Hymn

If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee
Georg Neumark

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.

Only be still, and wait His leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate’er thy Father's pleasure
And His discerning love hath sent;
No doubt our inmost wants are known
To Him who chose us for His own.

He knows the time for joy, and truly,
Will send it when He sees it meet,
When He has tried and purged thee duly
And finds thee free from all deceit.
He comes to thee all unaware
And makes thee own His loving care.

Think not that God has thee forsaken
When sorrow crowns your acts of care,
Nor that He sleeps and cannot waken
While evil prospers everywhere.
Each recompense will have its hour:
God sets the time with love and power.

Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving,
So do thine own part faithfully,
And trust His Word; though undeserving,
Thou yet shalt find it true for thee:
God never yet forsook at need
The soul that trusted Him indeed.