Scripture Verse

O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in You. Psalm 84:11–12

Introduction

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John H. Sammis (1846–1919)

Words: John H. Sam­mis, in Hymns New and Old, ed­it­ed by Da­ni­el Tow­ner (New York & Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois: Flem­ing H. Re­vell, 1887), num­ber 59.

Music: Da­ni­el B. Tow­ner (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

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Daniel Towner (1850–1919)

Origin of the Hymn

[In 1886] Mr. [Dwight] Moo­dy was con­duct­ing a ser­ies of meet­ings in Brock­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts, and I had the plea­sure of sing­ing for him there.

One night a young man rose in a tes­ti­mo­ny and said, I am not quite sure…but I am go­ing to trust, and I am going to obey. I just jot­ted that sen­tence down, and sent it with the lit­tle sto­ry to the Rev. J. H. Sam­mis, a Pres­by­ter­ian min­is­ter. He wrote the hymn, and the tune was born.

Daniel Towner

Lyrics

When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glo­ry He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and ob­ey.

Refrain

Trust and ob­ey,
For there’s no oth­er way
To be hap­py in Je­sus,
But to trust and ob­ey.

Not a sha­dow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quick­ly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear,
Not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and ob­ey.

Refrain

Not a bur­den we bear,
Not a sor­row we share,
But our toil He doth rich­ly re­pay;
Not a grief or a loss,
Not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Refrain

But we ne­ver can prove
The de­lights of His love
Until all on the al­tar we lay;
For the fa­vor He shows,
For the joy He be­stows,
Are for them who will trust and ob­ey.

Refrain

Then in fel­low­ship sweet
We will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go;
Never fear, on­ly trust and ob­ey.

Refrain