When the Storms of Life are Raging (Stand by Me)
Text by: Charles A Tindley 1905
Tune: Stand by Me by: Charles A Tindley 1905
https://youtu.be/tDsaZmarK5I
1 When the storms of life are raging,
Stand by me (stand by me);
When the storms of life are raging,
Stand by me (stand by me);
When the world is tossing me
Like a ship upon the sea
Thou who rulest wind and water,
Stand by me (stand by me).
2 In the midst of tribulation,
Stand by me (stand by me);
In the midst of tribulation,
Stand by me (stand by me);
When the hosts of hell assail,
And my strength begins to fail,
Thou who never lost a battle,
Stand by me (stand by me).
3 In the midst of faults and failures,
Stand by me (stand by me);
In the midst of faults and failures,
Stand by me (stand by me);
When I do the best I can,
And my friends misunderstand,
Thou who knowest all about me,
Stand by me (stand by me).
4 In the midst of persecution,
Stand by me (stand by me);
In the midst of persecution,
Stand by me (stand by me);
When my foes in battle array
Undertake to stop my way,
Thou who savèd Paul and Silas,
Stand by me (stand by me).
5 When I’m growing old and feeble,
Stand by me (stand by me);
When I’m growing old and feeble,
Stand by me (stand by me);
When my life becomes a burden,
And I’m nearing chilly Jordan,
O Thou Lily of the Valley,
Stand by me (stand by me).
Charles Tindley lived a remarkable life during a time of great transition for our country and long before reaching across racial and ethnic lines became fashionable, Mr. Tindley was hard at work healing the wounds of slavery and racism.
I covered Charles Tindley life’s story here: https://www.andrewremillard.com/2018/01/17/nothing-between-my-soul-and-the-savior/
As the world was recently reminded, sometimes Christian hymns cross easily into secular settings such as a royal wedding. Certainly the first half of each stanza would present no challenge to any secular use, however, the second half of each stanza is full of scriptural references requiring more than a passing familiarity to recognize.
Tindley has five descriptors of God within the text, each reflecting how aid will be rendered while God is standing by him.
Stanza 1) “Thou who rulest wind and water” Expanding upon the idea of “storms of life” using the frequently used scripture reference to a ship upon the sea, he calls for the one who rules the wind and water to stand by him as the storms of life rage around him.
Stanza 2) “Thou who never lost a battle” During great trials, as our strength fails, the one who has never lost a battle will still be standing. There is only one general who has never lost a battle and that is our God in Heaven. All other generals faced defeat and death regardless of their acclaim.
Stanza 3) “Thou who knowest all about me” The one who knows the number of hairs upon our head, knows us better than anybody else, even better than we know ourselves. Our creator knows the limits we face because he made us thus. He also never misunderstands us as the world so often does.
Stanza 4) “Thou who savèd Paul and Silas” Paul and Silas faced persecution from all directions as they spread the gospel throughout the land, God stood by them. Even as the stones flew and jail doors shut, God was guarding their way to bring them safely home.
Stanza 5) “O Thou Lily of the Valley” The phrase “lily of the valley” and its various derivations occur many times throughout Scriptures, more than half can be found in the Song of Solomon. Though there are no direct allusions of Christ being the “lily of the valley” the symbolism is appropriate. Lilies are very sweet smelling; Jesus gave “himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savior” (Ephesians 5:2). And the pure white color symbolizes the cleansing we experience from the blood of Christ. “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelations 7:14)
