Day by day, and with each passing moment

Thank You Lord for the reminder that You will take care of me and I have no need to fear. Please help me Lord to have the faith and believe. I love You Lord.

I couldn't count the number of times I have turned to this hymn throughout the past 30 years of my life! It has spoken to me over and over again!

This is a comforting hymn, but let us recall that the God of all comforts (2 Corinthians chapter 1) has provided us another comforter, even the Holy Spirit (John 16). And if the Holy Spirit is another comforter, that means that the person who spoke thus of the Holy Spirit is ALSO a comforter, even the Lord Jesus Christ.

This song has been a comfort & strength to me MANY times in my Christian walk!

Lina Sandell was called the "Fanny Crosby of Sweden". From her pen flowed a great number of hymns which contributed much to the waves of revival that were sweeping the Scandinavian countries during the latter half of the 19th century.

Lina was born in 1832 in a small community in northern Sweden where her father, Jonas Sandell, was the Lutheran parish pastor. Though serving a state church, Pastor Sandell was sympathetic and strongly supportive of the revival movement. He became an early leader in this spiritual renewal with its emphasis on a personal salvation experience as opposed to reliance upon the sacraments and rituals of the church.

Lina greatly loved and admired her father. Since she was a frail youngster, she generally preferred to be with him in his study rather than with comrades outdoors.

When Lina was just 12 years of age, she had an experience that greatly shaped her entire life. At an early age she had been stricken with a partial paralysis that confined her to bed much of the time. Though the physicians considered her chance for a complete recovery hopeless, her parents always believed that God would in time make her well again.

One Sunday morning while her parents were in church, Lina began reading the Bible and praying earnestly. When her parents returned, they were amazed to find her dressed and walking freely. After this experience of physical healing, Lina began to write verses expressing her gratitude and love for God and published her first book of spiritual poetry when she was 16.

When Lina was 26 years old she was accompanying her father aboard ship across Lake Vattern. As they stood on deck watching the rolling waves, the vessel suddenly lurched. Lina's father fell overboard and drowned before the eyes of his devoted daughter.

Although Lina had written many hymn texts prior to this tragic experience, now more than ever poetic thoughts began to flow from her broken heart. All of her hymns reflect a tender, childlike trust in her Savior and a deep sense of His abiding presence in her life.

Lina wrote approximately 650 hymns before her death in 1903 at the age of 71. 50 years after her death, 10,000 people gathered in the yard of her childhood home to dedicate a bronze statue in her memory. The little family cottage is now a public museum in Sweden.

The remarkable popularity attained by Lina Sandell's hymns has been due partially to the simple but melodius music written for them by Sandinavian musicians such as Oscar Ahnfelt, the composer of this tune. Ahnfelt was known as "the spiritual troubadour of Scandinavia" in his day. Not only did he possess the gift of composing pleasing melodies that caught the fancy of the Swedish people, but he traveled from village to village throughout the Scandinavian countries preaching and singing these folklike hymns to the accompaniment of his home-made 10 string guitar. Lina Sandell once said of him, "Ahnfelt has sung my songs into the hearts of the people."

As is often true whenever revival fires begin to glow, Oscar Ahnfelt experienced much opposition. One time King Karl XV. ruler of the united kingdoms of Sweden and Norway was petitoined to forbid Ahnfelt's ministry throughout the Scandinavian countries. The monarch refused until he had had an opportunity to hear the “spiritual troubadour.” When the monarch called for him to appear at the court, Ahnfelt could not decide what he should sing for his king, so he requested Lina Sandell to write a special poem for the occasion. Within a few days she had the new text ready. With his guitar under his arm and the new hymn in his pocket, Ahnfelt appeared at the royal palace and sang these tender words:

---
Who is it that knocketh upon your heart's door
in peaceful eve?
Who is it that brings to the wounded and sore
the balm that can heal and relieve?
Your heart is still restless; it findeth no peace
in earth's pleasures;
Your heart is still yearning; it seeketh release
to rise to the heavenly treasures
--

King Karl listened with moist eyes. When Ahnfelt had finished, the monarch gripped him by the hand and exclaimed, "You may sing and preach as much as you desire throughout both of my kingdoms."

-'52 Hymn Stories Dramatized' by Kenneth W. Osbeck & Wikipedia

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Another beloved hymn by Lina Sandell is 'Children of the Heavenly Father'

Here are the last 2 stanzas, which bear a similar sentiment to 'Day by Day':

3 Neither life nor death shall ever
from the Lord His children sever;
unto them His grace He showeth,
and their sorrows all He knoweth.
4 Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
to preserve them pure and holy.

This was our church youth group's unofficial theme song. At least we couldn't end a meeting without dining it. As it turned out there were some very difficult days ahead as we became adults. The message of these words always rings true. We sang the last line as, "'Til I reach the promised land." and some of our group have reached the promised land.

Last weekend we sang this song in church. My sisters and I were spending the weekend together for possibly the last time. I cried with gratitude that our Heavenly Father will be caring for Linda every day and giving her just what she needs as she ends her life on this earth. How our hearts are longing for heaven where there is no more death or sorrow and God Himself will wipe away our tears!

I read all these comments from a family of other Christian souls who struggle with family Issues and trials here, along with pain and suffering. This song has always touched me in a great way..It talks about the strength that the Lord Jesus gives us to endure and glorify Him while we are here. I have some physical pain right now, and concern for my wife, who is undergoing tests..Thanks for this encouragement...

Thank you for making this available. This song ministers to my spirit.

As I was trying to sing Day by Day to a friend dying of cancer I forgot the verses. Another person in their late 70's quickly found them on Google.

I then could finish singing the song to my friend. I am thankful for being able to do this. Thank you.