Hymn Story: We Rest on Thee

Sometimes a hymn has a heart-stirring origin story, and sometimes its story encompasses a multitude of occasions when God's people sing it.

And sometimes a hymn has both kinds of stories — such as We Rest on Thee by Edith Cherry.

Story #1:

Young Edith suffered from polio most of her life and later suffered a stroke which brought her face-to-face with Jesus when she was just twenty-five years old.

Before dying, she commented to her mother that she wished she had done even more for Christ and her mother assured her that her work would live on through her poems. To this, Edith responded, “They were given to me just ready, and all I had to do was write them down.”

Story #2:

Edith’s mother was right and God’s work through Edith indeed lived on through her hymns.

One hymn in particular was the favorite of five missionaries who were dedicated to sharing the gospel to the Huaorani (colloquially known as Auca) tribe in the Ecuadorian jungle.

After months of flying above the tribe’s land and dropping gifts of goodwill, on the morning of January 3, 1956, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Jim Elliott, Roger Yoderian, and Peter Fleming gathered to pray before setting out to finally meet the Indians face-to-face.

Jim Elliott’s wife Elisabeth later wrote, "At the close of their prayers the five men sang one of their favorite hymns, We Rest on Thee to the stirring tune of Finlandia. Jim and Ed had sung this hymn since college days and knew the verses by heart.”

As the words comforted and emboldened the missionaries, they embarked on the next stage of their mission which looked promising.

Nate Saint gave a young Huaorani man a plane ride and a Huaorani woman talked freely with Roger Youderian although he barely understood her.

On Sunday, January 8, Nate Saint spotted from the air a group of Huaorani men heading for the Americans’ camp. Excitedly, he shouted to the others: ‘This is it, guys! They’re on the way!’

He radioed his wife Marj: “Pray for us. This is the day! Will contact you next at four-thirty.”

But no call came at four-thirty.

Over the course of the week, all five missionaries’ bodies were found in the river and on the beach, speared by those they were trying to reach.

But God’s work didn’t end there.

Jim’s wife, Elisabeth and Nate’s sister, Rachel, later went back to the tribe and shared the gospel. Many Huaorani were converted and are still being converted to this day.

Moral of the stories? God is still at work.

He continues to work in and through His people.

We have a task to do, but just like the missionaries, we know we are not alone and our work is not in vain. 

Whatever task you face this week and next, go in His strength, singing a song of triumph.

See the hymn and its related resources here.