Song Background
William Bathurst, the writer of this hymn (one of 200 hymns), was inspired by Luke 17:5-6 (See p.103 from Then Sings My Soul by Robert J. Morgan) “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
Lyrics
1 Oh for a faith that will not shrink though pressed by many a foe that will not tremble on the brink of poverty or woe
2 That will not murmur or complain beneath the chastening rod but in the hour of grief or pain can lean upon its God
3 A faith that shines more bright and clear though tempests rage without that when in danger knows no fear in darkness feels no doubt
4 Lord give us such a faith as this, and then whate’er may come I’ll taste e’en here the hallowed bliss of an eternal home
Song Notes
The lyrics to this hymn resonated greatly with me. I am a coward by nature, and wish that I could be so bold in my faith.
For this song, I came up with a melody with a rhythmic, slightly martial flavor to echo the idea of having a strong and powerful faith, a faith that “will not shrink…[or] tremble” no matter what.
