Trust and Obey

• Genesis 5:24
  (hymns)
• Exodus 19:5
  (hymns)
• Deuteronomy 11:26-28
  (hymns)
• 1 Samuel 15:22
  (hymns)
• Job 13:15
  (hymns)
• Psalm 25:14
  (hymns)
• Psalm 37:3
  (hymns)
• Psalm 84:11-12
  (hymns)
• Proverbs 16:10
  (hymns)
• Proverbs 16:20
  (hymns)
• Proverbs 21:20
  (hymns)
• Isaiah 2:5
  (hymns)
• Isaiah 6:8
  (hymns)
• Matthew 5:3-11
  (hymns)
• Matthew 11:28-30
  (hymns)
• Luke 10:39
  (hymns)
• Luke 11:28
  (hymns)
• Luke 24:13-35
  (hymns)
• John 2
  (hymns)
• John 8:31
  (hymns)
• John 14:1
  (hymns)
• John 14:23
  (hymns)
• John 15:4-5
  (hymns)
• John 15:10-14
  (hymns)
• Romans 12:1-2
  (hymns)
• Romans 16:26
  (hymns)
• Ephesians 5:8
  (hymns)
• Hebrews 5:9
  (hymns)
• James 2:17
  (hymns)
• James 2:26
  (hymns)
• 1 John 1:3
  (hymns)
• 1 John 1:7
  (hymns)
• 1 John 5:2-3
  (hymns)

• Year B, Easter season, Second Sunday

Text:

This hymn was inspired by a story from one of Dwight L. Moody's evangelistic meetings, held in Brockton, Massachusetts, in the mid-1880's, where Daniel B. Towner heard a young man say “I am not quite sure – but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey.” Towner wrote down that sentence, and sent it, with the story about the young man, to a Presbyterian minister named John H. Sammis, who wrote the refrain and then the stanzas of this hymn (Ira Sankey, My Life and the Story of the Gospel Hymn, 1907, p. 326). It was published, along with Towner's tune, in Hymns Old and New in 1887.

This hymn is known either by the first line (“When we walk with the Lord”) or the phrase that ends every stanzas and begins and ends the refrain (“Trust and obey”). The first stanza speaks of the blessedness of following God. The second stanza (“Not a shadow”) assures us that God will remove all sorrow from our lives; this stanza is often omitted, as it is not a realistic picture of life this side of heaven. The third stanza (“Not a burden”) assures us that God will give us the strength to deal with the troubles that life brings, while the fourth (“But we never can prove”) warns us that total surrender is required in order to share God's promised blessings. The final stanza (“Then in fellowship sweet”) paints a picture of blissful communion with God as we live out a life of trusting obedience.

Tune:

Daniel B. Towner wrote the tune to fit the text, with which it was published in 1887, and for which it is named – TRUST AND OBEY. There are a few places where this tune is traditionally altered in some churches. One is singing the pairs of eighth notes in dotted rhythm. Another is the insertion of an extra measure at the last note of the first long phrase (the word “way” in the first stanza). The last is the placement of a fermata on the second syllable of “Jesus” in the refrain. For effective congregational leadership, it is a good idea to be aware of these variances, as newer members of a congregation may be familiar with a different way of singing the tune. TRUST AND OBEY should be sung at a brisk tempo with an upbeat accompaniment.

When/Why/How:

This hymn may be used as a hymn of response to testimony, prayer, or preaching at any time of year. It can be paired with another hymn on the same theme, such as “'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” or “Blessed Assurance.” It is also appropriate as a song of invitation prior to a testimony or sermon, especially as an instrumental setting. Possible instrumental ensembles include handbells, as in a creative arrangement of “Trust and Obey” featuring a variety of treatments for this classic tune, or a straightforward brass quartet arrangement of “Trust and Obey” featuring imitation and dynamic contrast.

Tiffany Shomsky,
Hymnary.org

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