Scripture References:
all st. = Ps. 90, Ps. 103:13-18
Dutch poet Rhijnvis Feith (b. Zwolle, the Netherlands, 1753; d. Zwolle, 1824) wrote this text in six stanzas; it was published in the Dutch Evangelische Gezangen (1806). An English translation by Leonard P. Brink (b. East Saugatuck, MI, 1876; d. Pomeroy, IA 1936) was published in The New Christian Hymnal compiled by Henry J. Kuiper in 1929. Going back to the Dutch original, Henrietta Ten Harmsel (PHH 61) thoroughly revised the Brink translation in 1984 for the Psalter Hymnal.
The text contrasts the changing character and frailty of human life with the everlasting love of our changeless God. Though "life's dangers overwhelm us," we have confidence in God's guidance and protection. The text helps us to give voice to our own trust in divine providence, to bring comfort to those in distress, and to express our hope for "everlasting peace."
Rhijnvis Feith received a law degree from the University of Leiden in 1770 and was mayor of Zwolle. An ardent Dutch patriot and a man of letters who lamented the Napoleonic occupation of the Netherlands, Feith wrote nineteen volumes of prose and poetry, much of it highly romantic, as well as theological and philosophic essays. He also wrote a number of hymns, thirty-five of which were included in the Dutch hymnal Evangelische Gezangen (1806), which he helped to compile.
Leonard P. Brink, a graduate of Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan (1900), spent much of his life as a missionary among the Navajo people. He translated Bible books and hymns into the Navajo language and wrote a catechism for the Navajo people. He also translated Dutch poetry and hymns into English.
Liturgical Use:
Old Year's Eve services; worship that focuses on God's providence; funerals; church anniversaries.
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook
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