SPEAKER_00 0:00

Elizabeth Elliot. This is The Bright Forever. Hello and welcome to The Bright Forever, where each week we rediscover the power and richness found in some of the greatest hymns of the faith. My name is Andy Peavyhouse, and I am your host and your guide on this, our adventure through hymnody. It is great to be back with you this week. We took a few weeks off for the holidays after completing our first themed series, Hymns of Advent. If you are still in the mood to hear some amazing songs from the Advent season, you can always go back and listen to our series and celebrate the holidays all over again. I am super excited for what lies ahead for the rest of our second season. in the top 10. The Bright Forever is the number six worship podcast on GoodPods. We are also number 17 in the top 100 prayer podcast and 35 in the top 100 church podcasts of all time. Our listenership has grown by over 25% since we began in September of 2002. and we have listeners in over 16 countries across the world. I am truly amazed and humbled by all of you who listen week after week. Thank you so much for your support. Today, we are going to explore a hymn that is becoming another one of my favorites. For as long as I can remember, for as long as I've been listening and singing to hymns, at least. If you asked me who are some of the great female hymn writers, I would tell you Fanny Crosby, Frances Havergal, Anne Steele. But until recently, I would have quite unfortunately not named Lina Sandal. And my guess is many of you may not know of her either. But good news. Today, you will get to know her and her most famous hymn, Day by Day, an amazing hymn of assurance and trust in God's daily provision and grace for every moment of life. And to add to this incredible song, we have an incredible special guest, my aunt, Pam Eubank. to talk about tragedy and the will to persevere in the face of overwhelming circumstances. But before we get to our special guest, let's find out who Lina Sandal is, or at least who she was, and what compelled her to write this extraordinary hymn. Born Carolina Sandel on October 3rd, 1832, she was the daughter of a Lutheran pastor in Froderid, Sweden, Jonas Sandel. She was especially close to her father. She would play quietly in his study while he prepared sermons for the coming Sunday. Not only did those hours together build a special bond between them, But through her father's tender, loving example, she learned to know the sweet compassion and care of her heavenly father. Pain and tragedy seem to follow Lina Sandal in her life. However, like I have found with many great hymn writers, Lina learned that when pain and tragedy strike, God may use those experiences. At the age of 12, she was partially paralyzed due to an illness. Doctors doubted she would ever be mobile again. But her parents relied on their faith and hoped that one day she would be made well. One day, Carolina was left at home during the church service and spent the morning reading and praying. Her parents returned from church to find her walking about the house with no difficulty. After this experience of healing, Lina began to write poems about her faith and devotion to God. When she was 26, Lina experienced a tragedy, which had a profound effect on her life. As she had grown up, her relationship with her father had continued to grow closer and closer. And she became her father's secretary. Because of her job as secretary, she was accompanying him on what was to be a peaceful boat trip. As they stood on the deck, admiring the view, there was an abrupt jolt. The boat lurched. And in that single moment, her world changed. In disbelief, Miss Sandal watched as her beloved father lost his balance, tottered, and fell overboard. By the time they were able to pull her father's body out of the water, he had drowned before her eyes. Lana had written hymns before, but after this tragedy, her brokenness seemed to pour from her heart as an unbroken stream of powerful and beautiful songs day by day was written a few years after this event line after line, you can hear her dependence on her heavenly father. As she calls on the Lord Lovingly, it's part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest. It's a simple declaration of trust, trust in God through every circumstance. Linus Sandel grew to become Sweden's most celebrated hymn writer. During her lifetime, she wrote over 650 hymns, often being referred to as the Fanny Crosby of Sweden. It's hard for me to imagine grief so great that it could inspire such powerful words. Many people would have just been crushed. Many might have become bitter or even walked away from their faith. But because Sandal's father pointed her to Christ and his love, she looked to him and day by day and with each passing moment, she found perfect comfort and consolation. Now, let's look a little deeper into what this hymn is saying to us. And for that, we have a very special guest, my aunt, Pam Eubank. Well, we are here today with our special guest, Pam Eubank, my aunt. We will be discussing a hymn that you specifically asked to talk about, and that is Day by Day. But before we get to that hymn, Would you tell us a little bit about who you are?

SPEAKER_03 10:11

Well, I'm your favorite aunt. Yes. And I've been with you since the day you were born. And always close by to you. Been part of your family and watching your family grow. And we're a tight-knit little group.

SPEAKER_00 10:31

We are. That's true.

SPEAKER_03 10:33

And I've... Enjoyed all the times I've spent with you. I really have. And the way God is working in your life and using you even through this podcast to share the gospel.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

Thank you. This podcast is obviously about hymns. So I have to ask this question. How have hymns influenced you from your childhood through adolescence and into and through your adult life? in your understanding of theology and spiritual growth?

SPEAKER_03 11:09

I think they started off just being fun. When you interviewed your mother, my sister, a few weeks back, He Keeps Me Singing was a fun hymn that we sang. She remembers a lot more of that than I do, but I remember through our girls' auxiliary group at our church, all the ways that we learned hymns, but it wasn't until I got older that that I really paid attention to the words. And then you start really picking and choosing your favorite ones. And being the senior adult that I am now, I've carried some of these in my heart for years and years. And I can say that when we did I Stand Amazed in the Presence, it brought tears to a 70-year-old woman's eyes. And down her face. And so they still move me. And more so the theology behind them now than just the... Some of them are fun to sing, but more the theology now is just... This season of my life really speaks to me.

SPEAKER_00 12:20

If you had to choose a go-to hymn...

SPEAKER_03 12:23

Well, it would be the one I just talked about, I Stand Amazed in the Presence. I mean, that... I think really because the last time I sung it in a worship... service at my church, which was several years ago, I think it was even before COVID, that really I could not contain myself for crying. And I had grown up with that song, but it was like I was hearing it, just like as you go to Scripture. You've read Scripture before, and it moved you, but then you read it again, and it speaks to you in a whole different way. And just looking back on I'll always remember that day of I Stand Amazed in the Presence. And it wasn't to any tricky tune or, you know, nothing that is happening with a lot of our hymns nowadays. It was just straight up. And I can't even sing. And I wanted to sing that out loud, which I did after I got home.

SPEAKER_00 13:26

You bring up an interesting point. You don't sing. No. Or at least you...

SPEAKER_03 13:34

Please don't sing.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

For those who don't think of themselves as a singer, what is your connection to the hymn if it's not to, hey, I want to stand up and sing this hymn? Like, what moves you?

SPEAKER_03 13:55

Well, first of all, it's really got to have a decent melody to where if I could sing, I would want to sing with it. But I think it's the words.

SPEAKER_02 14:03

I

SPEAKER_03 14:04

think even with some of the contemporary songs that are out nowadays, it's the words that first attract me. And while I don't belt out a song when I'm in worship, there are times that I'm singing very low to myself because I have to. And I think in a lot of ways, you as a worship leader, a young worship leader years ago, took an old lady and introduced her to even some contemporary songs that have become a big part of my life as well as hymns. And I've got a playlist. I don't know how to separate it out, but the songs that I've got downloaded on my phone are hundreds of those because if I hear it even one time and I like it, I go get it. I may not know how to play it back later, but that's what I do.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

I'm one of those types of people that when I find a song that I love, that moves me, that hits a chord, so to speak, in my life, I will listen to it like over and over and over, like the same song over and over and over again, because it just, that's what I want to hear. And most people don't get that. And I feel that way about many of these hymns. As a matter of fact, the hymn we're doing today, Day by Day, it's a very comforting song, not just in what it says, but the tune itself. It just kind of flows and it makes you feel like you can just sigh and be like, I don't know what it is about the tune, but the tune makes me feel like you know what? Everything is under control. And then you add the words to it, which is, hey, guess what? Day by day, God has everything under control. Even in the midst of tragedy, even in the midst of hard and difficult circumstances, it's under control. And the music comes along with it and makes you go, it's gonna be okay. It may not seem like it now, but it's gonna be okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:21

It's very soothing. It is very soothing.

SPEAKER_00 16:25

This hymn is about how the author deals with the tragedy around her and her trust in God through every circumstance. When I asked you what song you would like to talk about, there wasn't even a hesitation. You said, day by day. So I have to ask, what is the connection between this song and you?

SPEAKER_03 16:46

Well, I don't remember it as a child, but I do remember hearing it as a young adult. And at that point in time, it was, like you said, it was a soothing melody and really strong words about trusting God day by day. And I don't know if I can say that it was in the Baptist hymnal. It's number 222. And it was sung a lot for me at that point in my life because my husband led music sometimes at churches, and he knew it was my favorite song. And With all three verses, it just spoke to me. It wasn't until much later that the theology became more real to me. At times that I didn't, of course, suffer what the author did, but at times you felt like you were going under. And it was always this song that just resonated in my head. I've no cause for worry or for fear, even though all around me was very turbulent.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

I don't want to put you on the spot. And I know, I know all of the story, but do you want to talk about your own personal tragedy?

SPEAKER_03 18:09

Well, it's up to you how much you want to use, but you know, a husband of more than 25 years just walked out of our lives. Um, and we, We had no clue that this was coming. I mean, everybody was shocked because he did lead music sometimes at churches. He was director of Sunday school. And that was very hard for me. And at the same time, I was facing some health issues. I was a registered nurse, and I had scoliosis really bad. And so I was facing health issues with surgeries, and this all coincided together. And... When it did, I did feel like my world was coming down. And I did have to learn to trust in God day by day with each passing moment. And it's like I told you earlier, there wasn't a time in the last... Because now it's been 25 years since that happened. But there hasn't been a time in those 25 years, even through these surgeries, that my feet have not hit the floor every day. And that was only by the grace of God.

SPEAKER_00 19:23

Before we begin recording, you said something to me that I think was so amazing. I hear your story, or I hear about others whose lives have met incredible tragedy. Like so many of these hymn writers' stories, with lives filled with sickness, tragedy, and yet they learn to trust in God. And I say to myself, I don't know if I could do this. Or I can't imagine being able to get through that. And you said before we begin that God doesn't give us, what was it?

SPEAKER_03 20:02

God does not give us... grace for our imaginations.

SPEAKER_00 20:07

God doesn't soothe our imagined concerns or our worries about the future. No. He is giving us grace day by day, that every morning is new. We wake up and it's a new... His mercies are new every morning. His grace... is there for that day because we are not promised the road that's 10 or 15 years down the line. No. Or we're not even promised the road to tomorrow. No.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

And if you had told me at the time of what I seem to remember is one of the hardest times I've been through, if you had told me that was going to happen, I would have told you I could have not survived it. Yeah. I would have said that to you. But then Paul says... Your grace is sufficient for me.

SPEAKER_00 21:00

And he says, my grace is sufficient for you because your power is made perfect in what? My weakness. Yeah. When I am weak, you are strong. And one of the things that I have found more and more doing this podcast is how many of these hymns are born out of that tragedy because that's the time when we are at our weakest, when we do not think we can go on, that is when God's grace steps in and sees us through that and walks us through that and moves us through that in ways we didn't even know we had the ability to do. Like, I... I look at circumstances like yours and I go, God, if it happened to me, I don't think I could have done it. And he's telling me, Andy, you don't have to.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

No.

SPEAKER_00 22:09

This is not your situation. You don't need grace to get through this time. Your aunt needs the grace to get through this time, and I'm giving her that grace.

SPEAKER_03 22:21

Well, and when you're going through these trials, and you lived it with me, your family lived it, once they learned, you were living it day by day right along with me, that you eventually, as God's healing you and giving you grace and giving you the strength to get through it, just like the song talks about, as you're doing that, you realize sometimes the trial is more about the people that are watching me go through it than it is about me. And if anything, I wanted to leave a legacy for my daughter and her husband. I wanted to leave it for you and Matt and your future wives of what God thinks about marriage. And That's why for 15 years I stood for the restoration of my marriage. And I think all three of you, Janelle, my daughter, and you and Matt, have in your hearts somehow realized the importance of the permanence of marriage, even with the hard times you've gone through. We know Matt has. I know Janelle's had some struggles, but... You guys are a testament to what could have been a legacy of brokenness being a legacy of faith and restoration. And

SPEAKER_00 23:53

that's what God does, though. Yeah. He takes our brokenness, our ashes, and turns them into beauty. And I don't say this lightly or to say I'm glad this tragedy happened to you, but... God took what was sin against him and against you and the circumstances caused by that sin that could have had huge effects on our family, but because of the grace he was giving you to make it through, to trust in him, to continue to persevere, to work it out, with him holding you and guiding you and moving you through it, that instead of it becoming this huge tragedy where we all just give up or leave the faith, because I've seen it happen, and they leave church, they drop God, because if God is going to let this happen, then I don't think he's... who he says he is or this or that. But instead, you persevered. And because of that, I think our family has grown stronger. Yeah. And we've trusted God more. Yes. And I'm not saying that to be like, oh, Aunt Pam, you're awesome.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

No.

SPEAKER_00 25:26

No, I'm saying that to say God is awesome in what he does and the way he helps us and moves us and he does it Day by day, moment by moment. One of the things I love in the third verse is where it says, help me then in every tribulation. So to trust thy promises, O Lord, that I lose not faith's sweet consolation offered me within thy holy word. We ask for God's help in those hard times, but we trust his promises because he promises that he's going to be there, that he's going to help us. In Matthew 6, where he tells us that we don't need to worry because he takes care of the sparrow and he takes care of the flowers of the field and that if he's taking care of them, if he's supplying their needs, how much more will he supply ours?

SPEAKER_02 26:25

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

And to trust those promises. And we can get through the trials and the tribulation and the problems and the pain of of living a life in a world that has been corrupted and fallen by sin. And there's going to be pain and there's going to be anguish and there's going to be things that, that hurt and that are hard, but we can trust in his promise because if he's taking care of the flowers, how much more is he going to take care of those who he has made in his image who are worth more to him than gold, more to him than all of the riches this earth can hold. He loves us.

SPEAKER_03 27:17

At that point in time, Andy, you put a stake in the ground of what he helped you through, so that when the next toil or trouble hits you, and they're going to hit me, I haven't you know, as long as my days are here, but you put a stake in the ground so that the next time you're faced with the worry and the fear, you turn around and you look behind you and you see all those stakes of all the times he's brought you through so that you can continue day by day and with each passing moment to trust him with your worry and your fear.

SPEAKER_00 27:57

Yep. That's good. Is there any particular verse or any particular part of it that you're like, I love this song because of this?

SPEAKER_03 28:05

You knew you were going to leave me here. Of course I was. Deuteronomy 33, which are Moses' final words to the children of Israel before he died. And he was speaking to the tribe of Asher. And she quotes it here from 33, verse 25, saying, She doesn't quote the entire verse because it starts, the bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days. And she says, as thy days, thy strength shall be in measure. And that was a promise. What did I tell you? I probably have... Five times I've prayed that I put a date out beside it, not only for myself but for my family, that He will give me the strength that will equal my days and then the time that I need it. He's not going to give me strength now for six months from now.

SPEAKER_00 29:03

Yeah. The thing that I don't think we ever think about is the fact that we don't need that strength, that we are so— The problem is we get so caught up in our own mind and our own thinking and we begin to worry because we're going, oh, I don't know if I have it in me to do this thing that hasn't even happened yet or that might happen or that we think could happen. And again, it goes back to God doesn't give us grace for our imagination. No,

SPEAKER_03 29:45

he doesn't.

SPEAKER_00 29:45

He gives us grace for what is here and what's happening right now because of the fact that we're not promised tomorrow, that we're promised today. And what are we going to do with his grace today? Because he's giving us grace today to get through today. And today might be a really, really bad day, a really hard day. And we have the grace to get through that day. And then the next day, just like you had said, even from the moment all of this started and you had surgeries and everything else, there hasn't been a day when God has not helped you get your feet on the ground.

SPEAKER_03 30:27

Every day.

SPEAKER_00 30:27

Every day, put your feet on the ground, stand up and keep on going. When the housing bubble burst and there were people on Wall Street in skyrises that were jumping out because they had lost everything, because their identity was found in how much money they had or their investments or their jobs. And when it was gone, they were left just bereft of all hope. And so they thought the best thing for them was death. And that's what happens when we put our identity in anything other than the source of our true identity, which is the image that we bear, which is God.

SPEAKER_03 31:19

Well, because you make that your idol. And so I had a husband that I, quote, idolized. And then I had to come to the revelation of God. Perhaps you were loving God's creation more than you were loving the Creator. The Creator is who I should idolize. And then all these things will be added unto you. Does it mean a trouble-free life? No. But as long as your focus is on the idol of God, God being your idol that you love... more than anything else around you than when the other things around you start crumbling. It's kind of like Peter walking on water. He's fine as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus. But the minute he looked down, the turbulent water became more important than Jesus.

SPEAKER_00 32:24

That's so true of our lives. That's what we do. I think to an extent... this hymn reminds us of that. The fact that it's a day by day. You have to be telling yourself this stuff every day. You have to be reminding yourself, and I've said it multiple times in multiple podcasts, that you have to preach the gospel to yourself every single day because we forget so easily. And this is something else that we had talked about earlier, was that when we go through these trials... The idea of putting that stake in the ground is a wonderful idea and to journal and to write things down and to remember because once we get past a trial and things go back to normal or the most normal they can be after something tragic happens, we are so quick to forget what God did. And then... we get ourselves right back into the same place that we were before because we forget. And we have to recall it day by day, moment by moment, trusting God, going, God, I don't have the grace for today. You have to supply that. You have to make that grace new in my life again this morning so that I can put my feet on the ground and I can keep on going. And even when things get back to normal-ish, I have to remember that. I have to remember that the grace, I have to have your grace for every single day. I've got to remind myself of what you've done for me, of who you are, of who I am because of who you are so that I can keep going.

SPEAKER_03 34:19

Amen. And she says it here, Andy, in verse one, he gives unto each day what he deems best. So by the end of the day, I can be snarly and ticked off about this and that. But my day is going to end with exactly the way God planned it to end. And I either submit to that and have him change that snarly attitude, or I'm going to be sad.

SPEAKER_02 34:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:53

And that's what she's trying to tell us, because lovingly it's part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest. And that's where I want the peace and rest part. I really do. Me too. Well, and as you look back on these hymns that you've highlighted in these last couple of years, your mom's He Keeps Me Singing. You beat me to I stand amazed in the presence. Even if you look to the old rugged cross, without those songs, we can't do a day by day. Because if he doesn't keep me singing, I will never be able to trust him day by day and with each passing moment. So that's what that song reminds me. Because I told you, I think, when we were talking about doing a day by day, if I didn't believe he keeps me singing, I could never... Trust him for a day by day. Yeah. And that's how all these hymns, like you said, it all goes back to the gospel.

SPEAKER_00 35:58

It does.

SPEAKER_03 35:59

And it takes us back to the gospel, whether we're in a trial right now or we're skipping down the road because he keeps me singing. Yep. It all is about the gospel.

SPEAKER_00 36:08

It's all about what God has done for us and who he is and his love for us and his grace for us. And it's every day. Day by day, moment by moment, as we walk through this life, we trust him. Until we reach the promised land. Until we reach the promised land, yeah. The bright forever. Yeah. Hey. Well, thank you for joining me. Well, thanks for having me. It was fun. See, it wasn't as scary as you thought. No,

SPEAKER_03 36:45

I mean, we'll see how much you edit.

SPEAKER_00 36:49

Which could be quite a bit. Well, okay, so last time when I recorded Mom last time, I think it was almost an hour and a half of... of stuff that we recorded. Hey,

SPEAKER_03 37:04

something for the future. Your mom and I together.

SPEAKER_00 37:07

That would just be fun.

SPEAKER_03 37:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:11

That would just be fun. Well, I would just have to make sure that there's no, like, you can't fight during it. You can't argue. We don't

SPEAKER_03 37:19

fight. We don't. But we would be fun. It would

SPEAKER_00 37:25

be fun for us to do it together. It would be fun. It would absolutely be fun. Actually, it would be fun one time to just sit around with just you, mom and dad, Matt, Amber, Tina. Put a mic at the dinner table. Put a mic at the dinner table and have us all sit around. You'd be

SPEAKER_03 37:43

editing a lot.

SPEAKER_00 37:44

That would take a lot. I would have to chop that one up a lot, but it would be fun.

SPEAKER_03 37:50

This has been fun.

SPEAKER_00 37:54

Well, thank you again.

SPEAKER_03 37:55

And if you ever want to have me back, I'll figure out another hymn.

SPEAKER_00 37:59

All right. Sounds like a great plan.

SPEAKER_03 38:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 38:01

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 38:02

Bye. Bye.

UNKNOWN 38:04

Bye.

SPEAKER_01 38:39

And with each passing moment Strength I find To meet my trials here Trusting in My Father's wise bestowment I've no cause For worry or for fear Here you saw This kind beyond all measure Gives unto each day what he deems best Lovingly, it's part of pain and pleasure Mingling toil with peace and rest With a special mercy for each hour All my cares He gladly bears and cheers me He whose name is counselor and power The protector The resurrection of his child and treasure is a charge that on himself he laid. As you're dead, your strength shall be in measure. This the pledge to me. So to trust your promises, O Lord That I lose, not face sweet consolation Offered me within your holy word Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meet me One by one, the days, the moments fleeting Till I reach the promised land

SPEAKER_00 42:06

That was Day by Day, performed by Nathan Drake of Reawaken Hymns. For more information about this song and all of the amazing resources available at Reawaken Hymns, check out the links in the show notes for this episode. Thank you for joining us this week on The Bright Forever. Remember to follow us, review us, and of course, subscribe and check out all the new features on our website. at www.thebrightforever.com. We always want to hear from you. There are multiple ways you can do just that. You can always email us at podcast at thebrightforever.com. That's podcast at thebrightforever.com. You can also click the contact us at the top of the website and send us a message through our contact form. You can go to our website and click the radio microphone in the bottom right corner and record a message up to two minutes and let us know what you think of this podcast. And don't miss any opportunity to show off the fact that you listen to The Bright Forever. Visit our merch store on our website by simply clicking the store tab in the menu. And lastly, your financial support means the world to us as we continue to reach more and more people with the powerful message of these amazing hymns. If you would like to help reach a greater audience with these hymns, take a moment, go to thebrightforever.com and click on the support the podcast tab in the menu. You can subscribe by giving three, five, eight, or$10 per month to help support what we are doing here at The Bright Forever. And if you are not ready to commit to every month, you can always click the yellow coffee icon at the bottom left of our page and give a$5 or greater one-time gift through our buymeacoffee.com supporters account. Thank you again for listening. And I hope you all have an amazing week. It is so great to be back with you. Before we go, let me close us in prayer. Lord, I thank you so much for who you are. God, that day by day and with each passing moment, you give us strength. You give us grace for every trial, for every circumstance. And that God, you don't just give us grace for our imagination, but you give us grace for for what we truly encounter. The trials, the temptations, the tragedies. God, your grace is real and your mercies are new every morning. And so God, we trust you, we thank you. God, we give you all the honor and all the glory and we pray that you continue to move us, continue to remind us that it is all about the gospel and what you have done for us. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Have a great week. God bless you all. And I will see you back here next week. We're out.

UNKNOWN 46:15

Thank you.