“Day by Day” is a hymn that was written in Sweden in 1865 by Carolina Sandell. The lyrics tell of the Lord’s help in times of trials, fears, worries, cares, pain, tribulations, troubles, and the fleeting of time. These expressions in song were taken from Psalm 68:19-20. I was not as familiar with these two verses as I am with other Psalms, so I thought it would be good to look at a few different translations to get a better overall picture of what David is saying to his readers.
“Blessed be the Lord, Who daily Loads us with Benefits; The God of our Salvation! Our God is the God of Salvation; and to God the Lord belong Escapes from Death”. (NKJV).
“Blessed be the Lord Who Daily Bears Our Burden, The God Who is Our Salvation. God is to Us a God of Deliverances; And to God the Lord Belong Escapes From Death”. (NASB).
“Blessed be the Lord Who Daily Bears us Up; God is Our Salvation. Our God is a God of Salvation, and to God the Lord Belong Deliverances From Death.” (ESV)
“Praise be to the Lord, to God Our Savior, Who Daily Bears Our Burdens. Our God is a God Who Saves; From the Sovereign Lord Comes Escape From Death”. (NIV).
“We Praise You Lord God! You Treat Us With Kindness Day After Day, And You Rescue Us. You Always Protect Us And Save Us From Death”. (CEV)
“Day By Day”
“DAY by DAY and WITH EACH PASSING MOMENT, STRENGTH I FIND to MEET MY TRIALS HERE;
TRUSTING in MY FATHER’S WISE BESTOWMENT, I’VE NO CAUSE for WORRY or for FEAR.
HE WHOSE HEART is KIND BEYOND ALL MEASURE GIVES UNTO EACH DAY WHAT HE DEEMS BEST.
LOVINGLY, IT’S PART of PAIN and PLEASURE, MINGLING TOIL WITH PEACE and REST.
EVERY DAY the LORD HIMSELF is NEAR ME WITH a SPECIAL MERCY for EACH HOUR;
All MY CARES HE FAIN WOULD BEAR and CHEER ME, HE WHOSE NAME IS COUNSELLOR and POW’R.
The PROCTECTION of HIS CHILD and TREASURE Is a CHARGE THAT ON HIMSELF HE LAID;
As YOUR DAYS, YOUR STRENGTH SHALL be in MEASURE; This is the PLEDGE to ME HE MADE.
HELP ME THEN in EVERY TRIBULATION So to TRUST THY PROMISES, O LORD,
THAT I LOSE NOT FAITH’S SWEET CONSOLATION OFFERED ME WITHIN THY HOLY WORD.
HELP ME, LORD, WHEN TOIL and TROUBLE MEETING. E’ER to TAKE AS FROM a FATHER’S HAND,
One by ONE, the DAYS, the MOMENTS FLEETING, TILL I REACH THE PROMISED LAND”.
Reading the two Verses in our text (Ps 68:19-20) and the Lyrics of the Song at the same sitting, give us a Grand Picture of the INCRREDIBLY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP DAVID SHARED WITH OUR AWESOME GOD. And when you carefully consider the WORDS of “DAY by DAY”, they bear a striking resemblance to David’s Prose. Then, when you compare the SCRIPTURAL TERMS from DAVID found in those TWO VERSES WITH the DEEP, SOUL SEARCHING LYRICS of “DAY BY DAY”; You Get the FULL BENEFIT.
DAY BY DAY GOD PROVIDES US:
STRENGTH TO MEET TRIALS
NO CAUSE FOR WORRY OR FOR FEAR
GIVES TO US DAILY WHAT HE DEEMS BEST
A MINGLING OF TOIL WITH PEACE AND REST
STRENGTH IN MEASURE AS OUR DAYS
HELP IN EVERY TRIBULATION
HELP TO KEEP/MAINTAIN FAITH’S SWEET CONSOLATION
HELP ME WHEN TOIL AND TROUBLE MEET
OUR NEEDS AS THE DAYS ARE FLEETING
A WISE BESTOWMENT I CAN TRUST
A HEART KIND BEYOND ALL MEASURE
HIS LOVE OUT OF PAIN AND PLEASURE
NO CHARGE AS PAYMENT FOR OUR SINS
THE ETERNAL PLRDGE HE MADE TO ALL
THE FAITH I NEED TO TRUST HIS PROMISES
HIS HOLY WORD LEADING ME TO THAT FAITH
GIFTS FROM YOU AS FROM A FATHER’S HAND
A GUIDE TILL I REACH THAT PROMISRD LAND
I realize these thoughts are very randomly strung together but I became fascinated with how harmonious they appeared to me. Half of them from a hymn written in a foreign country slightly over 155 years ago and half from one of David’s Psalms written somewhere around 3,000 years ago, more or less.
Take Aways For The Current DAY BY DAY PANDEMIC
We ALL have BURDENS but GOD Is BEARING THEM ALL
NOT ONLY is OUR GOD a GOD of SALVATION: HE IS OUR SALVATION
OUR GOD DAILY LOADS US WITH BENEFITS (Spiritual and Material)
OUR GOD STILL DELIVERS FROM DEATH
OUR GOD DAILY PROVIDES US STRENGTH, WE JUST NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FOR IT
TRUSTING IN GOD PROVIDES US WITH NO CAUSE FOR WORRY OR FOR FEAR
REMEMBER THAT HIS HOLY WORD PROVIDES AND SUSTAINS OUR FAITH; AND IS UNERRING TRUTH
OUR GOD HAS A SPECIAL MERCY FOR EVERY DAY AND HOUR OF OUR LIVES
P.S. I worked on this article for well over a week and gave up on it at least three times, but something made me finish it and I am very glad I did. It made me feel better about the current situation in our world and reminded me WHO REIGNS, RULES, REWARDS, PUNISHES, SAVES, and WHO IS IN CHARGE OF ALL! AMEN!