Hymn Desk
Hymn Texts /

Entrust Your Days and Burdens

Entrust your days and burdens to the Lord

This hymn embodies Lutheran confidence in God's sovereign care and the doctrine of justification by faith, encouraging believers to lay their anxieties at Christ's feet rather than relying on human effort. It reflects the Reformation principle of sola fide while addressing the pastoral concern of anxiety and doubt.

History & Background

Paul Gerhardt's German hymn 'Befiehl du deine Wege' was first published in Johann Crüger's Praxis pietatis melica (1653). The English translation by John C. Maynard appeared in the Lutheran Service Book (2006).

Hymnal Appearances

  • Lutheran Service Book — 754
  • Lutheran Worship — 427
  • Voices Together — 699

Translation

John C. Maynard

Bulletin Note

Paul Gerhardt (1653) wrote this hymn during the Thirty Years' War, speaking comfort to a traumatized people. Set to the noble tune HAMBURG, it remains a cornerstone of Lutheran confidence in God's sovereign grace.

Preaching Connection

This hymn transforms the Law's conviction of our anxious self-reliance into the Gospel's promise of Christ's sustaining care, making it a powerful response to any sermon on providence, faith, or the freedom found in justification.

Catechism & Confessional Connections

Stanza Arc

The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Law reveals emptiness of worldly gain and pride; Gospel proclaims Christ's sacrificial love as sole worthy object of devotion; believer responds with total surrender of self and possessions

Themes

Trust in God's providence Surrender and faith God's care for the anxious Casting burdens on Christ

Look Further