One of my favorites of the old hymns is titled Day by Day. The lyrics were written in 1865 by a Swedish woman, Lina Sandell. Then in 1872, Oscar Ahnfelt composed the tune. Soon, this hymn was being sung in multiple congregations. In the 1920s, it was translated into English and started appearing in American hymnals.
With each verse, the lyrics remind the singers to find their strength daily. To trust in the God who will not fail them. To cast their worries on the divine heart that gives true rest. To practice the discipline recorded in Psalm 55:22, “Cast your burdens on the Lord (releasing the full weight of them). He will sustain and uphold you.” (AMPC).
Releasing the full weight of them. No cause for worry, even during the most difficult of times. No reason to wonder where God is when he is always and forever present. No need to shut down in fear when Almighty God is watching over every moment of our lives, every thought and emotion that colors our days.
Multiple times in scripture we are encouraged to fear not. The phrase, ‘Fret not’ is all over Psalm 37. Cast our cares on the Lord. Trust God, even when the answers we want to hear seem to be delayed.
How many times does worry cost us sleepless nights, stomach aches, or anxiety attacks? It can be a constant battle as we age and face fearful circumstances. As our world seems to spin in chaotic directions. As grocery prices continue to climb. As housing becomes less and less affordable. And as so many people in Ukraine, Gaza, and Israel hear the daily sirens of attack.
But if Lina and Oscar could write this beautiful hymn to encourage us with its truth, then surely we can answer with voices of faith. After all, life during the 1800s wasn’t too much fun either. Since multiple congregations continue to sing Day by Day in these modern days, then surely we can accept its importance and the message it brings.
Perhaps we can commit to living day by day with the belief that we will indeed make it through this particular season of life. That we will be described as a people who reflect the image of Christ. And that peaceful rest will be the final result.
Check out this version of Day by Day on YouTube.
Then live with the timeline of daily faith, courageous living, and divine strength for whatever we face — day by day.
©2025 RJ Thesman – All Rights Reserved
Image Attribution: kareni / Pixabay
Check out more devotions in Day by Day: Hope for Senior Wisdom.
We have a family member who earned a PhD in philosophy. The real thing, A reflection on what the world’s greatest secular philosophers believed and argued for. Secular philosophy does not ordinarily make any mention of God. It is logic based on the observable and how we humans interact with our environment. I just read a few pages of our family member’s dissertation. For me, there is a big hole in that view of existence. It is reflection without a spiritual core. It is free floating logic that does not acknowledge living day by day with our loving maker. Our God. Our hope and inspiration.
True. ‘Reflection without a spiritual core’ creates a vacuum that can be filled only with the presence of God.