, 
By tempest be tossed 
On perilous deeps, 
But cannot be lost. 
Though Satan enrages 
The wind and the tide, 
The promise engages, 
The Lord will provide. 

His call we obey 
Like Abram of old, 
Not knowing our way, 
But faith makes us bold; 
For though we are strangers 
We have a good Guide, 
And trust in all dangers, 
The Lord will provide. 

When Satan appears 
To stop up our path, 
And fill us with fears, 
We triumph by faith; 
He cannot take from us, 
Though oft he has tried, 
This heart–cheering promise, 
The Lord will provide. 

He tells us we’re weak, 
Our hope is in vain, 
The good that we seek 
We ne’er shall obtain, 
But when such suggestions 
Our spirits have plied, 
This answers all questions, 
The Lord will provide. 

No strength of our own, 
Or goodness we claim, 
Yet since we have known 
The Savior’s great name; 
In this our strong tower 
For safety we hide, 
The Lord is our power, 
The Lord will provide. 

When life sinks apace 
And death is in view, 
This word of his grace 
Shall comfort us through: 
No fearing or doubting 
With Christ on our side, 
We hope to die shouting, 
The Lord will provide.
 —John Newton (1725-1807) from Olney Hymns, 1779 [author of "Amazing Grace"]