Words Of Life

 Song: Be Gone Unbelief, My Saviour Is Near

Copyright Information: John Newton (Lyrics), Franz Joseph Haydn (Tune)

Lyrics: Begone unbelief, my Saviour is near And for my relief, will surely appear By prayer let me wrestle and He will perform With Christ in the vessel, I smile at the storm

If dark be my way, since He is my Guide 'Tis mine to obey, 'Tis His to provide Though cisterns be broken And creatures all fail The word He hath spoken shall surely prevail

His love in time past forbids me to think He'll leave me at last in trouble to sink While each Ebenezer I have in review Confirms His good pleasure To help me quite through.

Why should I complain of want or distress Temptation or pain? He told me no less The heirs of salvation, I know from His word Through much tribulation must follow their Lord

Since all that I meet shall work for my good The bitter is sweet, the medicine food Though painful at present, 'Twill cease before long And then, O how pleasant the conqueror's song.

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Source: https://youtu.be/gUp7fkCFIs0

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Song Meaning

Stanza 1 Begone unbelief, my Saviour is near And for my relief, will surely appear By prayer let me wrestle and He will perform With Christ in the vessel, I smile at the storm

Meaning: This opening stanza is a bold command to doubt and fear to leave immediately because the Saviour is near and will definitely come to help. The singer chooses to pray earnestly like Jacob wrestling with God, trusting that the Lord will act powerfully, and even in the middle of life’s fiercest storms, having Christ with him brings calm joy and confidence instead of panic.

Stanza 2 If dark be my way, since He is my Guide 'Tis mine to obey, 'Tis His to provide Though cisterns be broken And creatures all fail The word He hath spoken shall surely prevail

Meaning: Even when the path ahead is completely dark and uncertain, the singer remembers Jesus is his Guide, so his only responsibility is to obey while God handles provision. Human sources of help may dry up and people may fail, yet God’s spoken promises in Scripture will always stand and ultimately win.

Stanza 3 His love in time past forbids me to think He'll leave me at last in trouble to sink While each Ebenezer I have in review Confirms His good pleasure To help me quite through.

Meaning: Looking back at God’s faithful love in the past completely removes any thought that He might abandon the singer now. Every “Ebenezer” (stone of remembrance) from previous deliverances proves that God delights in helping His people and will carry them all the way to the end without fail.

Stanza 4 Why should I complain of want or distress Temptation or pain? He told me no less The heirs of salvation, I know from His word Through much tribulation must follow their Lord

Meaning: The singer questions why he should grumble about lack, hardship, temptation, or pain when Jesus already warned that this is the normal path for every believer. True followers of Christ must walk through many difficulties just as their Lord did, and this is clearly stated in God’s Word.

Stanza 5 Since all that I meet shall work for my good The bitter is sweet, the medicine food Though painful at present, 'Twill cease before long And then, O how pleasant the conqueror's song.

Meaning: Everything the singer encounters — even the bitter and painful things — God promises to use for ultimate good. The suffering feels like harsh medicine now, but it will soon end, and the believer will then sing a joyful victory song like a conqueror who has overcome through Christ.

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Summary of Song This powerful hymn by John Newton is a strong declaration of faith and encouragement for anyone facing doubt, darkness, or difficulty. It commands unbelief to leave, recalls God’s past faithfulness, accepts suffering as part of the Christian journey, and rests confidently in the truth that every trial works for good and will end in victory. With its steady, reassuring melody, the song strengthens the heart to trust and obey, reminding believers that Christ is present in every storm and will see them through to the end with a conqueror’s song.