It’s Saturday! Let’s put a song 🎶 in our hearts 💕 for the Lord! 🙌
Living By Faith
The hymn was primarily written by James Wells in 1918, with a verse added by R.E. Winsett. It emphasizes trusting in God’s love and living a worry-free life through faith in Jesus Christ.
Scripture:
Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:1
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Romans 17:1
Author: James Sewell Wells (1872-1947)
Author (st. 4): Robert Emmett Winsett (1876-1952)
Tune: J.L. Heath
About the Authors:
James S. Wells – James was the son of Chauncey Wells and Susannah Freer, and husband of Annie Elizabeth Linder (married circa 1918). Together they had three children: Dorothy, Winnie, and Jess.
He is remembered as a hymn writer, poet, and newspaper columnist.
His columns (such as Little Light Lyrics and Verses of Victory) appeared regularly in The Dalton/North Georgia Citizen newspaper.
Wells later wrote a regular column in the Dalton Citizen called “The Corner Store Gossip.”
He was the author of sixty-four hymns. There isn’t much other information to be found regarding this author.
Robert E. Winsett was a musician, songwriter, publisher, and minister born to William Robert Winsett and Indiana Catherine Cox. After graduating from the Bowman Normal School of Music in 1899 and completing postgraduate conservatory studies in 1907, he founded the R. E. Winsett Song Book Publishing Company around 1903. His songbooks, including *Winsett’s Favorite Songs* and *Pentecostal Power*, became widely popular among Free Will Baptists, General Baptists, Holiness groups, Pentecostal churches, and the Church of God.
Winsett married Birdie Bell in 1908, and they had five children while living in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where his music business flourished. He later became a recognized minister in the Church of God (7th Day) in 1923. After personal loss, including the death of his son Grady and later his wife, Winsett returned to Tennessee and expanded his music publishing work in Chattanooga, revising *Pentecostal Power* into *Pentecostal Power Complete*. In 1930, he married Mary Ruth Edmonton, and they had three children.
Known as a quiet, devoted Christian, Winsett enjoyed leading singing at camp meetings and conventions and spent much of his free time hiking and praying in the Tennessee mountains. He was recognized in *Who’s Who in the South and Southwest* (1947), *Who’s Who in Music* (1951), and church history publications for his contributions to gospel music and ministry.
Lyrics:
1 I care not today what the morrow may bring,
If shadow or sunshine or rain,
The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything,
And all of my worry is vain.
Refrain:
Living by faith in Jesus above,
Trusting, confiding in His great love;
From all harm safe in His sheltering arm,
I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.
2 Tho’ tempests may blow and the storm-clouds arise,
Obscuring the brightness of life,
I’m never alarmed at the overcast skies—
The Master looks on at the strife. [Refrain]
3 I know that He safely will carry me thro’,
No matter what evils betide;
Why should I then care, tho’ the tempest may blow,
If Jesus walks close to my side. [Refrain]
4 Our Lord will return to this earth some sweet day,
Our troubles will then all be o’er;
The Master so gently will lead us away,
Beyond that blest heav’nly shore. [Refrain]
Listen here:
https://youtu.be/v1Wuk2J-EAk?si=8nurdq9NI7SWm8mX
https://youtu.be/PwJfwYMuZEQ?si=cS7zp__IaM1KMbqy
Sources:
https://hymnary.org/text/i_care_not_today_what_the_morrow_may_bri
http://hymntime.com/tch/bio/w/e/l/l/wells_j.htm
http://hymntime.com/tch/bio/w/i/n/s/winsett_re.htm
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106508741/james_sewell-wells
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