The Cyber Hymnal ‎#5003

5003. Oh, It Is Hard to Work for God

1. Oh, it is hard to work for God,
To rise and take His part
Upon this battlefield of earth,
And not sometimes lose heart!

2. He hides Himself so wondrously,
As though there were no God;
He is least seen when all the pow’rs
Of ill are most abroad.

3. Ah, God is other than we think,
His ways are far above,
Far beyond reason’s height, and reached
Only by childlike love.

4. Workman of God! O lose not heart,
But learn what God is like,
And in the darkest battlefield
Thou shalt know where to strike.

5. Then learn to scorn the praise of men,
And learn to lose with God;
For Jesus won the world through shame,
And beckons thee His road.

6. For right is right, as God is God,
And right the day must win;
To doubt would be disloyalty,
To falter were to sin.

Text Information

• First Line: Oh, it is hard to work for God
• Title: Oh, It Is Hard to Work for God
• Author: Frederick W. Faber (1849)
• Meter: CM
• Language: English
• Source: Jesus and Mary, 1849. Several variants of these lyrics have been published; This version appeared in Hymns Ancient and Modern.
• Copyright: Public Domain

Tune Information

• Name: GREENWICH
• Composer: William Richardson (1729)
• Meter: CM
• Incipit: 51325 16716 42535
• Key: B♭ Major
• Copyright: Public Domain