Wie maar de goede God laat zorgen

I must have been around six years old and sitting next to my aunt ”tante Jannie” in the car on the Island Texel in the north of our country. Suddenly there was a dog on the road and my dear aunt hit the dog with her car. He died and that made a deep impression on me and my siblings who where with me in the car. I can’t remember whom of my siblings were also in the car, maybe you remember, brothers and sisters! But what I remember was the music what was playing from the casetterecorder it was if I am right, and please correct me, if your memories are more clear a improvisation from John Propitius a Dutch organ player who played “Wie maar de goede God laat zorgen” (Whoever lets only the dear God reign.) So beautiful, those early memories. It was last week that I was remembering that scene not because of the dog, neither the improvisation but the words who were expressed : Last week we realized that we need to extend our preparation time to move to Croatia for a while, and we have to say: It was quite a disappointment. And not only that, it was deeply unsettling and confusing. A deep struggle with the Lord, if He is calling us, or are we calling or putting ourselves in something too big for us. This battle is not over yet, and at the same time, I feel deeply inside that this is a testing time. A time of pressing on in trusting the Lord, with the knowledge that unless the Lord is building the house, its builders labor in vain.

1 Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten
Und hoffet auf ihn allezeit,
Den wird er wunderlich erhalten
In allem Kreuz und Traurigkeit.
Wer Gott, dem Allerhöchsten, traut,
Der hat auf keinen Sand gebaut.
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1 Whoever lets only the dear God reign
and hopes in him at all times,
he will preserve in a marvellous way
in every cross and sadness.
Whoever trusts in almighty God
has not built upon sand.

2.How much do heavy worries help us ?
How much do our ‘woe and alas’ help us?
How much does it help, that every morning we
sigh over our misfortune ?
We make our own cross and sorrow
only greater through sadness.

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1. Wie maar de goede God laat zorgen
en op Hem hoopt in ‘t bangst gevaar,
is bij Hem veilig en geborgen,
die redt Hij godd’lijk, wonderbaar:
wie op de hoge God vertrouwt,
heeft zeker op geen zand gebouwd.

2. Wat baat ons ‘t twijfelmoedig vrezen,
‘t kleinmoedig zuchten, wee en ach?
Vergeefs zou al ons kermen wezen,
al klaagden w’ ook de ganse dag.
De last des jammers, die men draagt,
drukt maar te meer, hoe meer men klaagt.

3. Men blijv’ eerbiedig God verbeiden,
en zwijg’ de Heer ootmoedig stil;
Hij zal ons naar zijn raad geleiden,
‘t is goed en heilig, wat Hij wil.
Vaak ligt in ‘t geen ons treuren doet
voor ons de kiem van ‘t hoogste goed.

4. Treed vrolijk voort op ‘s Heren wegen
en neem uw plicht getrouw in acht;
‘t wordt eind’lijk alles u ten zegen,
wanneer gij biddend daarop wacht.
Wie steeds gelovig op Hem ziet,
begeeft, verlaat Hij eeuwig niet.